Laura Askin
180 Graham Hall⏐ Newark, DE 19716⏐(302) 423-7229⏐laskin@udel.edu⏐https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraaskin
EDUCATION
Master of Public Administration, Expected May 2017
University of Delaware
Specialization: Public Policy and Management
Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies, 2015
University of Delaware
EXPERIENCE
Legislative Fellow
January 2016 – Present
House of Representatives Minority Caucus, Legislative Hall, Dover Delaware
• Researched diverse policy challenges offering nonpartisan recommendations and solutions for critical issues
facing the State.
• Worked with Representatives and staff to address varied constituent issues.
Graduate Research Assistant
June 2015 – December 2015
Water Resource Agency, Institute for Public Administration, University of Delaware
• Researched and reported on best practices for water resource planning spanning multiple states, regions, and
countries.
• Collected and analyzed data on health of watersheds through fieldwork and land use examination.
• Updated, summarized, and wrote reports regarding watershed health on scales ranging from local to national.
Public Policy Fellow
Water Resource Agency, Institute for Public Administration, University of Delaware
• Assisted in data collection and analysis of organizations affecting water quality.
• Updated and wrote reports regarding implications of dam removal on watersheds.
Jan. 2015 – May 2015
Environmental Education and Interpretation Intern
May 2014 – August 2014
Delaware Seashore State Park, Delaware
• Designed and assisted in developing/instituting programs aimed at effectively illustrating environmental
challenges facing the state.
• Researched water quality and implications for marine life.
HONORS AND AWARDS
Excellence in Water Resource Scholarship Award
March 2015
School of Public Policy and Administration, University of Delaware
• Received this award for superior scholarship and interest in the field of water resource planning, management, and
policy.
ACTIVITIES
American Society for Public Administration Member
Delaware Association for Public Administration Member
American Water Resources Association Member
Delaware Water Resources Association Member
Student Association of Policy and Administration Member
Chair of the Fundraising Committee
Student Athlete
University of Delaware’s Division One Women’s Varsity Swim Team
September 2015
September 2015
October 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2011 – March 2015
Laura Askin
180 Graham Hall⏐ Newark, DE 19716⏐(302) 423-7229⏐laskin@udel.edu⏐https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraaskin
When asked the question posed to me every Thanksgiving dinner, what do I want to do with
my degree, my typical response has always been that I want to make a difference. While my response
may have been trite and noncommittal, it was not untrue. With an undergraduate degree in
Environmental Studies I had spent four years studying and researching the often-overwhelming
impacts man has on the environment. I questioned what could actually be done to make a difference.
While buying organic and switching to energy efficient light bulbs eased my conscience, it seemed like
a moot point with Hummers still on the road and coal being burnt. Questioning what I could do bring
about real change brought me to my minors in Public Policy and Energy and Environmental Policy,
and eventually led me to pursue a Masters in Public Administration.
In his book, Introducing Public Administration, Jay Shafritz states, “public administration is the
mature manifestation of the community spirit”. My parents both of whom were public administrators
instilled in me a passion for public service and the community spirit from a young age. Seeing how
rewarding my parents work was, my father as the director of the State of Delaware’s Hospitable for the
Chronically Ill and my mother as the Director of Training for Delaware’s Department of Corrections,
further encouraged my dedication to the community. Their work as public administrators was
rewarding for them. Seeing their dedication to their careers and communities made my decision to get
a Masters in Public Administration an easy one.
Water resource policy interests in for various reasons. The decision that water resource policy
and management would be the most rewarding form of public service was an obvious best fit for me.
Water is an inevitable aspect of every person’s life, with 71% of the earth’s surface being water and
the average human being 75% water. My interest in water began when I was nine months old when
my parents took me to swim lessons. From the age of nine months on my love of water remained with
me, eventually leading me to become a Division One swimmer for the University of Delaware. The
countless hours I spent swimming left me with a unique (occasionally begrudged) appreciation for
water as well as an industrial work ethic, time management and organization skills.
My internship in the summer of 2014 at Delaware Seashore State Park further focused my
interest in water policy, as the park was enclosed on one side by the Atlantic Ocean, and the other by
the Inland Bays of Delaware. My research concluded that improvements in water quality due to land
use policies had resulted in notable increases in beneficial ecosystem activities in the Inland Bays. It
was also clear the clean, healthy water supported the local economies, as tourism to the beach and bays
is a major revenue source for the area.
In 2015, I furthered my academic focus on water policy and resource management by
becoming a Public Policy Fellow working with the University of Delaware’s Water Resource Agency.
The projects I contributed to as an undergraduate varied from data collection to report writing to
budget analysis. I continued my research as a Graduate Research Assistant, expanding my research
focus from East Coast water resources planning to policy analysis of the California drought and best
watershed management practices in New Zealand.
An internship focused on the formation and administration of policy would further expand my
knowledge and help me to develop the skills necessary for my career aspirations. I am passionate about
the work and research I do and would strive to be an essential and valuable part of an agency or
organization. With the skills I have learned from my academic research and my self-driven and
organized nature (due to the demands of competing for four years as a Division One swimmer), I am
confident I would be valuable intern.