Dan Gregory

Expected MPP 2017

Dan is a second year, part-time student working towards his Masters of Public Policy with a focus in public finance and budgeting. After graduating from UConn with degree in English in 2010, he spent several years working in nonprofits focusing on urban agriculture and food security. From 2014-2016, Dan managed Hartford Food System’s urban farm, Grow Hartford, which focused on increasing food access and affordable, fresh, and healthy options in Hartford. Prior to managing Grow Hartford, Dan worked at New Lands Farm in Worcester, Massachusetts, developing business skills and leveraging local markets at a farm for immigrants and recently resettled refugees. While at Hartford Food System, Dan helped to start a successful urban agriculture training program at Capital Community College, which led to his current job. At Capital Community College, Dan is developing a financial opportunity center to help reduce financial barriers to post-secondary education and provide support through a variety of financial services and education. Outside of school and work, Dan divides his spare time between television, reading, running, and when the weather permits, translating his years of farming into a large patio garden.

Dan was attracted to a graduate degree at UConn’s Department of Public Policy because of its balanced and thorough core curriculum, its local campus, and its flexibility with students working full-time. When Dan started, he hoped a graduate degree would give him the necessary tools to open more career options, but was not 100% sure on what those career options would be. High-quality classes that provide lots of practical exercises and exposure to quantitative analysis, economics, and finance helped give Dan a clear focus on what his strengths are and how he wants to use his degree. Dan is excited by the recent MPP program, which will allow him the opportunity to refine his analytical skills and gain new skills not obtained through his current job.

After completing his degree in Fall 2017, Dan is investigating a PhD. in public policy to dive deeper into researching systemic inequities and barriers to financial security in low-income populations. Until then, Dan will continue his current position at Capital Community College where he uses his degree nearly every day. Dan has appreciated the guidance, support, and opportunities from his professors in the DPP. He encourages all students to be proactive when reaching out to professors for assistance on assignments, clarification on topics, how they can best use their degree or help to provide focus for their curriculum, and opportunities outside of the classroom to gain new skills.