Columbia University graduate student Riley Burchell has been named the Spring 2021 Vermont Housing Fellow. Burchell will receive a financial stipend to improve and expand information available to decision makers about Vermont housing markets and opportunities. In addition, the program is intended to provide the fellow with valuable experience aiding to her professional development.
Burchell is pursuing dual degrees in Urban Planning and Social Work Policy at Columbia University. She has interned for two years at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development, most recently facilitating and developing community engagement strategies around the implementation of a community land trust initiative in Far Rockaway, Queens.
The goal of the Vermont Housing Fellow program is to cultivate interest among graduate students nationwide in Vermont-based affordable housing careers with a specific goal of growing the diversity of experiences and perspectives used when thinking about the housing needs in Vermont.
VHFA’s Housing Fellow program provides students in Vermont and beyond its borders with the opportunity to relate knowledge gained in the classroom to practical, real-world settings. The Agency plans to appoint a new student to the fellowship each semester.
VHFA is currently accepting applications for the fellowship for the summer semester of 2021. Please contact VHFA’s Human Resources Director Steve Gronlund ([email protected]) for more information. Candidates must be graduate students enrolled at an accredited program. Internship course credits may be available through his or her university or through the University of Vermont’s Public Administration program. For information about University of Vermont credits, please contact Julie Starr at [email protected].