Roosevelt Institute Welcomes New Class of Fellows in 2024

New York, NY—The Roosevelt Institute today announced the 2024 cohort of think tank fellows, poised to enrich the progressive policy community with a breadth of voices and expertise. Throughout their fellowship, this group will tackle critical challenges confronting both our economy and democracy—from ensuring an efficient and equitable renewable energy transition to rebuilding worker power to building a more stable and democratic retirement system. 

“As we welcome our new class of fellows to the think tank, I am inspired by the diverse perspectives and expertise they bring to our mission of rebalancing and democratizing power in our society and economy,” said Suzanne Kahn, vice president of Roosevelt’s think tank. “Their innovative ideas and dedication to research and policy will be vital in our work to move away from neoliberal policy paradigms and consider new economic policies that build a more equitable economy.”

The 2024 Fellows each bring distinct expertise to the Roosevelt Institute: 

Juniper Katz begins her fellowship with the Roosevelt Institute with a special focus on community engagement and input in renewable energy development and land use. An assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst School of Public Policy, Katz brings a decade of experience in land conservation, including executive leadership roles. Holding a PhD in public affairs and boasting a strong publication record in leading journals, Katz brings extensive knowledge to her work with Roosevelt.

Michael A. McCarthy’s work will focus on public-interest financing, including mechanisms for more democratic, less shareholder-controlled retirement funding and renewable energy deployment. An associate professor of sociology at Marquette University, McCarthy earned his PhD and MA from New York University and his BA from the University of California, Los Angeles. His research aims to answer the question: How might democratic processes be created for investing in the social and environmental good?

Sanjukta Paul’s research with the Roosevelt Institute will focus on antitrust and corporate competition from a labor perspective. Paul is a law professor at the University of Michigan Law School and an internationally recognized expert in labor, antitrust, and broader issues of law and market governance. She holds a JD from Yale Law School and an MA from the University of Pittsburgh and brings a unique legal perspective to her research.

Diana Reddy will study unions, labor regulations, and the work of the National Labor Relations Board during her fellowship. Reddy is an assistant professor at the UC Berkeley School of Law, where her research focuses on the regulation of work as a site where critical choices are made about the relationship between American economic commitments and its democratic ideals. She holds a PhD from Berkeley, a JD from NYU, and an MA from Stanford University and has extensive experience representing labor unions and workers.

Benjamin Schoefer will research wages, employment, and labor markets during his fellowship. Schoefer is an associate professor of economics at the University of California, Berkeley, where he focuses his research on macroeconomics and labor economics. With multiple peer-reviewed publications in esteemed journals, Schoefer brings expertise honed through his BA, MA, and PhD degrees from Harvard University to his work with the Roosevelt Institute.

Graham Steele’s fellowship research will focus on financial regulation and banking reform, especially in the wake of financial crises. Steele is a renowned expert on financial regulation and institutions who served as the assistant secretary for financial institutions in the Treasury Department from November 2021 until January 2024. Steele has been featured in prominent financial publications, and holds a JD from George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Rochester. He brings his extensive experience in both government and academia to his research with Roosevelt.

This new class of fellows will join Roosevelt’s existing expert fellows—Kate Aronoff, Sameera Fazili, Hiba Hafiz, Diana Hernández, Lev Menand, Todd Phillips, and David Stein—as well as senior fellows including Sandy Darity, Rhiana Gunn-Wright, Darrick Hamilton, J.W. Mason, Beverly Moran, Saule Omarova, and Lenore Palladino.

“We can’t shift the economic paradigm without the people doing the work to provide empirical evidence for a new way of thinking,” said Felicia Wong, president and CEO of the Roosevelt Institute. “These fellows are foundational to our strategy to change the narrative and build real progressive power.”