Policy research program builds pathways from research to actionable solutions
Through collaboration and mentorship, the +Policy Network’s programs prepare researchers at every level to expand their policy knowledge and turn research into evidence-based policy solutions.
Le Wang believes internet access could be a key component to health and economic outcomes in rural America.
Wang and Huaiyang Zhong, assistant professor of industrial and systems engineering, are analyzing large-scale, county-level datasets to measure how broadband internet expansion is influencing physical, social, and environmental infrastructure as well as health outcomes, demographic characteristics, and local economic conditions.
The researchers aim to better understand how broadband access shapes public health and local economies so rural policy recommendations can be tailored to individual communities rather than generalized across areas.
Their findings will help inform federal broadband and health initiatives, including U.S. Department of Agriculture rural health programs and telehealth expansion efforts, by identifying which rural communities should be prioritized for deployment to maximize health improvements.
“One central goal is to provide policymakers with evidence-based guidance on how infrastructure investments can be designed to improve both rural health and economic development,” said Wang, the David M. Kohl Chair and professor of agricultural and applied economics. “Rather than relying on one-size-fits-all solutions, the project seeks to identify where and for whom infrastructure investments are most effective.”
Wang’s research is strengthened by the +Policy Network’s Policy Fellows program, one of two annual research initiatives offered by the network, alongside the +Policy Scholars program.
In its eighth year, the +Policy Fellows program helps faculty with policy expertise connect with colleagues or interdisciplinary teams that may lack policy experience or extend their knowledge into new areas for broader impact. The Policy Scholar Research and Professional Development program is the network’s newest opportunity and supports researchers that are new to the policy sector through customized resources and mentoring.
“This cohort proposes to make inroads on critical, substantive problems facing society today, with projects spanning technology, health, and energy and environmental policy,” said Isabel Bradburn, director of the +Policy Network and research director for the Child Development Center for Learning and Research at Virginia Tech. “By bringing together researchers from different disciplines and, in the scholar track, pairing them with policy mentors, these projects can expand researchers’ approaches while deepening their understanding of broader societal impacts over the long term.”
Wang, also director of the Kohl Centre, is one of four Virginia Tech faculty members across four colleges, one school, and three departments named as fellows or scholars in the 2025–26 policy research cohort, each receiving up to $10,000 in funding.
Through the next year, fellows and scholars will work with their teams and mentors to develop a policy-related product. For fellows, expected products include external funding proposals and academic publications, while scholar products include policy briefs and evidence of mentoring and research activities.
Funding for this year’s policy research cohort is provided in partnership with the Destination Areas Phase II project, Pandemic Prediction and Prevention, the College of Engineering, the Myers-Lawson School of Construction, and the Center for Future Work Places and Practices.
The complete list of the 2025–26 +Policy Fellows and Scholars, their research topics, and their collaborators:
Examining AI Use Policy for Transportation Planners in Virginia: Perceived Usefulness and Ethical Concerns for Daily Policy-Making Tasks
- Fellow: Junghwan Kim, assistant professor of geography in the College of Natural Resources and Environment
- Collaborator: Shalini Misra, Public Interest Technology Lab director and associate professor of urban and environmental policy and planning in the School of Public and International Affairs
Infrastructure, Rural Health, and Economic Development: A U.S. County Study Using Econometrics and Modern Causal Machine Learning
- Fellow: Le Wang, David M. Kohl Chair and professor of agricultural and applied economics in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
- Collaborator: Huaiyang Zhong, assistant professor of industrial and systems engineering in the College of Engineering
Cultivating Healthier Futures through Policy: Contraceptive and Substance Use Education and Access for Incarcerated Women
- Scholar: Sophie Wenzel, associate director of the Center for Public Health Practice and Research and associate professor of practice in the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine
- Mentor: Heidi Williams, assistant professor of sociology in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
Integrating Multisector Stakeholder Values for Collaborative Data Center Planning and Policymaking
- Scholar: Lu Zhang, associate professor of building construction in the Myers-Lawson School of Construction
- Mentor: Todd Schenk, program director of the Science, Technology, and Engineering in Policy Program and associate professor of urban and environmental policy and planning in the School of Public and International Affairs
