Student Staff

Ryan is from Mission Viejo, California, and is majoring in Public Policy and International Relations. He developed an interest in state and local government through his work on housing and homelessness policy in Orange County. At the Rose, Ryan has written two articles for the Inland Empire Outlook publication, a report on the city of Ontario’s permitting processes, and a statewide analysis of cities’ Housing Elements. He has also worked on the Kosmont project, the state identities project, the 2024 Video Voter Guide, and a study on the city of Vernon. Most recently, Ryan served as project manager for the Long Beach housing report. In his free time, Ryan enjoys surfing, rock climbing, astrophotography, and a good road trip with friends. Ryan spent the fall semester of 2023 in Bilbao, Spain. After his return to campus in the spring semester of 2024, Ryan was appointed as the Rose Institute’s Student Manager for AY2024-2025.

George is a dual PPE and Public Policy major and is proud to call Takoma Park, Maryland home. As a Rose research assistant, he has produced a comprehensive report of Inland Empire municipal American Rescue Plan Fiscal Recovery Fund spending, helped gather data for the Kosmont Cost of Doing Business Survey, created GIS maps of new legislative districts for presentation at a National League of Cities conference, and led a team examining points of friction between state and local government on housing policy. He also worked on the California Competitiveness projects and presented one of the ballot propositions for the 2022 Video Voter Guide. Before working at the Rose, George pursued his passion for local government as the Chair of the Takoma Park Youth City Council and as a Communications Assistant for Takoma Park Mayor Kate Stewart. He has worked on campaigns including that of Senator Gary Peters and President Joe Biden in Michigan, interned in the DC office of US Rep. Jamie Raskin, with the Bipartisan Policy Center, and with the Niskanen Center. He currently serves as Chief Operating Officer at GENup, advocating for pro-student education reform in California. George studied abroad in Tunisia for the fall semester of 2023, returning to lead the Ontario Missing Middle Housing project in the spring. In his spare time, George loves arguing about tax policy, backpacking, skiing, and otherwise enjoying the outdoors. George served as the Institute’s Associate Student Manager for AY2024-2025.

Audrey is from Seattle, Washington, and is majoring in Economics with a sequence in Data Science. Audrey joined the Rose Institute in the Fall of 2021. Throughout her time at CMC and the Rose, Audrey has worked on an array of projects across varying subject areas that include: with Professor Sinclair, as editor of the Rose Review, Kosmont, and CA Superior Court Elections. In the Fall of 2023, Audrey took a leave of absence from CMC to move to Washington DC. In DC, she worked at a bipartisan political consulting firm where she was able to gain first-hand experience with social and political issues on both sides of the aisle. Outside of Rose, Audrey plays for the CMS Lacrosse team, and loves to ski, hike, and cook.

Originally from Greenwich, Connecticut and now a proud resident of San Diego, California, Cary is a senior at Pitzer College – where he majors in Political Studies with a focus in Security Policy. On campus, he assisted then-CMC Professor Busch with research for his newly-released book “Ronald Reagan and the Firing of the Air Traffic Controllers” (University Press of Kansas, 2024) and was also selected by Pitzer President Strom Thacker to advise on college-wide efforts to improve campus culture, deepen community ties, and foster productive civil discourse amongst the student body on pressing global and local issues. Cary’s time as an RA saw him contribute to the Kosmont and California City Management Foundation (CCMF) projects and assist Professor Pears on research regarding the sociopolitical identity of the fifty states. Deeply invested in the role of the House of Representatives as an indispensable vehicle for incremental yet consequential policy change, Cary is a two-time congressional intern and will returning to the Hill after graduation - having previously spent Fall 2023 commuting to San Bernardino after classes as a District Intern for House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (CA-33) and Winter/Spring 2024 as a Legislative Intern for Rep. John Garamendi (CA-08) of the House Armed Services Committee through the Washington Program. He is currently participating in the Center for a New American Security’s Make Room Mentorship Program, which seeks to empower the next generation of national security leaders by providing high-level professional development programming to a diverse group dedicated to strengthening U.S. national security and global leadership via public service. Having lived abroad during Fall 2024 as an exchange student at Lingnan University in Hong Kong studying security policy and East Asian geopolitics, Cary greatly enjoyed his last semester at the Rose as editor of the Rose Review. 

