Ellen Schenk

Ellen Schenk

Degree: 2021, MPP

Job Title: Research Associate, Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity

​Ellen Schenk (MPP '21) is a research associate at the Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity at George Washington University, where she applies her data cleaning and analysis skills to projects related to reproductive health and behavioral health.

Schenk graduated from the new 4+1 Master of Public Policy (MPP) Program, which enabled her to earn both a dual bachelor's degree in math and economics and public policy and her MPP in five years instead of six — all while contributing to a portfolio of research projects with advisers Troy Mix , associate director of the Institute for Public Administration (IPA) and Katie Fitzpatrick, associate professor in the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration.

Schenk contributed to a diverse set of applied research projects as a Public Administration Fellow with IPA. Schenk conducted research to assess the economic and non-economic impacts of The Freeman Stage in Sussex County. Schenk also presented her findings to the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation Board and learned how to translate complex research into key takeaways for the general public. Schenk worked with the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment to model the economic and environmental impacts of electrifying operations at marine ports around the country. She also cataloged municipal and state agency uses of geographic information systems (GIS) for a project to better coordinate public sector geospatial activities in Delaware.

Schenk's time with IPA also led to an internship opportunity with the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness (CREC) in Arlington, Virginia. CREC is an independent, 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization founded to provide policy-makers from around the world with the information and technical assistance they need to formulate and execute innovative, regional, job-creating economic strategies. Ellen made important contributions to a national report on the shifting landscape of academic and professional credentials.

During her final year of study, Schenk worked with Katie Fitzpatrick on an ACCEL Grant studying long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs), intrauterine devices (IUDs), and implants. Schenk reviewed Medicaid data to analyze the relationship between LARC and sexually transmitted infections. The research team hypothesizes that women who receive LARC are more likely to participate in risky behavior and get a sexually transmitted infection.

Ellen now lives and works in Washington, D.C.