DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Kenneth P. Miller, J.D., Ph.D.
The Rose Institute has succeeded over the years by maintaining a laser-like focus on its three-part mission: developing our students; producing high-quality, policyrelevant, data-driven research; and enhancing public understanding of state and local government, with an emphasis on California. In this edition of The Rose Review, I’d like to share some thoughts about the first element of that mission: student development.
At the Rose Institute’s 50th anniversary celebration last fall, I noted that Rose students go on to have great success after graduation, and their success can be traced in part to our strategic approach to their training. I also said that I want the Institute to get even better at developing our students’ capacities so that we will become widely known as the most effective center anywhere for the training, mentoring, and formation of undergraduates.
I know that’s an audacious goal—and impossible to measure—but it’s right for us to reach for it. We already have many elements in place. Over the years, the Institute has developed a highly effective undergraduate training program—and, even more, an organizational culture that helps each student develop his or her potential.
Let me share some specifics.
First, each fall we run a training program for recently hired student RAs, coordinated by a senior who is selected as New Hire Manager. Last fall, Liann Beilicki ’24, served in this role and led our 12 new hires through a rigorous training program, which culminated in each student designing and executing research project on a topic of
Spring 2024
3 - Student Management Report
- Alumni Spotlight: Abhi Nemani ’10
- BOG Spotlight: Scott Woolley ’92
18 - Govt 117 Class Trip to Sacramento
state or local policy. Liann and a group of student and faculty mentors advised the new hires on their projects. At the end of the semester, all the students produced reports and presented their research.
Through this “boot camp,” each new Rose student took a deep dive into a policy area, developed research skills, and gained the capacity to contribute to Rose Institute projects.
Moreover, as in the past, the new hire program will produce fresh ideas for the Institute’s public-facing work.
Consider housing policy. Over the past several years, California’s housing crisis has emerged as one of the most high-profile, controversial policy areas at the intersection of state and local government, and thus an ideal research topic for us. But until a couple of years ago, the Institute had developed little expertise in this field.
In the fall of 2021, our new hire class included three students, Anna Short PO ’24, Ryan Lenney ’25, and George Ashford ’25, who wanted to research new developments in housing policy. They produced outstanding new hire reports and later converted them into Inland Empire Outlook articles on housing underproduction, inclusionary ordinances, and public attitudes on housing market regulation.
Those articles could have been the end of our work on housing, but, fortuitously, in 2022, a CMC alum named Nick Warshaw ’09 contacted us to ask if the Rose Institute would consider researching housing policy and co-hosting
A DAY IN THE PARK
March 22, 2024
Standing from left, Joan Hanson SC’26, Alex Bishop ’26, Joseph Zhong ’25, Nolan Windham ’25 , Jack Gladson ’25, Anna Short PO’24, Jenna Miller, Director Ken Miller, Chad McElroy ’26, David Taylor ’26, Nikhil Agarwal ‘24, Richard Cordero ’26, Jada Cook ’26, Katherine Jackson ’25, Grace Hong ’24. Squatting from left: Elisa Booth ’27, Liann Bielicki ’24, Dhriti Jagadish SC’27, Aria Fafat ’27, Sam Yao ’27, Annie McDonald ’26, Kat Lanzalotto ’25, Ryan Lenney ’25.
By the Enchanted Tiki Room
At the main entrance to the park.
On the Winnie the Pooh ride
Pirates of the Caribbean ride
PROJECT UPDATES
Data Team
by Nolan Windham ’25
The Rose Institute has recently established a data team dedicated to enhancing data analysis and visualization across the institute. This new team supports ongoing research projects and undertakes its own initiatives, institutionalizing the once fragmented data capabilities among research assistants. We hope this consolidation into a super team will help preserved and transmit to future cohorts the sophisticated skills and organizational structure developed. With backing from senior management and insights from an exceptional panel of alumni experts, the team is positioned to make significant contributions to the Institute’s research output.