Jack is from Park City, Utah, and is majoring in Public Policy and Economics. His interest in state and local policy began when he got the opportunity to lobby for healthcare coverage expansions with state legislators. At the Rose, Jack leads the institute’s web development efforts, is co-authoring an academic article with Professor Michael Fortner, and is the Student Development Manager. He has also worked on Kosmont,  CCMF,  CA Competitiveness, and has served as editor of the Rose Review. On campus, Jack is a member of CMC Advocates. In his free time, Jack likes to ski and create digital art.

Katherine is from Oakland, California. She is dual majoring in Government and Psychology at Claremont McKenna College. At the Rose, Katherine worked on the 2022 Kosmont project, and 2022 Video Voter Guide. She helped research for Professor Miller’s article for Limes Magazine, and currently leads the Rose Media Strategy and Communication team. She also co-managed the 2024 Video Voter Guide and the Rose Website Redevelopment projects. She spent the fall semester of 2023 in Milan, Italy. Katherine enjoys long walks, travel, photography, time with her family, and playing with her two dogs.

Katherine is from Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, and is studying Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. She became interested in politics when she ran voter registration initiatives in her high school and community. Katherine is passionate about varying government issues but finds interest in drug policy and voter initiatives. At the Rose, she researched and wrote an article on opioid harm reduction for the Spring 2023 edition of the Inland Empire Outlook. Outside of the Rose, Katherine is on the Model United Nations team, where she serves as the 2022 McKenna MUN secretary general. She also works as President of GenUp Claremont, a 5C club, and traveled as an Appel Fellow this summer. You will probably find Katherine studying around campus or solving the daily crossword puzzle in her free time.  She was in Tuscany (Siena, Italy) for the fall 2023 semester.

Jemma is from Summit, New Jersey, and is a PPE and Economics dual major. She first developed an interest in public policy in high school while working on Tom Malinowski’s congressional campaign, and furthered this interest by working as a research assistant at the CMC Policy Lab and a summer fellow at the Keck Center for International Relations. In the Summer of 2023, Jemma interned at Harvard Law School’s Access to Justice Lab, where she developed an interest in legal research and equity in the civil and criminal justice systems. At the Rose, Jemma has written two articles for the Inland Empire Outlook and worked on the Initiative Database, the Housing Project, Kosmont, and minimum wage research. She also presented one of the propositions for the 2024 Video Voter Guide. She studied abroad in Milan, Italy in the fall of 2023. Outside of the Rose, Jemma works at the Center for Writing and Public Discourse (CWPD), and enjoys skiing, cooking, and spending time with friends.

Andrea Santillan is from Lee Vining, California, a small town in the Eastern Sierra, majoring in Government with a focus on public policy. Andrea got interested in state and local government after lobbying at the Capital for the Citizens Climate Lobby and doing some field work in Claremont and Pomona for her Government class. During The spring semester of 2024, she was a press intern for Senator of Massachusetts, Ed Markey. At the Rose Institute, she was involved in the Kosmont, Olson Housing Company and California City Managers projects; worked on Rose alumni engagement with the 50th anniversary project; part of the Media Strategy and Culture and Events team; and worked with Professors Andy Busch and Shanna Rose researching for their books. Andrea really enjoys solving puzzles with her brothers and walking around her hometown during sunset to get good pictures of the orange sky.

Noah is from Los Angeles, California, and is majoring in Economics and Government. His interest in local and state government arose through discussions with peers and teachers and is centered around citizen-driven public policy. Noah has worked both in the private and public spheres of government. During the summer of ’22 he interned for the Milken Institute, an economic think tank in D.C. Later, in the summer of ’23, Noah interned at the House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means, working on national tax policy and oversight. At CMC, Noah has worked as a first-year guide (FYG), is currently a research assistant for Professor Fortner, and is the Managing Editor of the Claremont Independent. At the Rose, he has worked on the Kosmont, CA City Managers, CA Competitiveness projects, presented for the 2024 Video Voter Guide, and has written an article in both the Spring 2023 and Fall 2024 issues of the Inland Empire Outlook. In his free time, you can find Noah going to CMS Trivia every Thursday, skiing, cooking, or watching the Dodgers.

