2008-2009 Research Assistants
Ian O. Johnson is originally from Edina, Minnesota. He runs cross country and track, and was captain of both teams in high school. He enjoys writing, and has published several essays and stories, including an essay on modern Israeli history in the Concord Review. He worked on the 2004 Bush campaign locally, and is a member of the Claremont College Republicans. His hobbies include cartography, reading, historical studies and travel. Ian has just returned from a year abroad in Egypt and is currently co-Assistant Student Manager at the Rose Institute.
Peter T. McGah is an economics major from Leawood, Kansas. He graduated from Blue Valley North High School where he participated in Future Business Leaders of America and was the captain of the track team. At the Rose Institute, Peter has been involved in the Kosmont-Rose Institute Cost of Doing Business Survey and several GIS projects. He is presently a co-Assistant Student Manager.
Tammy T. Nguyen is from Seal Beach, California and graduated from Gretchen Whitney High School. She is interested in pursuing a career in the biological sciences and public health. She has worked for CMC's technology services as a Resident and Lab Technology Assistant and as a Research Assistant for the psychology department. Tammy studied abroad in Hong Kong in fall of 2007.
Ritika Puri is currently the Rose Institute's Student Manager. She is a Literature major who was raised in the California Bay Area and graduated from Pinewood High School as valedictorian of her class. In summer 2007, Ritika received a McKenna International grant to work in a New Delhi slum. While in India, Ritika tutored impoverished children, interviewed slum residents, raised money to buy textbooks and school supplies for 100 students, and founded a free health clinic. Ritika has also interned with the Northern California Innocence Project—a pro bono law firm for wrongfully convicted inmates. After graduation, Ritika plans to attend law school.
Adam Sherman is from Portland, Oregon. He attended Wilson High School, where he participated in dragonboating, wrestling, and chess. In dragonboating he rowed varsity and they took first in state. He was the head of the chess club in his senior year and they were league champions. His team also finished second in the state tournament. He enjoys ping-pong, basketball, and playing the occasional game of poker.
Patrick W. Atwater was born and raised in La Canada, California and went to Clark Magnet and Crescenta Valley High Schools. During high school, he participated in California's Youth and Government program. In his senior year, he was a model Supreme Court attorney and argued in the Sacramento Supreme Court Chambers. Patrick played football at Crescenta Valley High School and now plays for the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps team. Patrick wants to do something with math, politics, and economics, and hopes to pursue a career in politics.
Mateo Blumer is from Bellevue, Washington, a graduate of Bellevue High School. After participating in the CMC Washington DC Program last semester and interning at the global law firm of K&L Gates, Mateo took a summer job in San Diego, California at the investment management firm of Stolper & Company and Windowpane Funds. In addition to working at the Rose Institute, Mateo is currently working at a start-up company he co-founded called Atlas Guides, LLC. When he is not working towards his economics-international relations dual major, Mateo enjoys traveling, reading, and playing ping-pong.
Raghav Dhawan graduated with an International Baccalaureate diploma from the American Embassy School in New Delhi, India. While there, he was involved in student government, community service, the school newspaper, and athletics. Before moving back to India in 2001, Raghav lived in San Marino, California for five years and in Hong Kong for four. Undecided on his major, he is interested in government, history, economics, and mathematics. Aside from working at the Rose Institute, Raghav has also joined the Claremont Colleges Debate Union. Raghav is currently in Budapest, Hungary.
Emily A. Forden is from Wellesley, Massachusetts. She is majoring in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics (PPE) as well as Literature. She is a member of the Claremont Democrats and an officer for the Aspiring Economist Society. Emily has spent her summers working in Massachusetts for a State Representative as well as publishing on the state of nuclear arms in Iran. At the Rose Institute, she has been working on the Business Industry Association’s survey of Coachella and Imperial Counties and has an interest in continued work on surveys as well as Redistricting. In her free time, she enjoys free-water scuba diving and traveling.
Sophia H. Hall is half-American, half-Moroccan, and was born and raised in Rabat, Morocco. She completed the International Baccalaureate program at the Rabat American School and was the salutatorian of her class. In high school, she was the president of an environmental club, represented her class sophomore year, and was a co-captain and manager of the track team. She is pursuing a degree in international relations at CMC with a focus on International Business, and wants to continue mastering French and Arabic. She is currently involved with the Claremont Colleges International Place and Student Alumni Relations Committee, as well as several other student groups and committees.
Keith R. McCammon was born and raised in Chicago, IL. For years he spent the summers working at a Boy Scout camp in Wisconsin where he taught Astronomy and Bird Study. He is attending Claremont McKenna College on a 4-year scholarship courtesy of your taxpayer dollars and the Army ROTC. At the Rose Institute, Keith is in charge of the Burnweit Database and is currently the Project Manager of the Kosmont-Rose Institute Cost of Doing Business Survey.
