Connor Merk

Connor Merk is a Master of Public Policy student at Pepperdine’s School of Public Policy specializing in Applied Economic Policy. He is the Class of 2025 Tocqueville Scholar, Managing Editor of the Pepperdine Policy Review academic journal, and Dean’s Office graduate assistant. He most recently completed the Mercatus Center’s Frédéric Bastiat Fellowship program. In 2023, Connor graduated summa cum laude from the Batten Honors College of Virginia Wesleyan University where he studied Business and Political Science. His diverse experience includes a fellowship with The Fund for American Studies, multiple internships in Washington, DC, serving as Editor-in-Chief of his undergraduate newspaper, The Marlin Chronicle, and volunteering with the Lions Club. Connor was born and raised in Stafford, Virginia, and currently lives in Malibu, California.