Only two weeks ago, Jon Cowan was helping to shepherd the Clinton administration's urban policies, and Sam Fulwood was covering the nation's capitol for the Los Angeles Times.

Now, as they begin their semester-long tenure as Institute of Politics (IOP) Fellows, they can impart their knowledge to their future successors.

The spring fellows include Cowan, the chief of staff for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Tom Fetzer, a former mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina, Sam Fulwood III, a Washington-based correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, Pamela Gordon, the former Premier of Bermuda and Roxanne Qualls, a former mayor of Cincinnati.

The fellows will offer study groups each tailored to their professional and personal interests.

Cowan said he will lead a study group entitled "We Got Game: Youth Political Leadership in America."

"My aim with the study group is to inspire and empower students to get in the game of politics and social change," he said. "I'm going to bring in some of the hottest, most dynamic young people who are currently leaders in politics, so if you're involved in community service because you like the satisfaction of direct results or you're already involved in politics, I want to show you how much impact one person and a generation can really have."

Fulwood specializes in writing about race and politics for the L.A. Times and will lead a study group about the influence of race, media, and popular culture on public policy.

She served from 1993 to 1994 as a Nieman Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government.

"This is different from being a Nieman, which is kind of a professional retreat, because it has a lot more student interaction that I'm really excited about," Fulwood said. "For fellows this is a great break because we deal in our workaday lives so much that it is very helpful to be able to step back while meeting young people interested in our areas."

IOP Director Alan K. Simpson said he has already taken a liking to his temporary colleagues.

"It seems to me like they make up a very spirited group and they are fun to be around," Simpson said. "These are Fellows with experience in public life that they can share with students, while also enjoying themselves because they're already impressed with the students they've met."

Eugene Krupitsky '02, Fellows Chair at the IOP, said that very diverse professional and geographic backgrounds of the Fellows was a major strength of the group this semester.

"The goal of the Fellows program is to facilitate greater student interaction on both a formal and an informal basis for the purpose of breaking down the negative perception of politics," Krupitsky said.

Rob F. McCarthy '02, IOP study groups chair, said he was very excited about the Fellows' plans.

"This semester's Fellows brings to the IOP an extraordinary combination of political experience and interest in working with undergraduates," McCarthy said. "These qualities will enable them to lead informative and enjoyable study groups."

Hannah Choi '01, chair of the IOP's Student Advisory Committee, said she hopes the spring fellows will attract students to the political process.

"I'm very excited about our new class of fellows, and they're a very energetic bunch," Choi said. "The interests we focused on this semester are geared toward the election cycle and towards young voters, and it will be very helpful to allow students who are not political junkies or familiar with the election to get to know the fellows, get involved, and hopefully learn more about politics.

Students interested in learning more about the fellows and their study groups can do so this Tuesday at 5 p.m. in the ARCO Forum.

A sixth invited fellow, the former President of Ecuador, has not yet told the IOP whether he will accept.

"We have invited President Mahuad to come as a Fellow and we hope that he does come this Spring," said Jennifer Philips, the IOP's Fellows coordinator.