Shahrzad Shams headshot

Shahrzad Shams

Program Manager, Race and Democracy

she/her

Shahrzad Shams is the program manager for the Race and Democracy program at Roosevelt where she works to advance Roosevelt's focus on racial justice and equity.

As program manager at the Roosevelt Institute, Shahrzad Shams works with the Race and Democracy team to ensure that racial equity is centered throughout the think tank’s work. In addition to providing management support to the Race and Democracy team, Shahrzad is responsible for overseeing the design, planning, and implementation of policy and research initiatives. Currently, she is contributing to the Race and Democracy team’s race landscape project, a multi-year effort to provide an overview and analysis of the most salient research, arguments, and policies relating to racial and economic justice.

Prior to joining Roosevelt, Shahrzad earned her BA in Psychology from the Ohio State University. She later returned to Ohio State, where she simultaneously earned a JD from Moritz College of Law and an MA in Public Policy and Management from John Glenn College of Public Affairs.