One of our key accomplishments this semester is the creation of a new resource tentatively titled Rose Business Index. This comprehensive dashboard compiles essential metrics on the cost of doing business in various cities in California and select other locations in the western United States. Designed to aid legislators, businesses, and anyone else who may be interested in the business climate, the Rose Business Index will help inform policymaking and business decisions. This tool will be available on our website and will include access to the underlying data.
Looking forward, the data team is enthusiastic the upcoming academic year. With plans to leverage the National Establishment Time-Series (NETS) database, which contains detailed business data spanning three decades, the team is poised to significantly expand its research capabilities.
Screenshot of the Rose Business Index dashboard. Cities are color-coded from most costly (red) to least costly (dark green).
OFF-CAMPUS FALL 2023
Pieter van Wingerden ’24
I spent the fall semester in Washington, D.C. as a National Defense Fellow at the Ronald Reagan Institute and interning for the House Select Committee on the CCP. I also participated in West Point’s Student Conference on U.S. Affairs and the Reagan National Defense Forum. I’m thankful for the opportunity to learn from and work alongside so many hardworking and talented individuals on the committee.
Audrey Donahue ’25
I interned at Mehlman Consulting, a political consulting firm in Washington DC, where I had the opportunity to learn about government relations in a variety of industries and worked with congressional staff on both sides of the aisle. I had many amazing opportunities to meet members of Congress and engage with their staff. I absolutely loved living in the city of DC and getting to explore. There is such an amazing and diverse array of food in DC. I look forward to returning!
George Ashford ’25
I studied at the School for International Training in Tunis, or more specifically, Sidi Bou Said, which is a suburb north of Tunis. I took classes in Arabic, the Tunisian democratic transition, trans-Mediterranean migration, and research methods. I stayed with a host family in Carthage, another nearby suburb. Tunisian food is absolutely fantastic, so that was a major highlight, as was getting to know the history of Tunisia, which has been a center of power in the Mediterranean for thousands and thousands of years, and, of course, getting to know all the incredible people who helped me feel at home there.
Katherine Jackson ’25
I studied in Milan, Italy, where I took four classes: EU-European Integration, Italian, Positive Psychology, and Photography. I enjoyed traveling throughout Italy, eating delicious food, learning how to use public transportation, and making many great friends.
Pieter van Wingerden ’25 with Chairman Mike Gallagher of the House Select Committee on the CCP.
Audrey Donahue ’25, third from left, with House Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries.
George Ashford ’25 (right) in Tunis.
Katherine Jackson ’25 at Lake Como.
OFF-CAMPUS STUDY FALL 2023
Ryan Lenney ’25
I studied local government and regional independence movements in Bilbao, Spain. I lived with a host family in a small town on the coast called Getxo and spent most of my free time exploring the beautiful Basque Country beaches. My program also included a few weeks in Northern Ireland and Ireland, where we studied the peace processes following the Good Friday Agreement. I really enjoyed diving into the recent political history of Ireland and the Basque Country, as they are important topics that I wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to study. In all, my time abroad was an incredible opportunity to be immersed in another culture and (sort of) improve my Spanish skills. Still, I’m glad to be back at CMC and looking forward to another great semester with the Rose.
Nolan Windham ’25
I spent my Fall 2023 semester in the Bay Area as part of Claremont McKenna College’s Silicon Valley Program, where I worked at a full-time tech internship on weekdays and took classes on weekends. I took advantage of this time away from campus to explore new places and meet new people, learning and growing all along the way. I am grateful for this experience and am excited about the work we are going to be doing back on campus at the Rose Institute, especially on the data team!
Noah Swanson ’25
I studied at the Universidad Pablo de Olavide in Seville, Spain, and took four classes: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism in the Spanish Context; The European Union; Intermediate Spanish II; and Spanish Nobel Laureates. I stayed in an apartment complex with a bunch of other American and European study-abroad students. My biggest takeaway is a greater appreciation for living in the United States. While we are certainly not a perfect country, there’s nothing like living in Europe for four months to make home seem that much better.
Ryan Lenney ’25 in Barcelona.
Nolan Windham ’25 at the Embarcadero, San Francisco.
