Rachel S. Pleet
rpleet@udel.edu │ (610) 741-8241 │ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelpleet
EDUCATION
Master of Public Administration, Expected May 2017
University of Delaware
Honors Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy, Expected May 2016
Minors in Public Health and Anthropology
University of Delaware, GPA: 3.89
RELATED EXPERIENCE
Assistant Researcher
Dec. 2015–Jan. 2016
Office of Gender Issues, Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality, Tel Aviv, Israel
• Researched worldwide cities’ successful policies that mitigate gender-related violence, promote healthy sexuality in
youth and adult populations, and achieve gender equality in all domains of life, for similar implementation in Tel Aviv.
• Wrote articles detailing the municipality’s efforts to assimilate gender sensitivity into middle and high school curricula.
• Worked closely with the Mayor’s Advisor on Gender Issues and the Gender Policy Manager to promote the annual
“Fair-Shared City” Conference to the public, and to help coordinate speakers and lecture topics for the event.
Undergraduate Public Administration Fellow
Sept. 2015–Present / June–Dec. 2014
Institute for Public Administration, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
• Write and refine literature reviews regarding the quality of public school libraries, and design strategic plan on best
practices for school libraries and librarians with research team (School Libraries Project).
• Explored liabilities and assets of Wilmington, via comparisons with other proximate cities on Census Bureau indicators,
in areas including health, education, housing, and crime (How Wilmington Compares [HWC] Project).
• Worked towards designing policy paper and initiating HWC website as final product(s) with research team.
Summer Policy Fellow
June–Aug. 2015
Disaster Research Center, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
• Collaborated with team members on the “Hazards SEES Type 2” progressive project that, among other things, produces
and examines high-resolution nowcasts for short-term weather warnings using short-range, overlapping Doppler radars.
• Coded and categorized interview transcripts to understand how people process risk and at what temporal/spatial
thresholds do severe weather warnings typically elicit different behavioral responses from the public.
• Analyzed interview transcripts to understand how project partners can most effectively design an iPhone application as
a next-generation resilient warning system device.
Undergraduate Legislative Researcher
Jan.–June 2015
Office of Government Relations, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
• Coordinated university’s legislative clearinghouse function by tracking and analyzing legislative bills that passed
through the Delaware General Assembly, paying particular attention to bills impacting the university.
• Provided administrative support to develop the Government Relations communications contact list for state
government, business, and community leaders.
• Monitored, researched, and examined the university’s successful programs and the issues facing the campus
community, bringing them to the attention of state legislators and university personnel through written reports.
Office Assistant
Dec. 2012–Feb. 2013
Law Offices of Jesse L. Pleet, P.C., Wyomissing, Pennsylvania
• Completed office duties (filing, purging files, organizing office spaces, answering phones) in professional setting.
• Compiled research, supervised by attorney, for factual support related to pending personal injury lawsuits.
MEMBERSHIPS
• Blue Hens for Israel (club)
• The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi
• Delaware Association for Public Administration [DAPA]
• American Society for Public Administration [ASPA]
• Israel U (club)
• National Society of Collegiate Scholars
• Alpha Epsilon Phi (social and service sorority), Ritualist Chair
Oct. 2015–Present
Apr. 2015–Present
Sept. 2014–Present
Sept. 2014–Present
Aug. 2014–Present
Mar. 2013–Present
Feb. 2013–Present
Rachel S. Pleet
rpleet@udel.edu │ (610) 741-8241 │ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelpleet
As an incoming freshman at the University of Delaware, it certainly was not easy for me to choose a
major from the vast and exciting possibilities; I hold a wide range of interests, have a deep passion for
learning, and love to exercise my intellectual curiosity. I found my passion in public policy, which
examines all kinds of issues and topics. This coincided with the high value my family placed on public
service as I was growing up. In studying public policy, I have become interested in exploring issues at the
local and community levels. I can envision myself working in some dimension of local or state
governments, or in a local branch of a nonprofit organization. With other policy-minded individuals, I
want to understand the challenges facing constituents and help to implement policies that promote positive
change in their communities.
While I am enthusiastic about all sorts of policy topics (especially in the social domain), some of
my special areas of interest include food policy and public health; I envision myself working in some
capacity of local or state government that targets the collective health of citizens. As a public health minor,
I recognize the misunderstood blame that gets placed on individuals for poor health-related decisionmaking. Concurrently, I see the overwhelming need to address the public policies (or lack thereof), the
media, and the food “culture” in a society that have conditioned individuals to lead unhealthy lifestyles.
Once we examine and fix the health policies in these broader scopes, then the resources and education
needed for people to conduct healthier lifestyles will be more attainable. I am very inspired by the idea of
taking part in effective policymaking addressing challenging issues like these.
In addition to health policy, I have an interest in emergency management. My visit to Israel in
summer 2014 during the Israel-Gaza conflict prompted a sense of deep reflection about the things I had
experienced; while I was safe after hiding in bomb shelters daily, many were not. I gained a new
appreciation for safety that summer, and I realize how lucky I am to have grown up in a community that is
essentially free from serious disasters. From this, another potential career goal is to help devastated
communities, either on the ground during an acute crisis or through designing and implementing policies
that will protect citizens and/or lessen the chance of future disasters.
While interning in the Office of Government Relations on campus, I developed a new interest for
state and local government. Tracking and analyzing the bills that emanated from the Delaware General
Assembly, I was exposed to countless fascinating issues that governments face. The analytical, research,
writing, communication, and critical thinking skills I gained and developed through this internship and
others have helped prepare me for challenging work experiences in the future. My MPA curriculum, too,
continuously helps to advance these proficiencies as I develop professionally.
Whether long- or short-term, I want to advance my professional goals in Israel. After visiting
friends and touring the country several times, I have developed my own special connection to the people
and to the land. My most recent internship experience took place in Tel Aviv, Israel, where I worked on
gender policy for the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality. Not only did I have an extremely meaningful and
productive experience working in the Office of Gender Issues, but I also began networking with
professionals in other municipal departments and beyond the bounds of the city government. I hope that
making such connections, and striving for future work opportunities related to my policy interests, will help
prepare me for a career in Israel.
As I am still pursing my MPA degree and living in the states, I will certainly seek out meaningful
internship opportunities here and take advantage of the ones that present themselves to me. I hope to
personally gain in my future professional experiences, and equally as important, I hope to give to others; I
want to positively impact the organization in which I intern, my colleagues, and all constituents who have a
stake in the prevailing issues.