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 | Leadership 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, National Field Director
Joelle Gamble, National Deputy Field DirectorJoelle 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.
As the Chapter Services Coordinator, Dante provides resource delivery to the chapter network and manages the Campus Network's online communications (you can find him on Twitter). Dante also serves as the Summer Academy Fellowship Coordinator working to train and empower Millennials to develop their ideas for action in their communities through the Roosevelt Thinks series.
Dante joins Roosevelt with a background in community and online organizing and a passion to build engaged, sound citizens. He formerly worked for the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care, the Political Development Group, LLC, and is an alumni of the New Organizing Institute's New Media Bootcamp. Dante graduated from Monmouth University obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations and a minor in Communication. In 2008 Dante received the Martin Luther King, Jr. Unsung Hero Award. Email Dante.
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
Grayson Cooper is a Senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a self-designed major in Educational Entrepreneurship, a major in Mathematics, and a minor in Business Administration. His previous work in education policy includes college access policy, in the form of publication in Solutions for the South and evaluation and strategy planning for Strive for College; education finance policy, in the form of a publication on reforming North Carolina charter school finance structures published in the 2010 10 ideas for Education, which was recognized as the policy proposal of the year, and a publication on funding early childhood education through social impact bonds published in the 2011 10 ideas for Economic Development. Earlier interests have focused on gifted education through research with the Duke University Talent Identification Program (Duke TIP). Grayson is currently working on a Senior Honors Thesis examining parental perceptions in the practice of school turnaround. Email Grayson.
Rajiv Narayan is the Senior Health Care Policy Fellow for the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network. Rajiv was a 2010 Young People For Fellow. He studies an interdisciplinary course of economics, philosophy and anthropology at the University of California, Davis, where he is a Regents Scholar and member of Phi Beta Kappa. Rajiv has written for the Huffington Post, interned at an urban farm in Milwaukee, and teaches classes on the Social Theory of Eating Disorders on his campus. He has researched obesity legislation in Argentina, food stamps in California, and the racial dynamics of obesity policy in Southern States. He is currently researching the the evolutionary context for obesity via the Thrifty Gene Hypothesis. While Rajiv is interested in all aspects of obesity policy, he is especially enthusiastic about grassroots efforts to address obesity in a community setting, and the emerging use of mobile and social media technologies in health care. Email Rajiv.
Ahmad Soliman is a Senior Policy Fellow with the Roosevelt Institute's Campus Network, where is is working on issues of national security. At the University of Michigan he has worked on research projects studying electoral violence and fraud as well as transitional justice and truth commissions. As a Policy Fellow with the Roosevelt Institute's National Security team last year, he helped publish a paper on the role of U.S. foreign aid reform as part of a new U.S. Grand Strategy. As a business administration and political science student, Ahmad is very interested in the role social enterprises as a means for social and economic development towards the goal of comprehensive human security and U.S. national security. He is also particularly interested in the impact of the Arab Spring on national security policy. Email Ahmad.
Growing up along the US /Mexico border in Tucson, Arizona has been a constant motivator for May to learn about social justice and policy issues, such as racism, environmental justice, and immigration reform. Her experiences have led her to study how political narrative affects communities across diverse cultural and racial landscapes at the University of Arizona. May currently serves as an activist through the YWCA Racial Justice Program, is a Young People For Fellow and is actively involved in the African American Students Affairs on campus. May is one of 40 students selected nationwide to participate in the PBS Student Freedom Ride, from May 6 to May 17, 2011. She traveled with the original Freedom Riders from DC to New Orleans, engaging in discussions and learning about direct action and social justice! This summer May was a Summer Academy Fellow working at the Public Building Commission of Chicago. Email May.
Erika K. Solanki is the Senior Economic Development Policy Fellow for the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network. During her tenure on staff, she has organized a California-focused policy expo, a California-specific publication, led the National Defense division for the Budget for Milennial America project and published numerous policy memos and white papers. Her policy research covers a broad spectrum of topics including more effective international development to semi-postal stamps to fund arts education to government-sponsored financial support for social entrepreneurs. She studies International Development with a minor in Public Affairs at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her coursework includes study of economics, urban planning, geography and history. As Economic Development Senior Policy Fellow she would like to foster financial literacy community programs, programs that enable younger generations to foster social ventures and programs that mobilize groups to lift themselves to better socio-economic positions.
David Weinberger is Senior Fellow for Energy and the Environment with the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network. David is primarily interested in issues related to sustainable urban development, conservation planning, environmental diplomacy, and ecology and trade. A senior at Hunter College of the City University of New York, he is studying political science and public policy, with a concentration in Sustainable Urban Development. Outside of Hunter and the Roosevelt Campus Network, he has held internships with the New York State Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the U.S. Department of State, the Democratic National Committee, and the New York CIty Regional Economic Development Council. As Lead Strategist with the Campus Network for two years, David worked with students from every region of the U.S. to engage with their communities, assess key needs, and formulate effective, progressive policy recommendations and plans for local action. Projects on which David is most proud to have collaborated in his capacity as Strategist include: a community outreach and policy research trip to oil spill-effected towns along the Gulf, a national energy and environment policy and advocacy conference in Arizona, two editions of an annual student-written 10 Ideas for Energy and Environment publication, and a high-profile Blueprint for a Millennial America, produced by the Campus Network. Email David.
