Chicago native chosen for national policy fellowship to tackle hunger and poverty
The Office of Fellowships is pleased to announce that Yadira Lopez (WCAS ’25) has been chosen for the 2025–2026 cohort of the Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship! Through the program, Yadira will undertake a pair of internship placements, first with a community-based organization, then at a policy-focused organization in Washington, DC.
Born and raised in Chicago, Yadira graduated from Northwestern University this year with majors in psychology and global health studies. Outside of her coursework, Yadira engaged in extracurricular opportunities that 
centered on community development, equity, human rights, and social science research. She was involved with the Northwestern community through various student organizations: Northwestern University’s Community for Human Rights (NUCHR), which hosts programming and a yearly human-rights conference; the Residential College Board, which oversees and hosts events for students on campus; and Matriculate, a nonprofit that prepares college students to advise high-achieving low-income high school seniors through the college application process. Through her two research assistant positions at the Social Cognition and Intergroup Processes lab (SCIP) and the Stress, Pregnancy, and Health Kids study (SPAH Kids), Yadira delved into social psychology research on race and inequality as well as child development and factors affecting the mother–child dyad.
Involvement with NUCHR, the SCIP lab, and the SPAH Kids study contributed to Yadira’s passion for advocating on behalf of marginalized communities, uplifting their lived experiences and struggles, and supporting health equity work. As an Emerson fellow, Yadira hopes to garner skills to contribute to local and national efforts that strive for food equity and seek an end to hunger. With these skills and her knowledge of policy making and advocacy, she plans to have a career with local health organizations that serve marginalized communities.
The Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship trains and inspires new leaders in the movement to end hunger and poverty in the United States. The program bridges gaps between local efforts and national public policy as fellows support partner organizations with program development, research, evaluation, outreach, organizing, and advocacy projects.
Yadira is the second consecutive Wildcat chosen for the fellowship. Lauren Walcott (SESP ’24) won the award last year.
Contact Jason Kelly Roberts at jason-roberts@northwestern.edu to learn more about the Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship.