Staff
Meet our incredible team! Their tireless leadership in organizing, policy formation and grassroots implementation are instrumental in Roosevelt's current and future success.
New York City office | Senior Fellows | Regional Team
New York Office
Prior to joining the Roosevelt Institute as the National Director of the Campus Network, Taylor Jo served as Deputy Director for the organization. She has also previously worked for the Partnership for a Secure America as a Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellow, Carolina for Kibera, and the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. Taylor Jo has been involved with Roosevelt since 2006, when she joined the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill chapter. She also served as chapter leadership and Southern Regional Coordinator in 2009, where she guided southern chapters as they provided solutions to the many challenges facing the region.
Taylor Jo graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies and Peace, War and Defense. In 2009 received a Burch Fellowship to conduct research in Jerusalem, Israel and was the recipient of the Tiana Notice Leadership Award in 2010. Email Taylor Jo.
Winston Lofton, Leadership Strategist
Joelle Gamble, Field StrategistJoelle has a passion for community organizing and student empowerment. She has been involved with the Campus Network since 2009, as one of the heads of the UCLA chapter. In her capacity as a student organizer in the University of California Student Association and UCLA student government, she worked on numerous political campaigns related to tax reform and educational accessibility. Joelle has also worked in the consular community in Los Angeles with the U.S. Department of State. She graduated from UCLA in 2012 with a B.A. in International Development Studies. Email Joelle.
As National Policy & Program Director, Alan assists students in developing projects, and works with them to keep the entire Campus Network moving in the right direction. Prior to joining Roosevelt, he worked as a producer on WNYC's Peabody award-winning Brian Lehrer Show, where he reported on the cutting edge in policy ideas from around New York City, the country and the world. Previously, Alan worked as the communications director for the Brooklyn Movement Center, and helped organize Mark Winston Griffith’s campaign for City Council. Working with the Young Invincibles group, he helped formulate national policy and communications strategies to improve the Healthcare Law for young Americans. Alan graduated from Swarthmore College in 2005 with a dual BA in English and African History. At Swarthmore, he helped found the War New Radio program. Email Alan.
Prior to joining Roosevelt, Lydia worked at the National Priorities Project as an Outreach Associate focusing on new media. She also interned with the City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection working on the Green Taxi Program, effectively using the program’s entire one million dollars in federal funds. Previously she interned at the Connecticut State Legislature’s Permanent Commission on the Status of Women.
Lydia graduated with honors from Mount Holyoke College in May 2012 with a self-designed major in American Studies and a minor in the Study of Organizations. While at Mount Holyoke, she served as Deputy and Executive Director of the Mount Holyoke Chapter of the Roosevelt Campus Network, which won best chapter nationally in 2010-2011. She was also a member and captain of the Mount Holyoke varsity swim team, holding six team records. Email Lydia
Prior to joining the Campus Network team, Etana was the Harry H. Wachtel Leadership Scholar at the Center for Civic Engagement at Hofstra University and Assistant Director of the Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives. She recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from Hofstra Unviersity Honors College as a Political Science and Global Studies double major, with a minor in Geography. Her senior thesis, iGlobalization: Kodak, Apple, and the Evolution of US Employment from 1960 to 2012, earned High Honors distinction and was awarded the Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library Undergraduate Research Award in 2012. Etana serves as the youngest member of the Center for Civic Engagement Advisory Board and is thrilled to be coordinating this year's Summer Academy at Roosevelt. Email Etana
LeaderShip Team & Senior Fellows
These are our students who represent the Network and are tirelessly finding innovative ways to engage, empower, and promote the work of students nationwide and abroad.
Senior Fellows
Leslie Bull is a rising senior at Yale University where she is pursuing dual Bachelor's and Master's degrees in political science. She has been a member of Roosevelt since freshman year and was a Roosevelt Summer Academy Fellow for summer 2011. As co-Center Head of International Development for Yale's Roosevelt chapter she spearheaded several projects, including creating a business plan for a Haitian NGO to rebuild and redesign their contemporary primary school that had been destroyed in the Jan. 2010 earthquake, and a research paper on the impact of Mexican development on illegal immigration rates to the U.S.. Leslie has also worked for several years as a research assistant to professors in Yale's Institute for Social and Policy Studies, as an intern with NDN and the New Policy Institute, and most recently as an intern with the U.S. Department of State in Niamey, Niger. Leslie's policy interests include international development reform, good governance in developing countries, security in Africa, and U.S.-China and China-Africa relations. Email Leslie
Joshua McKinney is the Senior Fellow for Education with the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network. Joshua is primarily interested in policy issues related to equal access to quality education, college access policy, and education finance policy. A senior at Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA, he is studying philosophy and political science, with a concentration in Political Theory. Beyond Morehouse and the Roosevelt Campus Network, he has founded a youth leadership organization, entitled Project Grad, formally the Youth Leadership and Empowerment Program. This organization empowers students with the tools necessary to become leaders in their high school and community, while sponsoring programs help students to be involved in the betterment of their community. The goal of this program is to foster a connection between students, schools, and communities in hopes of decreasing dropout rates and increasing graduation rates. He is a UPS scholar. A scholarship program that places college students in elementary schools to help tutor and mentor students. He has researched the education legislation of many countries in Europe, education finance policy and outcomes around the United States, and alternatives to standardized testing around the world. He is researching creative yet effective ways to merge portfolio assessment and minimal standardized testing, which he believes will open the door toward the improvement of college entrance exams such as the SAT or ACT. Email Joshua
Brandi Lupo is the Senior Fellow for Equal Justice this year. Brandi is primarily interested in “rule of law” theory, leading to specific policy interests in campaign finance, election reform, government accountability, and national security. She is pursuing an interdisciplinary major in Political Economy and Legal Theory at New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study where she is currently a senior. Brandi has interned with the New York City Council, worked with the Center on Law and Security, written for the Brennan Center for Justice, and served as the Northeast Regional Coordinator for the Network last year. She is currently preparing a colloquium on judicial independence and democracy. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new cuisines and winning dance battles. As Senior Fellow, she looks forward to working with other students to develop new and innovative approaches to the social and economic challenges of today. Email Brandi
Lydia Austin is a senior at the University of Michigan Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, where she studies Tax Policy and International Economies, with minors in Economics and French. Lydia served as president of the Michigan Chapter last year, where she helped facilitate the Michigan Blueprint and co-chaired a conference on transportation in Southeastern Michigan. She will be the Senior Fellow in Economic Development this year. Email Lydia.
Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Rahul is currently studying for degrees in Bioengineering and Economics as a senior at Rice University. A Goldwater and Truman Scholar, Rahul's research publications span computational bioengineering, angiogenesis, synthetic biology, health policy, science policy, and bioethics, and he has designed multiple award-winning health technologies. Eager to bridge science, health, and policy, he has conducted biomedical research at Rice and at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, spent a summer working at the National Science Foundation, and teaches an undergraduate course on public policy. Deeply passionate about scientific outreach, Rahul founded the Research Mentorship Initiative, a grant-winning nonprofit organization with a mission to introduce inner-city students to scientific research. Additionally, he has worked to link biomedical science with healthcare policy as a Wagoner Fellow at the World Health Organization in Geneva and as a Beyond Traditional Borders Fellow in Blantyre, Malawi. Rahul's previous projects in the Roosevelt Network include developing healthcare toolkits with Young Invincibles, composing a national youth health advocacy guide with Families USA, and crafting health reform policy on the Budget for Millennial America project. Email Rahul.
Hannah Locke is the Senior Fellow for Energy and the Environment with the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network. Hannah’s interests include the intersection of environmental rights and human rights, the preservation of ecosystem services, issues regarding public health, and basic ecology research. A senior at Goucher College (Baltimore, MD), she is studying Environmental Studies with Concentration in Environmental Science: Life Sciences, with a minor in Biology. As a student, Hannah has worked to develop and foster environmental organizations and initiatives on campus, such as the college’s climate action plan, advocating for energy efficiency, and developing the foundation for a green fund to financially support student-driven environmental action. She strives, above all, to facilitate, support, and promote student idea and ideals both on campus and in the greater Baltimore community. As the Senior Fellow for Energy and the Environment, Hannah is interested in energy diversification, environmental education, the revitalization of urban centers as green centers, and policies that incentivize environmental action in the private sector. She hopes to launch a student-run public health outreach program this fall, focusing on environmental contaminants in the Baltimore urban community. Currently, Hannah conducts undergraduate research at Goucher College, isolating and identifying the chemical defense of the invasive marsh grass species, Phragmites australis, which she hopes can better inform conservation strategies for the Chesapeake Bay. Email Hannah.
