Name: Jody Josten
Originally from: Iowa City
Degree: Public Affairs, MPA, concentration in Public Policy
Graduating class: 2022
Jody is a nontraditional student and received a bachelor's in Political Science in 2010 from the University of Iowa.
- In Public Affairs, her favorite class was Economic Development for Poverty Alleviation which focused on economic development finance. She is interested in continuing her career helping to develop sustainable and equitable economic development policy and this class combined both her passion and career goals.
- Jody is from Iowa City and her favorite time of the year is summer. She loves walking downtown in the outdoor Pedestrian Mall on a quiet summer night, having dinner at one of her favorite restaurants, and grabbing a cocktail on a patio with her husband.
- When asked what drew her to UI's School of Planning and Public Affairs, Jody said, "When I started researching the program, I was working in fundraising for a local nonprofit and wanted to pivot in my career to focus more broadly on economic development. The master of Public Affairs program was congruent with the career goals I had in mind. I talked with several mentors and ultimately made the decision, mid-career, to make the leap and start graduate school. The program has been wonderful and I am confident it's exactly what I needed at this moment in my career path."