Nolan Windham is from Los Angeles, California, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a Sequence in Data Science. Nolan’s interest in state and local government is rooted in his passion for effective public policy. He has interdisciplinary experience in technology, politics, and economics. At the Rose, Nolan leads the Data Team conducting research using advanced data extraction, analysis, and visualization techniques for projects like the Cost of Doing Business Survey, polling, and California Competitiveness. On campus, Nolan was a member of P-ai and the Debate Union but currently works as a Makerspace Steward. In his free time, Nolan enjoys working on a variety of creative projects.

Joseph is from Elkhorn, Nebraska, and is pursuing a dual major in Public Policy and Economics. He got his start in the policy realm through nonprofits and advocacy in sustainability. From the nonprofit sector, Joseph quickly transitioned into public financing of sustainable infrastructure at the Nebraska State Treasury, the California State Treasurer’s Office, and the North American Development Bank. His interest in water policy drew him to the Rose Institute, where he headed the Kosmont Cost of Doing Business project, contributed to the San Francisco study, and served as New Hire Manager, inspiring a new generation of Rose Research Assistants. After graduating from Claremont McKenna College, Joseph will continue to pursue his passion for state and local government policies by working for Moody’s as a Ratings Associate, covering municipal bonds and municipal debt products. Joseph is often spotted giving tours to prospective CMC students. In his free time, Joseph enjoys reading books that challenge his beliefs, hiking with friends, and watching sunsets. In Spring 2023, Joseph participated in CMC’s Washington Program as an intern for Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Alex is from Alexandria, Virginia. He is a junior majoring in literature at Claremont McKenna College. His internship with the Center for Death Penalty Litigation inspired him to study how public policy decisions can break the cycle of crime and poverty in American society. At the Rose, he has worked on projects studying California’s efforts to fight its housing crisis and primary election reform. This semester, he led a research project on rebuilding Altadena after the Eaton fire, with the City of Santa Rosa as a case study. On campus, he is a writer for the philosophy journal Tabula Rasa and a member of the 5C climbing team. He enjoys skiing, reading, bouldering, and talking politics.

Quinn is from Boise, Idaho, and is majoring in Public Policy at Claremont McKenna College. In high school, his interest in government and public policy led him to work as a page for the Idaho State Legislature and participate in the US Senate Youth Program. He wants to study electoral data and political competitiveness, as well as learn about California’s top-two primary system, which has led him to join the Rose Institute. He competes on the CMS Cross Country and Track teams and occasionally does landscape doodling in his free time.

Jada is from Porter Ranch, California. She intends to major in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Claremont McKenna College. Her interest in state and local government developed through efforts she led in her high school, her community, and across the U.S. to increase voter registration and voter education, as part of the national, nonpartisan initiative When We All Vote. Jada spent summer 2023 as a research assistant to Professor Michael Fortner where she wrote a report on how race, region, and party shaped the framing of crack cocaine in the 99th Congress. She is looking forward to taking on a greater role in the Rose’s housing policy project and diving into the nuanced solutions to the California housing crisis.  For the fall semester 2024, Jada is working as an intern for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget in Washington, DC.

Sanskriti is from Stamford, Connecticut, and is dual majoring in Econ-Accounting and International Relations at CMC. In high school, Sanskriti developed an interest in local government by working with local legislators to draft an allergy bill and working on local campaigns, where she learned directly about housing and education policy, two areas of interest at the Rose. Sanskriti joined the Rose in the fall of 2022. Throughout her time at the Institute, Sanskriti has worked on a variety of activities: she participated in research on the Kosmont and the California City Management Foundation projects, as well as joining internal projects such as website development and media strategy. Sanskriti studied abroad in Rome during the fall 2024 semester. Outside of the Rose, Sanskriti enjoys spending her time tour guiding on campus, watching soccer, and reading travel guides.