REGIONAL TeamS
Western Region -
Toni Gomez, Regional Coordinator: A senior at Mills College in Oakland, California, Toni is currently studying Public Policy with an emphasis in Urban Education. Her policy interests include 21st century education, healthcare, environmental justice, and corrections reform. She is currently an intern for the Campaign for College Opportunity where she works to increase access and success for students in higher education through legislation, advocacy, and coalition building. Toni likes California, swimming, kayaking, big trees, small birds, and pretzel M&Ms. Email Toni.
Jessica Munger, Policy Coordinator: Jessica is in her final semester at Humboldt State University as a student of political science with a globalization concentration. Her policy interests include reproductive justice, marriage equality, employment discrimination, education, medical marijuana policy, and prison reform. Jessica is also passionate about international human rights concerns, particularly women’s issues in South Asia. Jessica currently works in the Center for International Programs at Humboldt State and also loves her job as a dance teacher on the North Coast of California. Email Jessica.
Akshaya Ramanujam, New Chapters Coordinator:
Akshaya is a senior at UC Davis, majoring in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior. She is most interested in women and diversity in the media. She interned for Governor Jerry Brown last year and was a reporter for her campus newspaper for two years. She currently works as a calculus tutor and is a volunteer at the women's resource center. Her other interests including writing, traveling, and podcasting. Email Akshaya.
Katy Kondo, Communications Coordinator:
Katy Kondo is a senior at Mills College in Oakland, California, where she studies public policy with an emphasis on economic and social equity as well as studio art. She is excited to join the Roosevelt Institute as the West Regional Communications Coordinator and to serve as the Vice President of the Mills College Roosevelt Institute chapter. Committed to public service and social change, she interned with Death Penalty Focus and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to work toward ending the death penalty in California. Although much of her policy work as focused on domestic issues, she also has a deep interest in the Arab world. Email Katy.
George, Escutia, California Community Colleges Representative:
A re-student at Norco College in the Riverside Community College District, George is working toward transferring to a four year institution and getting a degree in Public Policy with an emphasis in Education. A firm believer in California's 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education, George passionately advocates for access, affordability, equity, quality and opportunity in California's community college system. He has served as an executive of both the Associated Students of Norco College and the Student Senate for California Community Colleges and is excited about his role with the Roosevelt Institute where he will help community college students find their advocacy voice. When he has spare time he enjoys travel, architecture, LOVE, anything
Midwestern Region -
Alina Charniauskaya, Regional Coordinator: Alina is a Senior at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, studying Political Science, Russian and Eastern European Studies with a minor in Modern Western European Studies. Her primary areas of interest include defense and diplomacy, particularly issues pertaining to democratization, human and minority rights and economic development in the former USSR bloc. Email Alina.
Teresa Dettloff, Policy Coordinator
Teresa M. Dettloff is studying International Relations at Michigan
State University and specializing in International Development,
focusing on Russia and the Middle East. Passionate about foreign,
Teresa is actively involved in the competitive Model United Nations
team, and also works for MSUMUN, a non-profit organization that hosts
a Model UN conference for high school students. She is also involved
in the Roosevelt Institute,serving on the defense and diplomacy
center, and is also focused particularly on the Michigan Blueprint
project, as well as interning at the Chicago Transit Authority through
the Roosevelt Summer Academy, and presenting an initiative to protect
the Great Lakes at the Hyde Park Policy Summit. Email Teresa.
Vitas Zukowski, New Chapters Coordinator
Hailing from the town of Flagstaff in the mountains of Northern Arizona, Vitas is a third year Public Policy Studies and Political Science major at the University of Chicago. Since his first year in college he has been involved with Roosevelt, and is now the vice-president of the UChicago chapter. He has experience working on both the legislative and campaign side of politics, in addition to being an avid on-campus activist. His interests lie mainly in environmental issues, with an emphasis on public transportation, which has included work on congestion pricing in Chicago and Midwestern high speed rail. While not busy being a policy and transit wonk, Vitas is an architecture buff, video game geek, an avid consumer of ethnic cuisines, and routine IKEA customer. Email Vitas.
