Jacob Hunter was a Master of Public Policy student at UNC-Chapel Hill with a concentration in Environment and Human Welfare. His policy areas of interest are related to rural economic development, social policy and inequality, and natural disaster mitigation and recovery policy. During his undergraduate career, Jacob worked as a data entry intern and survey interviewer for the DEEPP Project at the Carolina Population Center. In this capacity, he spent time collecting data through comprehensive field interviews with residents in rural areas to understand the environmental, economic, social, and psychological impacts of hurricanes and flooding in coastal Carolina communities. Jacob also completed a project at UNC studying market drivers and barriers for state funding of natural infrastructure as a flood mitigation tool in North Carolina. Born and raised in Kinston, North Carolina, Jacob studied for a BA in Political Science and Public Policy and a minor in Music from UNC-Chapel Hill.