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NEIL P. REILLY is a master of public administration candidate in the specialization of public policy analysis. His interest lies in urban community development, particularly regarding access to housing, transportation and food. Before coming to Wagner, Neil worked in non-profit grant writing and outreach, most recently with the New York Foundation for the Arts. An avid writer and musician, Neil lives in Brooklyn, where his coffee table is typically stacked with the New York Times and Dissent Magazine. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Politics and a Bachelor of Science in International Business from the University of Maryland. Neil welcomes any and all questions, comments or debates at via email or Twitter.

RYAN NORTON is a first-year MPA candidate at NYU Wagner. He previously spent five years in the US Army, deploying to Iraq in 2008 and Afghanistan in 2011. During both deployments, he worked on government institution-building and the rule of law. Ryan received his undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Amanda Warco is a first-year MPA candidate specializing in policy analysis. Prior to coming to Wagner Amanda worked as Special Projects Coordinator for Uncommon Schools, a charter management organization operating 14 charter schools in Brooklyn. She received her B.A. from Wake Forest University where she double majored in English and French and lived in London and Dijon, France before becoming an adopted New Yorker. You can follow her on Twitter at awarco.

Lauren Bush is the Events Chair on the Wagner Food Policy Alliance board and a second-year MPA candidate. . Beyond her involvement with the WFPA, she spent the last three years as an advocate for food safety reform. In her effort to bring positive change, Lauren served as a victim advocate in the food safety campaigns of New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and New York State Senator Daniel Squadron. In 2010, Lauren was honored by Pew Charitable Trusts with the Food Advocacy Champion Award for her work, at both state and federal levels, to encourage and advocate for the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act. Lauren's own experience with food-borne illness and how it made her an advocate for food safety have been published in The New York Times, NY Daily News, the Food Borne Diseases textbook published by Cengage, and featured in blogs for various non-profit organizations. Lauren received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from the University of Kentucky. She can be followed on Twitter at @ltb248.

Jesse Navarrette is a second-year MPA student at the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University specializing in Public Policy. Before attending Wagner, he worked with Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit organization focused on improving community relations and developments. Since arriving in New York, he continued his community-based work by mentoring inner city youth in Harlem. Most recently, he worked for the international human rights organization Amnesty International as a financial program evaluator. As an undergraduate at California State University of San Bernardino, Jesse majored in Sociology and minored in American History and Comparative Politics.

PABLO VILLARREAL is a first year MPA candidate and a Fulbright scholar. In the past, Pablo worked as a speechwriter for the Secretary of Economy of Mexico, where he had the chance to work closely with policymakers and to experience the decision-making process, as well as become aware of some important drawbacks within the process. This experience encouraged him to pursue higher education at a top public affairs school, which brought him to NYU Wagner. Previously, he worked as a lobbyist in the first lobbying agency created in Mexico, Grupo Estrategia Politica, managing important accounts, monitoring legislation and serving as a link between Congresspersons and private companies.He has an undergraduate degree in International Relations from the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico and is a firm believer that a country that provides more opportunities becomes a better country. Follow him on Twitter at @pablo_mask.