Abhi M. Nemani is pursuing a dual major in Mathematics and Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). His interest in government began about four years ago when he watched four seasons straight of The West Wing. Now, he is a research assistant at the Rose Institute of State and Local Government, and the president of CMC’s Mock Trial program. He is currently studying political philosophy at Oxford University, and when he returns to CMC and the Rose Institute, he plans to work on fiscal analysis of Southern California and public policy.
Ryan H. Wessels is from San Jose, California and attended Kehillah Jewish High School. Ryan served as student body co-president where he passed an open-campus policy, organized student elections, and planned various other events. He also served on the South Peninsula Jewish Teen Foundation where he helped raise and allocate money to various non-profit organizations. At CMC, Ryan serves as Stark Hall’s dorm jock, participates in the student Senate, and is a member of the Claremont Entrepreneur Society. Ryan also enjoys sports, cards, and movies.
Ilan Wurman is originally from Palo Alto, California. His interests include politics, history, astronomy, music, and foreign languages. In Palo Alto, he worked for Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner when Poizner first ran for State Assembly, and he founded a bipartisan political journal at his high school. Ilan is a government and physics major, and is involved in orchestra, political journalism, and College Republicans. Ilan spent last semester with CMC’s Washington Program and a White House internship. He is currently the editor of the Claremont Independent.
Patrick M. Eagan-Van Meter is from the Washington, D.C. area. He graduated from the International Baccalaureate Program at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Bethesda, Maryland. Patrick is a senator of the Associated Students of Claremont McKenna College and a proud member of the Claremont Colleges Rugby Football Club. He spent the summer working as an intern at the national office of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organization on health care. Patrick plans to major in PP&E or Economics.
Edward T. Zaki is from Washington, D.C. and spent much of high school on the wrestling team, which he captained in his senior year. Edward also traveled widely, studying abroad in Shanghai and returning from his twelfth visit to Egypt this spring. His past two summers were spent studying at Georgetown University and West Point, in addition to a raucous three weeks in Brazil and Argentina. At CMC he hopes to pursue a major in Economics or PPE.
Riley T. Lewis has lived almost his entire life in Claremont and graduated from the Webb School of California. In high school, he was the co-chairman of the school Honor Committee and a member of the cross country team for four years. This summer, Riley competed in the national finals of the AAA Travel Challenge, a geography contest for high school students, and he climbed Denali (Mt. McKinley), the tallest mountain in North America. His major is still undecided, but he plans to study something involving economics and public policy.
John Michael Whatley comes to CMC from Washington, DC. In high school, Mike was a nationally ranked extemporaneous speaker in speech and debate, co-edited his high school’s political magazine, and served as treasurer of the student government. Last summer, Mike interned at the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a trade association of major foreign and domestic car companies. He wants to be a government major and may dual major in either economics or history.
Jeffrey Y. Park hails from Flushing, NY. He graduated from Milton Academy in Milton, Massachusetts where he served as the Boarding Monitor of the Student Government Association, was a leader in a student support program, and participated actively as a board member of the Asian Society. Jeff spent this past summer interning at Société Générale: Corporate and Investment Banking in New York. He does not have a declared major, but plans to concentrate in government and/or economics.
Jacinth K. Sohi grew up in Madison, WI. In high school she participated heavily in student government, serving as President of the districtwide Madison Student Senate. Jacinth was also involved in policy debate, DECA, theatre, and mock trial. This summer Jacinth earned her Level 1 certification in high-powered rocketry and interned at the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. She plans to study Government and Financial Economics.
Helen E. Pollock is from Sacramento, California. She is currently pursuing a degree in international relations with a focus in the Middle East. At the Rose Institute, Helen is involved with redistricting and GIS projects, and is serving as Assistant Project Manager of the Kosmont Survey. In addition to working at the Institute, Helen is the secretary of the Claremont International Relations Society, the president of the Rotaract Club of the Claremont Colleges, and a tutor at the CMC Writing Center. This past summer Helen analyzed pending legislation for the California State Assembly with the Republican Caucus Department of Policy, as well as working at the Rose Institute as a Girard Fellow.
Elizabeth A. Johnson is from Palo Alto, CA. During high school she co-edited the student newspaper and led the Model United Nations club. This past summer, Liz coached a girl’s youth volleyball team. Liz plans to major in Government and to complete a leadership sequence.
Christopher D. Jones made the transcontinental trip to Claremont McKenna from Brooklyn, NY, where he spent all 15 years of primary schooling at the Packer Collegiate Institute. Chris is an economics-accounting major who just hopes to have a job that satisfies his desires to continuously learn and be challenged. Chris is a principle in Financial Institutions Group as part of the Student Investment Fund at the College. He helps out with the Student Alumni Relations Council, and occasionally gives tours to prospective students. Chris also works in the computer labs as a lab technology assistant. This past summer he worked at the Rose Institute on redistricting projects and helped maintain the Rose Report blog.
