On May 16, senior staff and students bid farewell to twelve of the Rose senior class with a reception at the Rose’s student workroom. We honor and celebrate their accomplishments during their tenure at the Institute. We congratulate each of them and wish them all the best for their future. We also welcome them all into the Rose Alumni Society!
George Bolger Ashford, from Maryland, graduated magna cum laude with a BA degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (honors) with a dual major in Public Policy. 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. Elsewhere on campus, George served 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. George served as the Institute’s Associate Student Manager for AY2024-2025.
George has been inducted into Phi Betta Kappa, and is the recipient of The Philip Roland Award for Excellence in Public Affairs and The J. Cleveland McKenna Researcher Award.
Audrey Hope Donahue, from Seattle, Washington, graduated with a degree 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 including working with Professor Sinclair on his research, editor of the Rose Review, Kosmont-Rose Institute Cost of Doing Business, 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 played for the CMS Lacrosse team, and loves to ski, hike, and cook.
Cary A. Dornier from San Diego, California, was from Pitzer College, where he majored in Political Studies with a focus in Security Policy. On campus, he assisted Professor Andrew Busch with research for his 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 participated 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 James Gladson, from Park City, Utah, graduated cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy (honor) and a dual major in Economics (Data Science sequence). 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 led the institute’s web development efforts, co-authored an academic article with Professor Michael Fortner, and served as Student Development Manager. He also worked on Kosmont, CCMF, CA Competitiveness, and served as editor of the Rose Review. On campus, Jack was a member of CMC Advocates. In his free time, Jack likes to ski and create digital art.
Katherine Antonopoulos Jackson, from Oakland, California, graduated with a dual major in Government and Psychology. At the Rose, KatJack worked on the 2022 Kosmont project, and 2022 and 2024 Video Voter Guide. She helped research for Professor Miller’s article for Limes Magazine, and led the Rose Institute’s 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 Scanlon Lanzalotto, from Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, graduated cum laude earning a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (honors). 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. and was co-lead for the 2024 Video Voter Guide project. Outside of the Rose, Katherine was on the Model United Nations team, where she served as the 2022 McKenna MUN secretary general. She also worked as president of GenUp Claremont, a 5C club, and traveled as an Appel Fellow. In the fall semester of 2023, she studied abroad in Tuscany (Siena, Italy).
Katherine has been inducted into Phi Betta Kappa.
Ryan Anthony Tuominen Lenney is from Mission Viejo, California. He graduated magna cum laude with a BA degree dual major in Public Policy (honors) 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 also worked on the Kosmont project, the state identities project, the 2024 Video Voter Guide, and a study on the city of Vernon. Ryan served as the project manager for the Long Beach housing report. 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. In his free time, Ryan enjoys surfing, rock climbing, astrophotography, and a good road trip with friends.
Ryan has been inducted into Phi Betta Kappa. He also received the Public Policy Department Award for the Outstanding Senior Thesis, George S. Blair Award for State and Local Government, and the J. Cleveland McKenna Researcher Award.
Jemma Smeltz Nazarali, from Summit, New Jersey, graduated with honors, with a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics and a dual major in Economics. 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 wrote two articles for the Inland Empire Outlook and worked on the Initiative Database, the Housing Project, Kosmont, and minimum wage research for Professor Rose. 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 worked at the Center for Writing and Public Discourse (CWPD), and enjoys skiing, cooking, and spending time with friends.
Andrea Yuritzy Santillan-Galindo is from Lee Vining in California. She graduated with a BA degree in Government. 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 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; assisted with the Rose Review, 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 Benjamin Swanson, from Beverly Hills, California, graduated cum laude, earning a BA degree with a dual major 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 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 worked as a first-year guide (FYG), as a research assistant for Professor Fortner, and as the Managing Editor of the Claremont Independent. At the Rose, he worked on the Kosmont, CA City Managers, CA Competitiveness projects, presented for the 2024 Video Voter Guide, and wrote articles 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.
Noah has been inducted into Omicron Delta Epsilon (Economics) and conferred the Government Department Award for the Outstanding Major.
Nolan Daniel Windham, is from Venice, California. He graduated with a degree in Economics with a Data Science sequence. 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 was the Institute’s Data Director, leading the Data Team conducting research using advanced data extraction (including the NETS data), 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 worked as a Makerspace Steward. In his free time, Nolan enjoys working on a variety of creative projects.
Nolan was the recipient of the J. Cleveland McKenna Researcher Award.
Joseph Zhong, from Omaha, Nebraska, graduated cum laude earning a BA degree dual major in Economics (honors) and Public Policy. He got his start in the policy realm through nonprofits and advocacy in sustainability. From the nonprofit sector, Joseph quickly moved into the financial industry, initially focused on sustainable infrastructure financing at the Nebraska State Treasury, California State Treasurer’s Office, and the North American Development Bank. His water policy interest drew him to the Rose Institute, where he headed the Kosmont-Rose Institute Cost of Doing Business Survey project, contributed to the San Francisco study, and, most significantly, managed the Fall 2024 New Hires Program. Outside the Rose Institute, Joseph manages The Watchtower, the Official Podcast of the Mgrublian Center for Human Rights. Sometimes, Joseph is spotted giving tours to prospective CMC students. In his free time, Joseph loves to read books that challenge his beliefs, hike with friends, and watch the sunsets. In the Spring of 2023, Joseph participated in CMC’s Washington Program as a Legislative intern for Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Joseph has been inducted into Phi Betta Kappa and Omicron Delta Epsilon.
