Riley Kennedy is a 2021-2022 Civic Fellow. She recently graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with an honors degree in Politics, Philosophy, & Economics and a minor in Modern Middle Eastern Studies. Her academic studies and professional experience have focused primarily on global development, communications, and the public policy process, and Riley has spent two years conducting policy and communications research at think tanks – Child USA and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. At UPenn, some of Riley’s international research projects included compiling a qualitative report on the eldercare crisis in China, evaluating the impact of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) on political engagement in Uganda, and collaborating with environmental NGOs across Israel and Palestine to design a more sustainable water filtration solution to reach rural communities in the West Bank. Prior to joining Civic, Riley worked as a correspondent for the Jordan News.