The Georgetown University Institute of Politics and Public Service announced its 10th class of fellows Dec. 16, which includes former Congressman Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) and other veteran figures in political campaigns and media.
Joining Crowley to make up the spring class of fellows are former Communications Director for Kamala Harris for President Lily Adams, BuzzFeed News Washington Bureau Chief Kate Nocera, co-founder of Torchlight strategies John Rogers and Head of Public Affairs for Facebook Robert Traynham.
Fellows hold weekly discussion groups and office hours during which students can listen to them speak about their experiences in the political field, ask questions and seek advice. Each semester, GU Politics accepts applications for the next semester’s class of fellows. The spring 2020 GU Politics Fellows are the product of one of the most competitive applicant pools, according to GU Politics Executive Director Mo Elleithee (SFS ’94).
“We couldn’t be more thrilled with this class,” Elleithee wrote in an email to The Hoya. “If you’ve ever wanted to sit down and talk with political leaders about running for office, presidential campaigns, political reporting, or the intersection of tech and politics, this class has you covered.”
The GU Politics Fellows Program began in fall 2015 and has brought five distinguished figures to campus every semester since. Past fellows include former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley (D), former Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) and ABC News White House Correspondent Karen Travers (COL ’00, GRD ’03).
Crowley served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1990 to 2019, representing New York’s 14th congressional district. He became the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus in 2017 and remained in that role until his primary defeat by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), an upset that attracted national coverage.
Adams most recently served as the communications director for the presidential campaign of Senator Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), who withdrew from the race earlier this month. In 2016, Adams served as the spokesperson and Iowa communications director for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.
Nocera is a veteran Washington, D.C. political journalist who has served as D.C. Bureau Chief for BuzzFeed News since 2016. Prior to joining Buzzfeed, Nocera worked as a health care and congressional reporter for Politico. She received a 2014 National Press Foundation Everett McKinley Dirksen Award for distinguished reporting of a congressional resolution that authorized military action against the perpetrators of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Rogers is a co-founder of Torchlight Strategies, a company that produces political advertisements and documentaries for Republican candidates. Before founding his company, he worked for the National Republican Congressional Committee for almost eight years, serving as the executive director from 2017 to 2018.
Traynham is the head of public affairs for Facebook, a role he has held since 2018. Prior to working at Facebook, Traynham worked as a political consultant at companies including Wamart and Comcast. He served as an assistant dean at Georgetown from 2012 to 2013 and remains a member of the university’s faculty.
The fellows have expressed gratitude and excitement at their selection on social media. To be a part of such a distinguished group is an honor, according to Traynham.
“So excited to be amongst so many legends,” Traynham wrote in a Dec. 16 tweet.
Discussion groups and office hours are not the only ways students will be able to interact with the fellows. Students have the opportunity to apply to be a part of a Student Strategy Team. Each fellow will be assigned a small group of students who will help them research for their discussion groups, promote their sessions and events, and connect them with the broader campus community, according to the GU Politics website.
The GU Politics team hopes students will take advantage of this opportunity to work closely with experts in the fields of politics, government and media, according to Paula Pecorella, GU Politics manager of fellows and career programming
“We are thrilled to welcome this dynamic group of fellows to Georgetown next semester. Their expertise and discussion topics could not be more timely and we know how valuable they will be to our students,” Pecorella wrote in an email to The Hoya. “Signing up for a Student Strategy Team, where you’ll get to work one on one with the Fellows, or simply attending their weekly discussion groups and office hours, are some of the best ways to get involved with GU Politics and begin building your political network.”