Noah Swanson ’25 rowing in the canals of the Plaza De España in Seville, Spain.
OFF-CAMPUS FALL 2023
Helen Bovington ’24
I’m a 3-2 student (three years at CMC and two years doing engineering), and I’ve transferred to Columbia University for Electrical Engineering. I am taking classes in Signals and Systems, Circuit Analysis II, Intro to Solid State Devices, Probability, and Discrete Mathematics. I live in a dorm on campus called Wien! Being in NYC is very challenging, and it has made me appreciate CMC so much more. I miss Claremont and how welcoming and connected it felt for me during my time there. I’m also really enjoying my major, and feel happy to finally be spending all my time on the subject I actually want to prioritize learning about.
Katherine Lanzalotto ’25
I studied in Siena Italy at the IES program. I studied Dante’s Divine Comedy, the Italian wine industry, the Italian language, and the history and culture of Siena, Italy! I was able to travel across Europe and meet up with friends (like fellow Rosie Kat Jackson) in various cities. I enjoyed the freedom of solo travel and the ability to explore new places while abroad more than anything!
Jemma Nazarali ’25
I spent the fall semester studying in Milan, Italy. I took classes in Climate Change Economics and Global History at Bocconi University, and was also able to study International Finance and Italian language through IES. I lived in an apartment building with both Italians and other study abroad students, and had the opportunity to get to know students from many different backgrounds. One of my favorite parts about studying abroad was getting to travel to so many different countries so easily, and of course getting to eat great food from all over Europe! My biggest takeaway was that I need an AirTag for my passport.
Helen Bovington ’24 at New York City Ballet.
Jemma Nazarali ’25 in Venice.
Katherine Lanzalotto ’25 at Pitti Palace in Florence.
ROSE REFLECTIONS
by Andrew Busch
On July 31, I will be ending my service at Claremont McKenna College, twenty years after I began. It has been an honor and a privilege to be on the faculty in the Government Department here. For ten and a half of those twenty years, I had the opportunity to serve as Director of the Rose Institute.
I particularly cherish those years at the Rose. I worked with a wonderful senior staff, including Dr. Ken Miller, Bipasa Nadon, and Marionette Moore. Though every once in a while it fell to me to make a tough call, we were a team and functioned as a team. We had a lot of fun along the way. I am proud to call them my colleagues and my friends.
The students were great, too. I worked with twelve teams of student managers between January 2011 and June 2021. One of the unique features of the Rose is the degree to which the student managers actually manage. Occasionally there were rough spots, but as a general rule the partnerships that senior staff developed with student management were very positive, and I enjoyed getting to know them all and working with them.
I also had the pleasure of working with three very committed chairs of the Board of Governors: Darryl Wold, Ray Remy, and Ryder Smith. They, and the rest of the Board, were always supportive and engaged. A highlight of my semester was always the BOG meeting, with a reception and dinner to follow (usually, of course, at Walter’s).
We undertook a wide range of projects, and started some new traditions, such as Video Voter. We also started a speaker series and developed a new process for training new hires. We began hiring sophomores as well as freshmen, and benefitted from the mixture.
One of my proudest and yet most terrifying moments as Director at the Rose Institute came in April 2017, when the Institute sponsored an Athenaeum talk by journalist Heather Mac Donald. A hostile and abusive crowd of protestors—few of whom were CMC students—blockaded the Ath to try to prevent Mac Donald’s talk, which was on the subject of her book The War Against Police. She was trapped inside the Athenaeum along with the Ath staff and a few others, including myself, with blockaders pounding on the glass and screaming obscenities for about three hours. Mac Donald’s full talk was streamed, though she was urged by Claremont police to escape the building after a few questions from the online audience. On one hand, the episode was an embarrassment to the Claremont Colleges. On the other hand, I was proud that the Rose Institute had planted a flag for the free exchange of ideas on our campus.
Not least, my years at the Rose Institute gave me many fond family memories. The annual Holiday Party was always a family occasion for me. My wife Melinda (whose birthday always fell close to the date of the party) and my children Katie, Daniel, and Elizabeth were usually there. Good food and karaoke were always part of the mix.
