Dana Councilman is an MPP student at the Jackson School of Global Affairs, with an expected graduation in 2025. This past summer, she interned with Reliance Foundation in Mumbai, India, conducting research related to India’s digital public infrastructure, economic development and women’s empowerment. Prior to coming to Jackson, Dana worked for more than three years at the Veterans’ Benefits Administration, an agency within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Her work primarily focused on determining if veterans were eligible to receive government benefits based on their in-service medical history. Before joining the VA, Dana was a Peace Corps education volunteer in Liberia, teaching mathematics to junior high school students and participating in projects addressing literacy challenges for elementary school students and community-level economic development. 

Dana graduated summa cum laude from George Washington University with a dual degree in economics and statistics and international affairs. She is intending to continue her career in government service and is particularly interested in the fields of economic development and quantitative policy analysis.