Walsh headshot

Emerson Fellow

Sean Walsh

26th Class, 2019-2020

Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Sean is a trained chef and lover of food. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and studied nutrition and anthropology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Sean spent his early career working in the kitchens of New York City where he was able to see firsthand America’s growing economic inequality. Since then, he has focused his career on ending hunger and improving health. He has spent the last two years in Washington, D.C. building an understanding of national efforts to sustainably end hunger; most recently, he worked as a government relations consultant for the UN World Food Programme. Sean sees the urgency of addressing rising global hunger in a way that is inclusive of equity, environmental sustainability, and good food.

Field placement: Illinois Hunger Coalition

Chicago, Illinois

Sean completed his field placement with the Illinois Hunger Coalition (IHC), a statewide anti-hunger organization focused on eliminating hunger by working to expand and protect critical social safety net programs as well as address the root causes of poverty, including racialized economic inequality. Sean worked closely with IHC's Executive Director on efforts to improve and expand the state's SNAP Education and Training system. His work consisted of interviewing key stakeholders that informed the development of IHC’s targeted SNAP E&T policy trainings andadvocacy materials. His work also supported the formation of a workgroup consisting of employment and training providers, social service providers, relevant state agency employees, and staff of state legislators.

Policy placement: National Conference of State Legislatures

Washington, DC