I will be taking a position at the University of Tennessee, serving as associate director of the new Institute of American Civics. I am looking forward to a new experience, and I am certain that I will bring to bear so many things that I learned as Director of the Rose. But the move will be bittersweet. I will miss my colleagues and students at CMC, and I will miss continuing to be involved with the Rose Institute. Please accept my very best wishes in all your endeavors going forward.
Andrew and Melinda Busch
PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDREW BUSCH
SENIOR FAREWELLS
Helen Bovington
I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to join the Rose. It has shaped me more than any other experience or organization at CMC, both because of the projects that I’ve worked on and the people that I’ve met. Before coming to CMC, I never anticipated being a part of a community like the Rose, but now I can’t imagine my time at CMC without it. I will fondly remember the countless nights spent talking until single-digit hours with smart, open-minded people who enriched my college experience. I give my special thanks to Professor Miller, Mrs. Nadon, and Marionette, as well as the student management during my time at the Rose. This institute and its community will always be important to me.
Liann Bielicki
It’s hard to believe that I’m writing this farewell to the Rose Institute when I can still remember writing my application, nervously taking the elevator up to the interviews, and barely scraping together a fun fact for my new hire bio. What a whirlwind of research, data collection, report writing, and BOG presentations it’s been since then! I can confidently say that I’ve met some of the kindest, brightest, and most hard-working people at the Rose Institute, and I have immense gratitude for everyone at the Rose because they have made my time at CMC so much more fulfilling and special. I will carry the friendships I have made with me for life. Moreover, the research projects I have contributed to remain the achievements I feel most proud of at CMC, and for that I owe thanks to Professor Miller, Mrs. Nadon, and Marionette Moore. Professor Sinclair and Professor Fortner were also invaluable mentors, and I benefited greatly from their expertise and endless patience. Last, but not least: the fourth-floor workroom view, the “Rosies-as” whiteboard, and the Zotz– I will miss you!
Nikhil Agarwal
It is impossible to overstate how grateful I am for the camaraderie, mentorship, and opportunities that the Rose Institute has afforded me during the past three years. I have grown leaps and bounds as a researcher, developed my critical reading and writing skills, and now leave CMC confident that I can make my mark in the world of politics and law. I especially want to thank Mrs. Nadon for the countless hours she spent with me in her office assisting me with projects, offering me career and academic guidance, and being available to chat whenever I needed someone to talk to.
Pieter van Wingerden
My three years as a Rose Institute research assistant has gone by in the blink of an eye. The institute holds a special place in my heart; it is synonymous with my CMC education. To Professor Miller, Mrs. Nadon, and Marionette: I’m forever grateful for all your support and mentorship. Thank you for strengthening my interest in public service. And to my Rose colleagues: thank you for making this institute one of my highlights at CMC. It has been a privilege to work with you on so many exciting projects.
While I will miss the Rose, I take solace in knowing that each of us are committed to public service in our own unique ways, regardless of where we may be postgraduation. See you all at the next reunion!
Nikhil Agarwal and Pieter van Wingerden
Helen Bovington as she presented for the Video Voter Guide 2022.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
ABHI NEMANI ’10
by Jack Gladson ’25
Abhi Nemani has founded, built, and led many GovTech institutions over the last 15 years, including the City of Sacramento’s Innovation & Growth Fund, Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Data, and Code for America. Now Senior Vice President of Product Strategy at Euna Solutions, Nemani helps build Euna’s portfolio of public sector technologies that boost trust and transparency for 3,000+ governments globally.
Nemani helped launch the internationally recognized tech nonprofit, Code for America, in 2010 and founded EthosLabs, a GovTech investment and consulting firm, in 2017. Nemani regularly consults with private equity firms, governments, and major foundations on technology investments and policy. He has developed a civic innovation curriculum for the University of Chicago Computational Analysis and Public Policy program and the World Bank. In addition to executive credentials from Stanford (eMBA) and Wharton (AFP), Nemani holds a B.A. from Claremont McKenna College and an MPA from the USC Price School of Public Policy.