Maya is a Harvey Mudd junior majoring in international relations and physics while concentrating in Japanese. Raised in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Maya became interested in political ideology in elementary school while listening to her family’s frequent debates about politics, exploring these areas further in her high school history and philosophy clubs. At the Rose, Maya did her New Hire Project on measuring illegal corruption in California and Texas, worked on the 2024 Video Voter Guide, compiled datasets of congressional elections, and drafted and proofread parts of the Rose Institute’s national poll for Professor Andy Sinclair. She has also been deeply involved in the Data Team, leading the Data Hub Team–which has stored and visualized rose data–and the Burnweit Team–which cleans and assesses the accuracy of a dataset with biographical information about California legislators. She is the incoming Project Manager for the Data Team. In her free time, Maya helps lead the Politics of East Asia Society, practices Japanese, reads (all genres), and watches anime with friends and family. She studied abroad in Japan during the summer of 2024.

Anne is a sophomore at CMC pursuing a dual major in government and data science. Her interest in politics began when she volunteered for the re-election campaign of a local congresswoman in high school. At the Rose, she is interested in researching the California court system and drug policy. Outside of the Rose, she works as a writing consultant at the CWPD and is co-president of Product Space. She hails from the rainy city of Seattle, WA and enjoys reading Kafka’s short stories, golfing, throwing pottery, jewelry making, and crocheting in her free time. Anne is in Prague for the fall 2024 semester.

Ryan is majoring in both Data Science and Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). He has been interested in politics and government since he was young, being fascinated with the history of the executive branch of the national government, and as time went on, he also found the structure of federalism in the United States to be intriguing, which led him to take in interest in the features of local government as well, which is what led him to want to join the Rose Institute. Since joining the Rose Institute, Ryan has worked on the Kosmont-Rose Institute Cost of Doing Business survey, the California City Managers Foundation survey, the Media team, the Polling team, and the Data Team. He also mentored one of the Fall 2024 a new hire. He also worked on a summer project with Professor Andrew Sinclair. Being from San Diego, California, he loves the ocean and hiking, as well as tennis and running, but his favorite thing to do is to learn.

David is from La Habra, California, and is dual-majoring in Public Policy and PPE. He is particularly interested in how state and local policies have tangible effects on the welfare of the average citizen. At the Rose, he has worked as the Project Manager on the 2025 California City Managers Survey and as a team member on the 2024 Video Voter Guide and Long Beach Housing projects. On top of being at the Rose, David also works as a CMC Tour Guide, volunteers for CMC Advocates for Survivors of Sexual Violence, and has previously done work at the Gould Center for Humanistic Studies. He has also interned at the Orange County Government Board of Supervisors, where he focused on transit, ethics, and housing policy. In his free time, David can be found watching sports, reading, or keeping up and arguing with friends over American politics and political philosophy. David spent the fall semester of 2024 studying abroad in Córdoba, Spain.

Rutvij is a junior at Claremont McKenna College majoring in Economics with interests in the intersection of public policy and finance. He is also an Army ROTC cadet pursuing in Civil Affairs and planning on investment banking at Bank of America after graduation. Carrying over his interest in finance, Rutvij has researched bond financing for public schools in the Inland Empire. He also has experience in endowment investing at the Texas Permanent School Fund and the McKinsey Investment Office. When he’s not reading or ideating about markets, you can find him on scenic hikes and drives or in the weight room.

Elisa is an Environment, Economics, and Politics major from Venice, Italy, and Pasadena, California. Her interest in state and local government stems from her study of climate change, a problem both global and local in nature. At the Rose, she contributed to the Ontario Missing Middle Housing and Trump Era Elections Dataset projects. Her new hire project analyzed the efficacy of local environmental policies, which she advocated for in high school. Elisa spent her summer in Venice, aiding lagoon conservation efforts while researching its governance through the Keck Center for International and Strategic Studies. She loves mountain biking, backpacking, and cooking up a meal or a playlist for friends. Back in LA, she is an organizer for Climate Action California PAC, as well as the first Los Angeles Climate Week.

Aria is from Singapore and is a CMC student dual majoring in International Relations and PPE. As a student researcher at the Rose, she has conducted a data-driven analysis of healthcare systems in California prisons and jails, using Stata to run regression analyses and evaluate policy impacts on male and female inmates. She has also gained experience in repository research and administration, by conducting archival research on the 1986 and 1988 Anti-Drug Abuse Acts, to investigate the international elements of narcotics trafficking policy. This is indicative of her strong interest in immigration and criminal justice. Over the summer, she interned as a compliance policy analyst at SingX, a Singaporean money transfers company, where she rewrote its Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism policy to adhere to the 2023 updated Singaporean regulations. Outside of academic interests, she enjoys painting, British sitcoms, and listening to music.

