Working with mentors at UGA Institute of Government, Vinson Fellows conduct research relevant to local and state government

Applications are now available for the Fall 2025 Vinson Fellows program. As Vinson Fellows, undergraduates engage with the UGA Institute of Government’s experts on research projects using proven research methods and the latest available data to address complex local and state government challenges.

Vinson Fellows are selected through a competitive application process. Applications for the Fall 2025 cohort are available online through March 10.

Fellows work on research projects through the fall semester and are encouraged to continue their research experience into the spring semester by participating in Center of Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO) programs, such as the CURO Symposium or Best Paper Awards.

In the fall of 2024, five UGA undergraduates gained valuable skills while studying matters relevant to communities across Georgia. The students were paired with institute mentors and explored topics such as public health data visualizations, solar energy, Georgia demographics, evictions and property tax exemptions.

Aarov Malhotra, a second-year Foundation Fellow and Stamps Scholar studying political science and economics, learned how to use Power BI to build a dashboard as part of his research into Georgia’s opioid epidemic. James Byars served as Malhotra’s mentor. Byars connected Malhotra with one of the creators of the Georgia Department of Public Health database Malhotra used in the research.

“It was such a unique opportunity, and it happened because James really cared about my trajectory of exploring public health data,” Malhotra said.

Adam Brantley is a third-year political science and international affairs honors student who is also a Frye Fellow and Arch Policy Institute Policy Analysis Center lead. He used skills he has learned from his statistics minor to automate a modeling tool used by mentor Tommie Shepherd to analyze the effects of age-based property tax exemptions on rural school districts.

“My research enabled me to take what I’ve learned in a classroom and apply it in a more practical real-world setting. I’ve been able to push my limits and make a useful tool,” Brantley said.

Emma Mineva, a second-year honors student studying international affairs, linguistics and Russian, researched Georgia population demographics and plans to present her findings at the CURO Symposium. Taylor Hafley served as Mineva’s mentor for the project.

Fellows said the program helped them explore additional career paths and refine their interests.

Nissa Dotson, a fourth-year political science and international affairs student, said mentors Gretchen King and Jamil Sewell helped her refine an interest in the legal field to civil law.

“Working with Gretchen and Jamil helped guide my research and helped me understand how to use data to tell a story and to better communicate my findings,” Dotson said.

Alex Drahos, a 2024 Harry S. Truman Scholar and fourth-year Foundation Fellow studying international relations and urban studies, researched solar energy with support from mentors Leigh Askew Elkins and Natalie Bock.

“For me, it’s an opportunity to explore public service through evidence-based practice, while thinking about how using that academic research can translate into positive outcomes for everyday people who are just trying to go about their lives,” Drahos said.

While the students benefit from working with Institute of Government faculty and staff, the institute’s team also views the program as a valuable experience.

“It gives us an opportunity to show students what we do so they get a good understanding of the Institute of Government’s work and an introduction to public service,” Elkins said.