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There are many questions about how artificial intelligence is changing the way people work. Perhaps the hardest question is how communities can prepare for those changes while making sure people have a meaningful opportunity to participate in the future taking shape around them.
For Gianna Judkins, an MPA student in the Sanford School of Public Policy’s inaugural Master of Public Affairs cohort, that question connects directly to the work she has pursued throughout her career.
Judkins recently completed an applied capstone project with AI Ready RVA, a Richmond, Virginia-based nonprofit working to make the Greater Richmond region more prepared for artificial intelligence. The organization brings people together through industry-focused learning cohorts and works with schools and employers to build practical AI literacy and workforce readiness.
Judkins’ project, Preparing the Greater Richmond Region for Artificial Intelligence: AI Literacy, Workforce Readiness, and Equitable Transitions in an AI-Driven Economy, explored how the region can strengthen AI literacy, workforce readiness, and institutional coordination as artificial intelligence reshapes the economy.
AI Ready RVA later highlighted Judkins’ work in a public LinkedIn post, describing the research as “more useful than anything we could have written about ourselves.”
Her work in AI policy has also received recognition beyond Duke. Judkins was selected as one of 15 finalists from more than 3,700 applicants for the Federation of American Scientists’ AI Safety Policy Entrepreneurship Fellowship, a highly competitive program that supports emerging policy ideas addressing risks posed by advanced AI.
From public service to technology policy
Judkins has worked across government, nonprofit, political, and private-sector environments, with experience that includes the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, National League of Cities, Lyft, and HopSkipDrive. At 19, she participated in the launch of a Senate Democrats campaign focused on college affordability.
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She later moved into government affairs and policy engagement. At Lyft, she led national policy engagement and built partnerships across government, advocacy, technology, and community organizations. Most recently, at HopSkipDrive, she built and led the organization’s National Policy Partnerships function, advancing stakeholder engagement and external affairs strategy across 13 states and more than 600 school districts.
“Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of serving in government, nonprofit, political, and private-sector spaces,” Judkins said. “Across each of those experiences, I found myself increasingly drawn to questions about the societal impact of emerging technologies and the role public policy plays in ensuring innovation serves the public good.”
That interest eventually led Judkins to Sanford, where she chose to specialize in Technology Policy.
“Whether I was working on transportation access, civic engagement, or stakeholder partnerships, I became increasingly aware of the ways technology was reshaping communities, institutions, and society itself,” she said. “I realized I wanted a deeper understanding of how policy and governance could help shape those outcomes, which ultimately led me to Duke and the opportunity to specialize in Technology Policy.”
A capstone with a regional focus
The applied capstone is a required part of Sanford’s MPA program, giving students an opportunity to apply their coursework to a real-world policy question while working with an external organization.
For Judkins, the project brought her academic interests into direct conversation with the challenges communities face as artificial intelligence changes the economy. Her research drew on interviews with regional stakeholders and examined how workforce development, education, employers, government, and community institutions can better coordinate around AI readiness.
The project also drew on skills developed throughout her professional career.
“I bring a social policy practitioner’s perspective grounded in years of experience building coalitions, managing stakeholder relationships, and navigating complex policy environments,” she said. “Much of my career has involved bringing together policymakers, advocacy organizations, community leaders, and private-sector partners to address challenging public issues.”
For Judkins, preparing for artificial intelligence requires attention not only to technological advancement, but also to the people and communities navigating that change. Policy can help determine whether communities have the knowledge, partnerships, and institutional capacity necessary to participate in the opportunities AI creates.
Learning with an inaugural cohort
Judkins entered the MPA program hoping to deepen her understanding of technology policy, strengthen her analytical skills, and learn alongside professionals whose experiences differed from her own.
The inaugural cohort includes students with backgrounds in public service, health care, education, national security, nonprofit management, and other fields.
“What makes the cohort particularly special is not only its racial and cultural diversity, but also the diversity of professional experiences, sectors, and regions represented in the classroom,” she said. “Those varying perspectives make classroom discussions richer, more impactful, and ultimately more solution-oriented. I've learned just as much from my classmates as I have from the coursework itself.”
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Judkins is the only Black woman in the founding cohort, an experience she said has given her an opportunity to contribute to the culture of a new program while helping shape what it becomes for future students.
“It has been meaningful to contribute my perspective while helping shape what this program becomes for future generations of students,” she said.
Her time at Sanford has also reinforced the value of bringing people with different perspectives into the same conversation.
“One of the most rewarding aspects of the program has been experiencing what it looks like when people with vastly different backgrounds come together around a shared commitment to solving public challenges,” she said. “At a time when public discourse often feels polarized, Sanford has reminded me that meaningful progress is still possible through thoughtful dialogue, collaboration, and a willingness to learn from one another.”
As she completes the MPA program, Judkins plans to continue working at the intersection of technology, policy, and societal impact, with a growing focus on AI policy, governance, and how communities navigate technological change.
“Ultimately, I hope to leave the program with a deeper understanding of how policy can help shape a future where innovation serves the public good and where technology is leveraged responsibly to address society’s most pressing challenges,” she said.