Olivia is from Melrose, Massachusetts, and is a student at Scripps College majoring off campus at CMC in Public Policy. She became interested in the policy field after spending a summer studying educational equity at Brown University led her to conduct education policy research and work with the Melrose Health and Human Services Department and School Committee in her senior year of high school. In addition, Olivia is looking forward to expanding her knowledge of California education policy and healthcare policy through work at the Rose. At the Rose, she has looked into CalWORKS and its impact on employment before and post-pandemic and has worked on multiple teams looking into California City Management and Elections. Olivia is also a Scripps Advocate, Co-President of Claremont Students for Public Health, a captain of the Claremont Climbing Team, and is looking to pursue both an economics and fine arts minor if she has the time.

Dhriti is a Government major from Rocklin, California interested in American jurisprudence and political history. At the Rose, she has worked on the 2024 Ontario housing project on ADU production and SB 9 lot splits, the 2024 Video Voter Guide, and the Vernon project on the city’s incorporation. She is currently working on a project examining how bail reform in New York City and Los Angeles City has impacted recidivism rates and jail populations. Elsewhere on campus, she is involved with CMC’s Open Academy and Gould Center. In her free time, she enjoys playing NYT crosswords, watching period dramas, and reading.

Kahani is studying Public Policy with a prospective dual major in PPE. She hails from New Delhi, India, but is a globetrotter, having lived in five different countries—India, Sudan, Russia, Malaysia, and the US—while being a Texan at heart. Her research into marijuana legislation under a Californian cannabis infusion company and work in a congressional campaign in Saratoga drew her to conduct research for the Rose Institute. She did research for the 2024 Video Voter Guide and working on the CCMF project. She is most excited about researching drug policy, investigating red vs. blue state politics, and uplifting South Asian voices and experiences through her work.

Sam is a Freshman at CMC from San Mateo, California who plans on majoring in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). His passion for politics, business, and political economy first developed from listening to NPR’s Morning Edition with his mom on the way to elementary school every morning and inheriting his dad’s entrepreneurial spirit. Sam has a passion for all things sports, including water polo, swimming, and football. He also loves camping and being in the outdoors due to his experiences as an Eagle Scout. R&B and Jazz are Sam’s two favorite genres of music, and he loves to sing terribly and play the piano.

Anuj is from Chino Hills, California. At CMC, he is pursuing a double major in PPE (Philosophy, Politics, & Economics) and Biology. His interest in state and local government stemmed from his previous work in California legislation regarding topics of elections, health, and education. At the Rose, Anuj is excited to develop quantitative skills in policy evaluation to aid in the research of housing and healthcare policy. He has completed research on policies affecting oral health in indigenous communities of North America and is currently interning in the office of Congresswoman Judy Chu. Anuj analyzed the effect of state budget increases on the Medi-Cal Dental program in his New Hire Project and is currently working on the NETS Data Provisioning & Ontario Housing projects at the Rose. In his free time, Anuj enjoys running, listening to music, and playing NYT games.

Thomas is from Brooklyn, New York, majoring in Government at Claremont McKenna College. His interest in state and local governance emerged through working with the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), the oversight agency of the New York City Police Department. At the Rose, Thomas is excited to work on projects related to criminal justice reforms, housing policies, and poverty alleviation programs. He is currently working on a project examining how bail reform in New York City and Los Angeles City impacted recidivism rates and jail populations. For his new hire project, Thomas researched how Acoustic Gunshot Detection Systems (ShotSpotter) impacted firearms arrests in Oakland, California. Outside of the Rose Institute, Thomas is a campus tour guide, and Romero Success Coach, he works for SOURCE Nonprofit Consulting as a Client Team Lead, and he also sings in the Joint Music Program’s Concert Choir. He enjoys listening to, and playing music (singing and guitar), watching baseball (go Yankees!), and exploring new neighborhoods.

