Julian Lutz '19 Receives Fellowship to Princeton University's Junior Summer Institute at Woodrow Wilson School

PHILADELPHIA (February 15, 2018) — Saint Joseph’s University is pleased to announce that junior Julian Lutz of Philadelphia has been awarded the Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Junior Summer Institute Fellowship to spend the upcoming summer at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.

The PPIA Junior Summer Institute is a preface to a Master’s or joint degree in public policy, public administration, international affairs or a related field. Each year, PPIA seeks out high-potential, undergraduate students from universities across the country to participate in an intensive seven-week program hosted by the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.

An aspiring attorney, the political science major intends to use the insight and experiences he will gain this summer to enrich law school study. As a lawyer, he hopes to be involved in crafting public policy, engaging with the community, and working on political campaigns.

Lutz applied to the program to begin a close quantitative and qualitative analysis of public policy. He also believes that this fellowship will allow him to nurture his desire to make a difference.

“After spending time learning about politics and policy at Saint Joseph's, I'm eager to do something with that knowledge,” says Lutz. “The Junior Summer Institute will help me understand the entire policy-making process, and that understanding will direct me into the community.”

Lutz credits Lia Howard, Ph.D., professor of political science and liberal studies at Eastern University, who formerly taught at SJU, for supporting his desire to study public policy and apply to the PPIA Fellowship Program.

“In the Pol 313: Public Policy class, Julian, though then only a sophomore, stood out for his intuitive grasp of the material and ability to dive deeply into course ideas,” says Howard. “The PPIA Fellowship Program will introduce him to scholarship and graduate-level work. It will help him soar intellectually and to delve deeper into debate and public policy.”

“A Jesuit liberal arts education and the hands-on faculty mentoring that Julian has received at SJU have prepared him well for winning the PPIA fellowship at Princeton," says Mark Reynolds, Ph.D., director of the Fellowships Office and associate professor of chemistry, who also worked closely with Lutz on his application. "I wish him a long and successful career in public policy and public service."

A member of the Villiger Speech and Debate Team, Lutz says his experiences on the team have helped develop his interest in policy research through message-crafting, communication, self-presentation and relationship-building.

“My teammates are my closest friends and biggest inspirations, and my coaches have provided valuable guidance on the team and in life,” says Lutz. “Without them, my education would be incomplete.”