Associate Consultants

Associate Consultants are hired from the exemplary graduate student body of the Fels Institute of Government at Penn. In addition to their work with Fels, Associate Consultants are completing their Master of Public Administration degrees. Associate Consultants bring a diversity of skills, professional experience, enthusiasm and creativity to Research & Consulting. Working closely with Senior Advisors and Senior Consultants, Associate Consultants manage projects, develop promising practices, and collect and interpret data for innovative and high-impact projects. For information on previous Associate Consultants, click here.

Susit Dhakal is a Masters of Public Administration candidate at the Fels Institute of Government. As a member of Fels Research and Consulting, he is working with the Wyomissing Foundation to identify best practices across the United States in urban entrepreneurial development and target application of those best practices to the current circumstances of the City of Reading, PA. Susit has experience working in both for-profit and not-for-profit sectors in the US and Nepal, his home country.

Tess Mullen is a second year full-time MPA student at Fels.   She has worked in the past on exploring how elected officials and civic entrepreneurs can work together to build healthy urban communities.  Tess completed a recent study of economic impact in West Philadelphia and has examined best practices for Cabinet Secretaries.  Prior to attending Fels, Tess worked in Congress for nearly six years, most recently serving as a communications director for U.S. Congressman Jason Altmire (PA-04). In this position, she consistently secured print, radio and television coverage highlighting the local impact of Congressman Altmire’s legislative initiatives. Tess graduated from Harvard College with a B.A. in English.

Alan Sable is a first year graduate student at the Fels Institute of Government.  He is currently working on developing best practices for using social media for public engagement.  Originally from the Boston area, Alan worked in the Philadelphia region for several years as a union organizer for healthcare organizations.

Samuel Williford is a second-year Masters of Public Administration candidate at the Fels Institute of Government.  He is currently working with the Wyomissing Foundation to encourage entrepreneurial development in the town of Reading, PA.  Sam has worked on identifying and examining replicable employer-driven talent development strategies aimed at lower skilled workers and creating job-centered economic development strategies in concert with the Annie E. Casey Foundation.  His background includes research on international trade and employment, homelessness, and labor issues.  Sam graduated from the College of Charleston with a B.A. in Communications.