Cailyn Lingwall, Communications Coordinator
Cailyn is a sophomore at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA and is pursuing a political science major and a global health minor. She is the Communications Coordinator for the Mid-Western region and is also the secretary for the Allegheny College chapter. On campus, She has been very active with political events through Roosevelt, as well as Greek Life. In my spare time, she enjoys running, traveling, and following current events. Email Cailyn.
Southern Region -
Jacob Porter, Regional Coordinator: Jacob is a Senior at Hendrix College, studying international relations and Spanish. His policy areas of interest include civil policy, education and voting policy. He also enjoys mountain biking and basketball. Email Jacob.
Blake O’Connor, Regional Coordinator: Blake is a Junior at UNC-Chapel Hill, studying public policy and global studies with a certificate in Children in Contemporary Society. His policy areas of interest are education, economics, environmental and health policy. He is also interested in international and community development and social entrepreneurship. Blake enjoys running, swimming, reading and game nights. Email Blake.
Kate Matthews, Policy Coordinator: Kate is a Junior at UNC-Chapel Hill, studying public policy and political science. Her policy interests include education, social justice, environmental and foreign policy. Kate also enjoys playing tennis, political debate and supporting the Tarheels. Email Kate.
Maleele Choongo, Comunications Coordinator: Maleele is a sophomore majoring in Political Science and minoring in Africana Studies at Hendrix College. Her interests include foreign policy, specifically African political ethics and economic development. This summer she shadowed the Zambian Supreme Court judges and audited the Zambian National Assembly for independent research. She also went to the University of Oxford and University of Venda in South Africa to do group research on African oral literature and technology. Email Maleele.
DC-International Region -
Hanna Madsen, Regional Coordinator: Hanna is a Senior at the University of Delaware, studying public policy with minors in Islamic studies, African studies and Community Leadership. Her policy interests include defense and diplomacy and children/family policy. Hanna also enjoys travelling and geeking out over TED talks. Email Hanna.
Stephanie Schmidt, Policy Coordinator: Stephanie is a Junior at the University of Delaware, studying public policy, political science and education. Her primary area of interest is education policy. Stephanie also enjoys playing lacrosse, swimming, biking and going to football and baseball games. Email Stephanie.
Chiara Draghi, New Chapters Coordinator: Chiara is a Senior at Goucher college, majoring in Biology. Her policy interests include public health, food policy and and environmental policy. She is also a strong advocate against HIV/AIDS. Chiara enjoys rock climbing and figure skating. Email Chiara.
Allie Niese, Communications Coordinator: Allie is a sophomore at American University, studying communications, law, economics and government (CLEG) and education studies. Her policy areas of interest are civics education, public health and defense. She also enjoys cooking, exercise and art. Email Allie.
Northeast Region -
Melia Ungons, Regional Coordinator: Melia is a Junior at Yale University, studying Global Affairs with a focus on international development. Her policy interests include economic development, energy and water-related issues, education and social and environmental justice. Melia also enjoys dancing, studying maps and generally exploring the outdoors. Email Melia.
Tahsin Chowdhury, Policy Coordinator
Jessica Morris, New Chapters Coordinator: Jessica is a sophomore at Mount Holyoke College, studying politics. Her primary area of policy interest is education and education reform. She is also interested in feminism, romantic-era composers and blogging. Email Jessica.
Michael Wodka, Communications Coordinator: Michael is a Senior at Cornell University, studying Economics. His policy areas of interest include macroeconomic policy, economic inequality and regulatory economics. He also enjoying sailing, soccer and watching the Denver Broncos. Email Michael.
Angela Choi, New York Liaison: Angela is the Vice President of the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network at the City College of New York. She is also part of the Northeast Regional Team where she will collaborate with New York City Roosevelt Institute Chapters to become more connected. Last year, Angela was the policy director of education where she and her team developed a proposal the for college students to receive work-study funds by mentoring high schools students with their college applications. Angela Choi is a junior majoring in Political Science and minoring in Public Policy at the City College of New York. Email Angela.
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