Sanford MPA Student Hannah Bolotin Named Bryce Harlow Fellow

Sanford is proud to celebrate Hannah Bolotin, a student in the Master of Public Affairs (MPA) program, who has been named a 2025–2026 Bryce Harlow Fellow. Bolotin is the first Duke student to receive this prestigious fellowship, which recognizes graduate students pursuing careers in public affairs, advocacy, and public policy.

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The Bryce Harlow Fellowship is awarded annually to exceptional students who demonstrate not only academic and professional excellence, but also a deep commitment to ethical leadership. Fellows are selected for embodying the principles of advocating policy positions with integrity, employing sound and truthful arguments, and contributing subject matter expertise to the development of effective public policy.

Bolotin is pursuing the 18-month track of the MPA program with a concentration in Technology Policy. She currently serves as Manager of External Relations at the Council on Criminal Justice, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington, D.C. In this role, she leads strategic partnerships and communications initiatives, oversees the Council’s invitational membership program, and supports research and policy efforts, including task forces on violent crime, federal crime data infrastructure, and artificial intelligence in the criminal justice system.

Prior to her current position, Bolotin directed communications and research for a Seattle-based nonprofit focused on reentry. She has also managed a psychology lab at Boston College and contributed to justice-related research projects at New York University, the University of Washington, and Yale University. A native of Seattle, WA, she earned her B.A. in psychology from Wesleyan University.

Reflecting on the honor, Bolotin said, "I’m grateful to the Bryce Harlow Foundation not only for supporting my studies at Duke, but for fostering a network of leaders who are dedicated to ethical advocacy and principled public policy engagement."

Asher Hildebrand, Sanford Professor of the Practice and Director of Graduate Studies for the MPA program, congratulated Bolotin on this milestone: "We are thrilled to see Hannah recognized with this prestigious fellowship. Her commitment to ethical leadership and public service reflects the very best of the Sanford MPA program, and we are proud that she is the first Duke student to be named a Bryce Harlow Fellow."

The Bryce Harlow Foundation, established in honor of former corporate and government affairs leader Bryce Harlow, supports the development of principled leaders in public affairs. Its fellowship program has historically drawn primarily from Washington, D.C.-based universities. Bolotin’s selection marks an exciting expansion of the program’s reach and reflects Duke Sanford’s growing presence in the nation’s capital.

Learn more about Sanford's Master of Public Affairs.