Joel Anderson

Joel Anderson is a Master of Public Administration candidate at the University of Washington (UW)’s Evans School of Public Policy & Governance and serves as Policy Director for the UW Graduate and Professional Student Senate. As a member of the 27th Class of Emerson Hunger Fellows, he researched the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on tribal food systems during his field placement with the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative. Joel also documented the efforts of six states to combat child hunger through improved SNAP agency innovation and interagency coordination while completing his policy placement at the American Public Human Services Association.

Joel has experience in a handful of policy areas—including poverty and hunger alleviation, higher education, and refugee resettlement—as well as advocacy, political campaigns, and communications work. During his undergraduate career, he completed internships with World Relief Seattle, RESULTS, and Rep. Derek Kilmer (WA-06). Since then, he has worked on multiple campaigns for Rep. Kilmer and Tacoma City Council Member Kiara Daniels.

Joel received a B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis and will be graduating with his M.P.A. from the University of Washington in June 2023. While at Washington University in St. Louis, he was a John B. Ervin Scholar, student representative to the university’s Board of Trustees, and Resident Advisor for first-year students.