In our latest TSPPPA alumni spotlight, Michael Jarrett (MPP '14) reflects on his experience collaborating with TSPPPA students, now alumni, Adrianna LoBasso (MPA '25) and Samantha (Cotter) Marcotte (MPP '26), who joined his research team as assistants investigating the impact of rising energy costs on small and medium-sized businesses in Pennsylvania.

Read more about Michael's research, his experience working alongside Adrianna and Samantha, and how his TSPPPA capstone shaped his career path below. 

In my previous role as the Deputy Director of the Pennsylvania Sustainable Business Network (PASBN), I was tasked with crafting the collective pro-sustainability, pro-business voice for the state’s business community. Energy affordability and AI data centers have been the hot topic in the energy policy world, but the impact on businesses was missing from the conversation. PASBN decided to fill this gap. My team and I designed a research project that analyzed the impact of increased energy costs on small and medium-sized businesses in Pennsylvania and provided policy recommendations. I was able to bring on a small research team and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to include two TSPPPA students (now alumni!), Adrianna and Samantha.

I was reminded just how much TSPPPA prepares students for success in the early stages of their careers. Adrianna and Samantha were both great at research and writing, and never shied away from bringing up ideas, many of which ended up in the final version of the report or set the stage for future research. It was also fun to be part of a research team again. It’s been awhile since I’ve had the opportunity to do this type of work and I certainly missed it. Being able to investigate a problem and propose ideas that can help lead to positive change is a rewarding experience, even more so when you’re surrounded by a great team.

When I was a TSPPPA student I was fresh out of undergrad and I remember the anxiety of trying to land my first internship or job with a resume that barely covered one page. When I was given the green light to build a research team I thought about this experience and saw an opportunity to help current students apply the skills they were developing in the classroom to an external research project, get a publication credit, add a noteworthy experience to their resume, and make them a more attractive candidate for their post-graduation plans. My advice to my fellow alumni? Just do it! It’s relatively low effort from a management perspective with a high reward for everyone involved. I know some organizations may have barriers to this, but it’s my belief that most wouldn’t say no to getting support from some talented grad students.

This position, and the idea of embedding innovation teams into city governments, is an exciting one! I’ve always believed that some of the most interesting policy work is happening at the local level and I’m thrilled to now be in the trenches helping create positive change. While still in the early stages of the project design, my team and I will be working on streamlining the process of offloading vacant or blighted city-owned properties. Not to jump over a lot of important steps (I’m a policy wonk afterall!), but I envision us making process improvements that allow these properties to be sold more quickly so they can be developed and eventually bring in tax revenue to the city. I also see us pursuing green infrastructure development for those properties that may be undevelopable for residential or commercial use. Check back with me in a year or two to see what we accomplish!

The TSPPPA capstone project was one of the primary reasons I chose to attend GW for grad school. The blend of academic and real-world experience made sense to me and I thought it would not only make me more attractive to future employers, but actually allow me to apply the theories I learned in the classroom in a real-world setting. I think it worked because I’ve talked about my capstone project in pretty much every interview I had for years, including during the interview process for my current role.

I remember reading these alumni spotlights as a TSPPPA student, so it's feeling a bit surreal to be featured!