Public Policy Prize

We are pleased to announce that the first-ever Franko-Maisel Prize for Public Policy was awarded to Gal Cohen. She is a 2020 Colby graduate who majored in Global Studies with a concentration in International Relations. Gal, a dual U.S./Israeli citizen, is the first in her family to graduate from college. She plans to relocate to Washington, DC to start her career in public service to directly affect and improve public policy.

Gal has done impressive work already. During her time at Colby, Gal demonstrated her commitment to human rights by leading the Amnesty International chapter and serving as a student leader and community advocate for the Oak Institute for Human Rights. She worked as a Sexual Violence Prevention educator and mentor and had internships at two prominent think tanks: the Center for European Policy Studies in Belgium and the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC. Gal also contributed to the grassroots mobilization of at-risk female asylum seekers in Thailand for healthcare reform; partnered with community leaders in Nicaragua’s poor indigenous communities to advocate for equal access to state-funded resources; created campaigns to raise awareness of corruption in the Israeli government; and lobbied Israeli officials and international health organizations to improve policies and access to healthcare in the West Bank and Gaza.

As she wrote in her application, Gals’ career goal is to “create better policies for better lives.” She has certainly earned the honor of being named the first Franko-Maisel Prize winner, and the Goldfarb Center looks forward to watching Gal continue to advance the hallmarks of good public policy.