Melvin Washington

Melvin Washington II is passionate about research informed policy solutions for low-income communities and communities of color. He credits the STPP program with helping to sharpen his systems-level thinking through the study of the socio-political factors shaping contemporary issues of S&T policy. Melvin previously served as a political appointee within the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Research, Education, and Economics mission area. He is currently putting his passion to practice at the Vera Institute of Justice in New York. At Vera, Melvin works in jurisdictions across the U.S., with a variety of governmental and non-governmental stakeholders, on innovative policy solutions designed to safely reduce the use of jail incarceration, increase community engagement, and improve racial equity in local justice systems. Melvin holds a master's degree in public policy from the University of Michigan and a B.A. in political science from Wake Forest University.