The 2024-25 Moynihan Public Service Fellows
The Moynihan Center at the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at The City College of New York has introduced its second cohort of the Moynihan Public Service Fellowship, which supports promising undergraduate students pursuing innovative careers in public service.
Moynihan Public Service Fellows receive awards totaling $10,000, take two elective courses dedicated to professional development and public service, and participate in a paid summer internship in city government or in another public service institution.
Fellows become members of a dynamic intellectual and civic community that includes: guest visits by active leaders in civic affairs; regular interaction with yearly cohorts of Moynihan senior fellows and affiliated CCNY faculty; and opportunities for mentorship by a growing network that includes former staffers of Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan and will, in the future, include alumni of the Moynihan Public Service Fellowship.
Each contest for the Moynihan Public Service Fellowship has been highly competitive. The 22 Fellows chosen in 2024 were selected from a pool of more than 100 applicants who represent a wide range of diversity across several indicators.
“At a time when we need young, diverse leaders in public service, the Moynihan Center is producing them. These 22 new Fellows are extraordinary and will be deeply supported as a cohort as they explore their own paths to public service leadership,” said Andrew Rich, the Richard J. Henley and Susan L. Davis Dean of the Colin Powell School.
“The Fellows are some of the best and brightest minds here on the campus with an ambition for public service and intellectual leadership,” said Professor of Political Science Carlo Invernizzi Accetti, the Moynihan Center’s executive director. “Our hope is that the Moynihans of the future will be forged out of the interaction between our two fellowship programs, as well as the broader ecosystem of leadership development and public discussion that they will help to forge on campus.”
“In its brief history, the Moynihan Public Service Fellowship has demonstrated that combining academic rigor with practical experience can pave the way for rewarding careers in public service. We are excited to welcome this new cohort of bright and driven fellows who exemplify the spirit of service that defined Senator Moynihan's legacy,” said Michael Miller, the managing director of the Moynihan Center.
“I have had the distinct privilege of working closely with our Moynihan Fellows and witnessing their growth firsthand,” said Layana Abu Touq, senior program manager of the Moynihan Center. “This year's cohort arrives brimming with passion, curiosity, and a steadfast commitment to creating positive change. We are eager to equip them with the tools to turn their ambitions into impactful leadership in public service roles.”
The Moynihan Public Service Fellowship is made possible with generous support from the Leon Levy Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Teagle Foundation, the Charles H. Revson Foundation, and the Achelis & Bodman Foundation.
About the Moynihan Center
The Daniel Patrick Moynihan Center at The City College of New York advances the twin goals of public scholarship and public service. Taking inspiration from Senator Moynihan’s celebrated career, the Center cultivates leaders who cross the boundaries between critical thinking, public service practice, and popular communication. Through signature fellowship programs and a rich slate of public events, the Center works to ensure that the next generation of public scholars and public servants reflects the diversity of viewpoints and lived experiences represented at City College and beyond.
About the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership
Established in 2013, the Colin Powell School is home to the social science departments at CCNY as well as the core leadership development and public service programs of the College. With almost 4,000 students, and graduating the most CCNY students annually, the Colin Powell School mission is to transform the nation’s most diverse student body into tomorrow’s global leaders. Half of our students are immigrants; more than seventy percent are first-generation college students. Eighty percent are people of color. Most come from lower income backgrounds. The Colin Powell School and City College remain among the most effective engines of economic and social mobility in the United States. The School is led by a faculty dedicated to the highest standards of research and to the university’s democratic and public obligations. Read more about the Colin Powell School.
About The City College of New York
Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. CCNY embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at CCNY can move up two or more income quintiles. Education research organization Degree Choices ranks CCNY #1 nationally among universities for economic return on investment. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places CCNY in the top 1.8% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Emsi (now Lightcast) puts at $1.9 billion CCNY’s annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the “for dollar” return on investment to students, taxpayers and society. At City College, more than 15,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. This year, CCNY launched its most expansive fundraising campaign, ever. The campaign, titled “Doing Remarkable Things Together” seeks to bring the College’s Foundation to more than $1 billion in total assets in support of the College mission. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.
Syd Steinhardt
212-650-7875
ssteinhardt1@ccny.cuny.edu