 It was an opportunity to be more involved with scholars from around the campus who were doing research in a variety of disciplines. I brought very practical public policy experience working with day-to-day agencies, the state legislature and others developing laws and policies that would impact children today. One of the most significant impacts on the University of having the Center here is really bringing attention to critical issues that Emory can have some influence upon. For example, the public dialogues and conferences that focused on children's issues. Emory has a lot of information to share that could result in changes in practice and policy locally and internationally around these issues. And the Center provides a forum by which the public dialogue can be expanded and enriched and also informed by the work of the scholars that are here at the University. Because I come from a background where my work is all focused on public policy and implementing improvements in the lives of children, I wish to see the side of the Center that does more public policy and advocacy. I think there is a role for both. One of the benefits that I got out of being a senior fellow was traveling to other countries and learning about public policy development there. For example, in Northern Ireland where I attended a conference and met scholars who were involved in public policy, one difference there is that the government relies on the academies to provide the research to drive public policy. That is less common here in the United States, but it's definitely a model to bring. And there is a place for centers of excellence like our Center to be one of the leaders in bringing scholars and public policy makers together. Although I can't draw a direct correlation between the exact work of the Center and a specific law or policy that's changed, one of the ways we make public policy changes in the country is through public opinion. And a huge benefit of the Center is in influencing public opinion by providing forums for public education. I think the reputation of the Center is incredibly strong, so strong in fact that I feel that if it chose to put its influence behind certain public policy initiatives, it would probably have great success. I would really hope that the Center continues to have a focus on children. In this country, we continue to make the health and well-being of children one of our lowest priorities. And I believe that the status of the Center and the influence that it could have could work to bring together scholars and policy makers and really put the best minds in this country and perhaps around the world together to focus on those issues and make improvements in the lives of children. What I would like to see though is some focus on sustained public policy outcomes. So for example, one of the side projects of a fellow focused on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and perhaps getting ratified in the United States. That might be a focus of the Center that would be an advocacy focus in some regards. Another area might be building on child health. Healthcare for children is reaching a critical point in this country, particularly in the state of Georgia today and the Center could choose, with the huge medical complex here at Emory, to really focus on making sure that all children have access to universal health care. The world is now facing a critical environmental crisis. And I think in the next 25 years, there needs to be a concerted effort to really look at what we humans are doing to the world and our environment. Scholars in theology, scholars in ethics and philosophy and in moral decision making could really add something to the scientific basis of the environment. And I think that might be an area of focus for the Center in the future. Coming up soon will be a need for more information about the role of religion and political ideology in world affairs and politics. I think there are a lot of assumptions about a variety of world religions. I think there is a lot of linking between political ideologies and religions that may not necessarily stem from a religious base and maybe more politically motivated. And I think the scholars that the Center brings together and the contacts that the Center has all around the world and a variety of countries with a variety of faith backgrounds that they can really provide a role in educating the public about what are the realities about religion, what are the realities about various political ideologies and where the boundaries between those two. One of the impacts of being involved in the fellowship process is the constant interaction, particularly in the first semester of the first year. So the exposure to the theologians, their conversations and what they could share with me about the different faith traditions, perspectives on justice and children and advocacy were very helpful in my work that I was doing with faith communities locally on an advocacy aspect.