Deborah is from Upland, CA, pursuing a dual major in public policy and data science. She is passionate about policy research and hopes to ultimately work as a policy analyst in government. She first became interested in policy when doing an environmental economics research project at Scripps College and exploring welfare policy in high school. She is most interested in welfare and economic policy, seeking to discover how different policies affect underrepresented groups. For her new hire project at the Rose, Deborah analyzed the difference in implementation of the CalWORKs program in San Bernardino and Riverside County. She is now part of the data team, where she has worked on creating the new Rose Data Hub. She continues to be excited about exploring the intersections of data analysis and policy. Outside of the Rose, she enjoys collecting Pokémon cards, reading, watching movies, and biking.

Andy is from Summit, New Jersey, and is planning to major in Government and Economics at CMC. He first became interested in politics through high school debate, and eventually interned for his local Democratic party and various Congressional campaigns. At the Rose, Andrew is excited to improve his quantitative analysis skills and research economic policy through a non-partisan lens. He has researched California’s cap-and-trade system and is looking forward to analyzing California’s city council election switch. Outside of the Rose, he is a consultant for Path and plays lacrosse on the Claremont Men’s Lacrosse Team. He also enjoys watching the Knicks, Rangers, Yankees, and Giants.

Arushi is from San José, California, and is double majoring in Economics and Media Studies with a sequence in Financial Economics at Claremont McKenna College. She developed an interest in state and local government through her work on a mayoral campaign and in Bay Area housing and homelessness policy. At the Rose, she recently presented her New Hire Project on the effect of states’ deficit provisions on spending, borrowing, and rainy-day fund growth rates, and is now staffed on the Ontario Housing Project (affordable housing financing) and the Data Team. On campus, Arushi is also an analyst for the Financials and REITs industry group in the Student Investment Fund and a CMC tour guide. In her free time, she loves singing jazz and watching Psych, Suits, or Community.

Stephanie is from Arcadia, California, and is majoring in Government at Claremont McKenna College. Through her city’s civic youth council, she became interested in politics, advocating for sexual abuse survivors and housing rights for people experiencing homelessness at the local level. From there, she interned for Supervisor Hilda Solis, PCC trustee Alton Wang, Assemblymember Mike Fong, and Congresswoman Judy Chu. Eventually, she became the National Vice Chairwoman of The High School Democrats of America. At the Rose, Stephanie researched the effectiveness of homelessness policy in Los Angeles County for her new hire project and is currently working on the Olson Housing Project. Outside of the Rose, she enjoys cooking and baking cuisine from all around the world.

Keith is from Santa Clara, CA, and is majoring in Government. At the Rose, he works on a number of projects relating to election administration, election statistics, polling, and modeling.  He is currently conducting research on the logistical and partisan effects of California’s vote-by-mail policies. His New Hire Project focused on the San Francisco election administration, wherein he discussed the impacts of their ranked-choice-voting system on partisanship on the Board of Supervisors.He also researched the impacts of at-large and by-district city council election systems in California. Outside of the Rose, Keith is also heavily involved with immigration law and policy, working at a firm handling legal support for California migrants. He  is also Research Fellow at the Mgrublian Center for Human Rights studying federal and state immigration policy, an Associate Consultant at the Graphite Group, and a member of the CMC Model UN team.

Jathan is from Carmel, Indiana where his interest in state and local politics developed after serving on his mayor’s youth council. He wrote his new hire project on the impact of environmental regulations in the Inland Empire’s warehousing industry. He did research on the Olson Company-commissioned housing report comparing Altadena’s 2025 Eaton Fire crisis to the 2017 Tubbs Fires in Santa Rosa. He presented the report at the Rose Institute’s and Olson Company’s 3rd Annual Housing Symposium

Rhiannon is from Elko, Nevada, and is majoring in Government at Claremont Mckenna College. Rhiannon’s interest in government stems from several courses she took on government and politics as well as her intern experience with Ray Shaw’s Montana State Senate Campaign. Her other work experience includes a position as a research assistant with an Organizational Psychology company, EnlienWork. At the Rose, Rhiannon wrote her new hire project on groundwater management policy and its effect on small agriculture in the Central Valley. Most recently she worked on the California City Managers Survey. In her free time, she enjoys surfing, skateboarding, soccer, and attending concerts.