Policy in Action: Madeline Soskin, MPP Class of 2021, Confronting COVID-19

Illinois policy leaders have been working tirelessly to find ways they can mitigate the crises many across the state are facing as a result of the coronavirus. Madeline Soskin, MPP Class of 2021, joined the effort as consultant for the Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund (ICRF).

The ICRF raises funds which they disperse among a number of the Illinois nonprofit organizations to help communities struggling because of the pandemic. In her position, Soskin aids the day-to-day strategy for how to deploy these funds quickly to those who need it most.

In the middle of her first year at Harris, as people began to understand the devastating impact the virus would have, Soskin and her friends felt a need to do something.

“We said, ‘We’re policy students. We can do something about this, this is why we go to policy school. It’s to figure out how to solve these big, hard problems,” she said.

She became heavily involved in the Institute of Politics (IOP) and got to know Gretchen Crosby Sims, Executive Director of the IOP.  Months later, as states began shutting down in response to the virus, Penny Pritzker, Chairwoman of the ICRF, asked Crosby Sims to run the Fund. Crosby Sims needed a consultant and invited Soskin to the team. Soskin then lowered her classwork to just two classes and began the full-time job with the Fund.

In this position, Soskin has relied heavily on what she has learned at Harris about bringing data and evidence to the forefront of answering public policy questions.

The ICRF raises funds which they disperse among a number of the Illinois nonprofit organizations to help communities struggling because of the pandemic.

“We have this big, hard question of, ‘We have over $30 million, but there are so many people in need right now. How do you prioritize and focus where you put these dollars?’ That’s where the data pieces really come in,” Soskin said.

In answering this question, the ICRF looks at geography to determine what parts of the state are bearing the greatest impact of the virus, as well as at which vulnerable populations are being hit the hardest. Soskin said the most challenging part of her job is handling the sheer amount of need.

“We have so many people and so many families and organizations in need. How do you figure out where to give it? There is no easy answer,” she said.

Soskin also knows the problem will not go away for a while. Though students may be back on campus in the fall and restaurants may be opening up again, the consequences of the virus will not go away for many families. Even after case numbers go down, the economic impact will remain a problem for many.

In addition to these economic ramifications, Soskin said the coronavirus has exposed some of the systemic problems in the United States.

“There was a time during the COVID-19 crisis where if you were African American, you were 5.3 more times likely to die of the virus than if you were Caucasian. That exposed many of the systemic inequities in our current systems,” she said. “We need to continue to focus on that and understand how we can peel back some of those layers and see how we got to some of those staggering statistics.”

Though students may be back on campus in the fall and restaurants may be opening up again, the consequences of the virus will not go away for many families.

As Soskin continues her work to combat these and other harmful effects of the coronavirus, she appreciates how Harris put her in a position to help. Beyond what she has learned in her classes, one of the greatest advantages of being a Harris student for Soskin has been the community she joined.

The connection she formed with Crosby Sims through IOP led her to her current position, but her peers in classes have also helped her a great deal.

Her friends’ academic focuses span several areas of policy, so she has a more holistic understanding of how COVID-19 has affected different aspect of life for Illinois residents. One friend works in education and can talk to her about how students and teachers are being impacted. Another works in criminal justice, so they discuss how re-entry programs are affected.

Beyond what she has learned in her classes, one of the greatest advantages of being a Harris student for Soskin has been the community she joined.

“Being able to have these conversations with people who have more niche areas of expertise and how it relates to COVID has been great,” she said.  “I’ve been able to bring that back to my team and say, ‘What about this re-entry problem that we’re having?’ or ‘What does this mean for the summer slide for students?’”

These conversations with her peers, combined with what she learns in the classroom and her skillset as a consultant have made Soskin an effective leader in the response to the pandemic.

Soskin said, “I couldn’t just sit on the sidelines and I think Harris has taught me that.”