Alexis Smyser acts as a Communications Associate for the Goldin Institute, after having first worked for the Institute through her service year with Public Allies in 2013. Today she is a Master of Public Policy candidate at the University of Chicago Harris School, following the completion of a bachelor’s in Communication with a minor in International Studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Alexis recently completed a senior-internship at the MacArthur Foundation, a year of policy research at the Ounce of Prevention Fund, and currently serves as the Assistant Director for the Urban Policy Student Association at Harris. Through her years of public service, she has gained a deep understanding of humanitarian issues and has a strong desire to assist in community development at home and abroad. Alexis lives with her partner in Chicago, Illinois.