Leadership Team
Northeast Region -
Brandi is a Junior studying Political Economy and Legal Realism at New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study. Brandi has a background in empirical policy research and service-oriented outreach and has worked with the New York City Council and The Center on Law and Security implementing and researching various policies and programs. Her policy interests include environmental sustainability, economic development, and US foreign policy. She is currently working on a thesis regarding the definition of the material support statute. When not politicizing, Brandi enjoys playing sports and winning dance battles. As RC, she is looking forward to working with other students on the development of effective local, state, national, and international policy. Email Brandi.
Emily is a senior Politics major at Mount Holyoke College. She first got involved with Roosevelt after attending Hyde Park in 2009 and was on the founding board of the Mt. Holyoke College chapter as Communications Director and later as Executive Director. Emily went on to be a Roosevelt Institute Summer Academy Fellow in Chicago where she worked with the Department of the Environment on recycling and zero-waste initiatives. She then took a year off from MHC to spend her fall interning at the White House and her spring at Fudan University in Shanghai. Last summer Emily was a PPIA Fellow at Carnegie Mellon. Her main policy interests include community development and equal justice issues. Emily loves brunch, NE region chants and learning new dance moves from Brandi. Email Emily.
Emily Apple, Policy Coordinator, Hunter College Email Emily.
Mari Jarris, New Chapter Coordinator, Wesleyan University Email Mari.
Regina Smedinghoff, Communications Coordinator, Tufts University Email Regina.
DC-International Region -
Aaron is Chapter President of the Roosevelt Institute at American University. He is a rising senior pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from American University, originally from Northbrook, Illinois. Aaron is active in the D.C. Advocacy Committee that promotes and advocates for the policy initiatives of the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network on Capitol Hill. In July 2010, Aaron testified before the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform on providing a Millennial Generation perspective on reforming Social Security and the social safety net. Aaron has worked at the U.S. Department of Education, National Education Association, FairVote-Center for Voting and Democracy, district office of State Representative Elaine Nekritz, campaign office of Julie Hamos For Congress, RealClearPolitics, Education Week, and Teach For America. Email Aaron.
Amish Shah, Policy Coordinator, George Washington University Email Amish.
Stephanie Schmidt, Deputy Policy Coordinator, University of Delaware Email Stephanie.
Jeffrey Raines, New Chapter Coordinator, American University Email Jeffrey.
Courtney Joline, Communications Coordinator, George Washington University Email Courtney.
Southern Region -
Adam, a proud Canadian in the Class of 2013 at UNC Chapel Hill, is majoring in Public Health - Health Policy and Management. After high school in Toronto, he pursued a gap year volunteering in Kenya, Angola, and Tajikistan. His major policy interests include access to health care, public health and preventative care, environmental issues, and a focus on Africa and Central Asia. Adam has spent his summers developing public health programs in sub-Saharan Africa. He speaks French & Portuguese, and loves the outdoors, news, reading and cheering on the Tar Heels! This past summer, Adam participated in the Summer Academy program, where he was placed as a fellow at the National Academy on Social Insurance, working on nonprofit development and social insurance policy work. He'll be returning to the Roosevelt Institute for a second year as a Southern Regional Coordinator. Email Adam.
Amy Littleton, Regional CoordinatorBrittany McMahan, Communications Coordinator, Harding University Email Brittany.
Emily Wood, Communications Coordinator, Harding University Email Emily.
Midwest Region -
Valiant Lowitz lives in Chicago, IL and will be going into his senior year at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor this fall, majoring in International Studies/Environment. In 2010, Valiant worked as a Chicago Summer Academy Fellow with the City of Chicago Department of Zoning and Land Use Planning, on projects dealing with urban agriculture and the issue of "food deserts" in poorer areas throughout the city as well as green roof programs throughout Chicago. This year he hopes to bring a strong sense of activism to the Midwest, and empower people to make real differences in the region. Email Valiant.
Ashley Herzovi, Policy Coordinator, Michigan State University Email Ashley.
Zach Glasser, New Chapter Coordinator, Northwestern University Email Zach.
Joe McManus, Communications Coordinator, Northwestern University Email Joe.
Western Region -
Athena is a sophomore at the Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University. She is pursuing a major in graphic design with a minor in sustainability. She is interested in sustainable, organic agriculture with a focus on urban garden initatives. After helping ASU with an urban garden project she decided to get more involved with Roosevelt on a national level and is incredibly excited to be the regional coordinator for the west. When Athena is not working with the campus network, she likes to bake sweet treats, listen to vinyl records, and drink coffee with her friends. Email Athena.
Amreen Rahman, Policy Coordinator, UCLA Email Amreen.
Mary Patrick, New Chapter Coordinator, Colorado College Email Mary.
Jacquelynne Vaughan, Communications Coordinator, UCLA Email Jacquelynne.
Network Analytics Coordinators
Mehak Gupta, University of Arkansas Email Mehak.
Laura Kim, Brandeis University Email Laura.
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