How did your experience at the Rose shape your career as a government technology entrepreneur? Are there any experiences or skills that helped in your endeavors?
I was building “government technology” even before I knew that was a concept let alone a career. But the Rose Institute gave me the opportunity to build real products for real partners and governments —years before I would start my “proper” career in GovTech. Even as an academic institution for undergraduates, the Rose encourages
entrepreneurship and facilitates it at a high level of importance and quality. Transitioning from standing-up websites and organizing teams on campus to my career was surprisingly (or unsurprisingly) easy. More valuable than any individual skill than you can pick at the Rose, however, is the confidence and curiosity the Institute imbues throughout those four short years, characteristics that pay dividends decades later.
How has data science’s role in local government evolved over the course of your career?
When I started building Code for America after graduating in 2010, I remember local government leaders — mayors even — would come with earnest but simple questions like editing spreadsheets on their iPads. But the learning curve isn’t steep, and the opportunities have grown exponentially over time, to where I was running advanced data science projects in Los Angeles by 2014. Now, some governments are not simply catching up or reacting to the private sector but helping shape and leverage technology from the start.
Most local governments are very small and it’s simply unreasonable to expect them to build out a full data science team. Think: should Claremont hire a bunch of data scientists? What about Pomona? Rancho Cucamonga? Those are just the three small cities near campus. There are more than 20,000 local governments in the U.S., so leveraging data science for local governments isn’t simply as easy as some elected or appointed leaders mandating it. That’s why cities will need partners like the Rose to put their data to work.
Can you reflect on your time at the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Data & Analytics? Is there any advice you would give to a Rose graduate wanting to enter a similar field?
Local governments are typically overlooked in national dialogue, but Rosie’s see firsthand the profound role they play in our communities. What we don’t often see is how understaffed and under-resourced most cities and counties are. There’s unbelievable potential to have a big role in a local government, but that requires looking not just to DC or the Valley, and more to seemingly less highprofile places. I was technically in the city’s budget office — not exactly the West Wing (I’m referring to the TV show not the place). But the City of Los Angeles serves 4M+ people and has a $20B+ annual budget, and they still struggle to recruit top notch technical or data talent. So, my advice is simple: go knock on the door to City Hall… they will be happy to see you.
Abhi Nemani, on the right, with fellow Rose alumnus Ian Rudge ’03.
BOARD OF GOVERNORS SPOTLIGHT
one part of the solution. Inventing more cost-effective and scalable models must be another.
LAReported is an experiment to test a new editorial and economic model for covering local news. We intend to prove that it is possible to produce independent, investigative local journalism that is critical to our society’s health while simultaneously eliminating the need for any ongoing philanthropic or government support.
How are you planning on doing that?
A century ago, in 1923 in New York, two young journalists dreamed up a publication so peculiar that they had to coin a word to describe it: “the news-magazine.” At first, Henry Luce and Briton Hadden titled their creation Facts, to underscore its commitment to accuracy. They soon settled on a different name, Time magazine, expressly to highlight their commitment to rewarding readers’ valuable time.
A century later, LAReported envisions a similar opportunity to create an entirely new model of journalism, based on the same put-the-reader-first philosophy.
Today’s local nonprofit news sites were created with a dif-
ferent mandate: to cover the important news stories that local newspapers no longer can. Making those important stories enjoyable—or even fun—to read was usually an afterthought.
By flipping those priorities, LAReported aims to do a better job of achieving both goals. Putting the reader’s experience first does not mean publishing fluff or clickbait. For-profit publications in the 20th century perfected a mixture of quality journalism and high-quality storytelling precisely because it was a proven recipe for attracting paying subscribers and fattening their bottom line.
How did you connect with the Rose Institute? What do you enjoy most about being on the Rose Board of Governors?
I’m a good old-fashioned nepo baby. My father was on the board, and when he stepped down, he encouraged me to apply, knowing it was a good fit with my interests in public policy. The best part is getting to hear about the research the students are doing, and trying to encourage them to take a more journalistic, less academic approach to their projects.
