Recent SESP alum lands fellowship in Illinois state government

The Office of Fellowships is thrilled to announce that Louis Lee (SESP ’26) has been chosen for the 2026–2027 cohort of the James Dunn Fellowship! Through the fellowship, Louis will work in Illinois state government, with a focus on health-related policy.

As an undergraduate at Northwestern, Louis (he/him) studied social policy and global health. With three years of experience as a certified nursing assistant, he brings firsthand understanding of long-term care into his work in public health. Louis has conducted qualitative and geospatial research on elderly care access and environmental health, and he has held roles at the Midwest Asian Health Association, AgeOptions, Illinois Department of Public Health, and Health and Medicine Policy Research Group. A certified community health worker, he is committed to improving care for aging, LGBTQ+, and immigrant communities through policy, data, and direct service.

As a Dunn fellow, Louis hopes to gain skills in bringing local, county, and statewide stakeholders to the table to advance public health initiatives. After the fellowship, he plans to have a career working with state or federal government entities that address healthy aging across the lifespan.

The James Dunn Fellowship provides bright, highly motivated college graduates a unique opportunity to experience the operations of state government for one year. Fellows are recruited from public and private colleges and universities throughout the nation.

Louis is one of several recent Northwestern grads to be a Dunn fellow. Last year, Aby James (WCAS ’25) and Kayla Payvar (WCAS ’25) won the award. Andie Tipton (WCAS ’24) won the award two years ago, and Cindy Shou (WCAS ’23) and Anahi Marquez (SESP ’23) won the award in 2023.

Contact Jason Kelly Roberts at jason-roberts@northwestern.edu to learn more about the James Dunn Fellowship.