Fellowships at the Office of the Inspector General

At the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), we are dedicated to the recruitment and retention of a talented and diverse workforce.

The fellowships we offer provide substantial and valuable experience to the fellows, who have demonstrated a commitment to public service. We have designed our programs to enable our fellows to learn about the wide variety of work we perform. 

The Dr. Frances Burke Diversity Fellowship for Public Service

The fellowship is a two-year program for individuals from historically marginalized or underrepresented groups looking to begin a career in public service.    

The Dr. Frances Burke Diversity Fellowship for Public Service provides opportunities for motivated individuals who want to begin a career in public service and gain valuable experience while serving the people of the Commonwealth. Burke Fellows will participate in all facets of the Office of the Inspector General, which is the first statewide inspector general’s office in the nation, and which is dedicated to increasing government integrity and accountability through investigations, reviews, audits, compliance, cross-agency collaborations, training and legislation.

The fellowship honors the late Dr. Frances Burke (1928-2016), who was a distinguished professor and chair of public management at Suffolk University. She was a steadfast advocate for ethics in government and for women in public office. In the late 1970s, Dr. Burke served as a member of the Ward Commission, which led to the creation of the OIG. She traveled the world teaching ethics to public officials and co-edited a book on the topic. Throughout her career, Dr. Burke fostered dialogue and unity among people with diverse viewpoints.

Justice Geraldine S. Hines Diversity Fellowship for Lawyers

The Justice Geraldine S. Hines Diversity Fellowship for Lawyers offers new lawyers the opportunity to develop legal skills and experience working at our office. We are an independent state agency dedicated to the promotion of good government and responsible stewardship of public assets. 

The fellowship honors Justice Geraldine S. Hines, a civil rights activist and a founding partner in New England's first law firm led by women of color. Justice Hines joined the Appeals Court as an associate justice in 2013. She served in that capacity until July 31, 2014, when Governor Deval Patrick appointed her to serve on the Supreme Judicial Court as the first African-American woman to serve on the higher court. She retired in 2017.

John William Ward Public Service Fellowship

The OIG is proud to support the John William Ward Public Service Fellowship, which operates independently from our office. The fellowship is awarded to fifteen Boston Latin School (BLS) students who have completed their junior or senior year. Fellows work for a summer in the office of an elected public official or an appointed public servant in state or local government, the judicial system or the major press.

The fellowship honors John William Ward, who from 1979 to 1981 chaired the Commission Concerning State and County Buildings in Massachusetts, known as the Ward Commission. The commission discovered that between 1968 and 1980, Massachusetts spent almost $8 billion on wasteful construction projects. The Massachusetts legislature established the Office of the Inspector General as one of the important solutions to the problems the commission identified. 

BLS students interested in applying may visit the Ward fellowship's application page.

"Confidence in government...depend[s] on engaged citizens to become informed and demand good government." --John William Ward

Last updated:	April 20, 2023