At a Rose Institute Board meeting, listening to students present on current Institute projects.
GOVT117 CLASS TRIP TO SACRAMENTO
In 2004, Rose Institute Director Ken Miller began teaching a new course at CMC called “California Politics,” listed in the College’s catalog as Gov 117. Prof. Miller brought this class to Sacramento for the first time in Spring 2005 and has organized a Sacramento trip nearly every year thereafter. The trip typically lasts two days and includes visits to the Senate and Assembly chambers, visits with legislative leaders and staff, meetings in the Governor’s Office with senior staff, conversations with agency officials, journalists, and lobbyists, and a reception with Sacramento-area CMC alumni. Over the years, many Rose Institute students have taken the class and participated in the trip. The Institute has always helped fund the Sacramento trip, and Rose Board members and alumni have supported it in many ways. Supporters have included current and former Rose Board Members Steve Merksamer ’69; Christopher Townsend ’82, and Deborah Gonzalez ’85, and Rose alums Tony Gonzalez ’85, Christiana Dominguez ’01, Nicolas Heidorn ’06, Jessica Jin ’16, and Wesley Whitaker ’18.
This year, the class met with Assembly Speaker Emeritus Anthony Rendon; Steve Merksamer ’69 (former chief of staff to Gov. Deukmejian founding partner of Nielsen Merskamer); senior staff members in the Governor’s Office; Wesley Whitaker ’18 (consultant to the Assembly Rev and Tax Committee) and other legislative staff; Casey Elliott (Townsend Public Affairs) and other lobbyists; Deborah Gonzalez ’85 (PPIC) veteran political columnist Dan Walters (CalMatters). Christopher Townsend ’82 provided generous financial support for this year’s trip.
Of the twelve who participated this year, seven were Rose Institute students (names bolded below).
Front row (from left): Annie McDonald, Shelby McIlroy, Sarah Ziff, Kahani Malhotra, Joan Hanson, Aria Fafat, Grace Hong. Back row: Quinten Carney, Harold Fuson, Billy Hennessy, Victoria Romero, Chad McElroy, Prof. Ken Miller.
GOVT117 CLASS TRIP TO SACRAMENTO
Students view portraits of Governors Gray Davis and Arnold Schwarzengger.
CalMatters Columnist Dan Walters.
Deborah Gonzalez ’85, PPIC Vice President of Government Affairs and Chief Data Officer (and current Rose Institute Board Member).
Assembly Speaker Emeritus Anthony Rendon speaks to students.
Steve Merksamer ’69, founding partner of Nielsen Merksamer (and former Rose Institute Board Member).
ROSE STYLE
Showing off their new Rose merch after the April 4 staff meeting. From left standing: Richard Cordero ’26, Anna Short PO’24, George Ashford ’25, Jada Cook ’26, Audrey Donahue ’25, Ryan Lenney ’25, Liann Bielicki ’24, Pieter van Wingerden ’24, Nikhil Agarwal ’24, Joseph Zhong ’25, Jack Gladson ’25, Rutvij Thakkar ’26, Alex Bishop ’26, David Taylor ’26, Sam Yao ’27. Bottom row from left: Catherine Murphy ’24, Noah Swanson ’25, Katherine Jackson ’25, Katherine Lanzalotto ’25, Dhriti Jagadish SC’27, Maya Maranto HM’26, Elisa Booth ’27, Sanskriti Kumar ’26, Jemma Nazarali ’25.
Student Management
Ryan Lenney ’25
Student Manager
George Ashford ’25
Associate Student Manager
Rose Review Staff
Rutvij Thakkar ’26, Editor Aria Fafat ’27
Anne McDonald ’26
The mission of the Rose Institute is to enhance the education of students at Claremont McKenna College, to produce high quality research, and to promote public understanding on issues of state and local government, politics, and policy, with an emphasis on California.
Senior Staff
Kenneth P. Miller, JD, PhD Director
Bipasa Nadon, JD Assistant Director
Marionette S. Moore Administrative Coordinator