Eric Assan is a research associate at the PPIC Higher Education Center, where he researches PK–12 and higher education policy. His work focuses on educational equity, dual enrollment, college and career pathways, the impacts of COVID-19, and digital transformation to improve California’s education system. Prior to joining PPIC, he was a graduate teaching assistant at the Berkeley School of Education. He holds a BS in social sciences education from the University of Cape Coast (Ghana), an MEd in educational administration from Huzhou University (China), and an MA in education from the...
Augustina Ullman serves as the research administrator at the Public Policy Institute of California. She supports research administration and operations across PPIC’s largest department, working closely with researchers and other administrators to execute functions such as budget-tracking, impact and assessment processes, and development activities. Before joining PPIC, she worked as a policy assistant at SPUR, where she supported SPUR’s housing research and advocacy across the Bay Area. She holds a bachelor’s degree in urban planning from the University of California, Berkeley.
Sarah Bohn is vice president and John and Louise Bryson chair in policy research and senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California. She is also a member of the PPIC Higher Education Center. As vice president and chair in policy research, she works with PPIC staff to bring high-quality, nonpartisan research to important policy issues in California. Her own research focuses on the role of social safety net policy and education policy in alleviating poverty and enhancing economic mobility. Her other areas of expertise include immigration policy, the workforce skills gap, and...
Paulette Cha is a research fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California. Her research focuses on the health of underserved populations, especially children and immigrants, and her recent projects address the effects of public insurance expansions for these groups. She has also evaluated programs for low-income individuals at MDRC and Innovations for Poverty Action. She completed a joint postdoctoral fellowship at UCLA and the University of Southern California, and she holds a PhD in health policy/health economics from the University of California, Berkeley.
Sean Cremin is a research associate at the Public Policy Institute of California. His research interests lie at the intersection of public safety, criminal justice reform, and socioeconomic opportunity. Prior to joining PPIC, he worked as a senior research associate at NORC at the University of Chicago where he supported evaluations of federally-funded programs aimed at mitigating poverty and inequality. He holds a master’s degree in public affairs from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs and a BA in politics, philosophy, and economics from Pomona...
Jenny Duan is a research associate at the Public Policy Institute of California, where she studies the labor market, job and employment policies, and systemic barriers to economic opportunity. She is also a member of the PPIC Economic Policy Center. Before joining PPIC, she worked as an economist at TD Bank Group, where she researched macroeconomic trends in the economy, specializing in commodity price movements and macroeconomic growth for commodity-exporting Canadian provinces. Prior to that, she worked as a research assistant in the economic and financial research department at the Bank of...
Selina Gomez is a research associate at the PPIC Higher Education Center. Her work focuses on higher education accessibility, readiness, and completion. Before joining PPIC, she served as a program specialist at Hayward Unified School District, evaluating K–12 data on comprehensive academic, social, and health services for students. She also worked at Alameda County’s Office of Sustainability and as a middle school educator focused on STEM education through the Public Service Center at the University of California, Berkeley. She holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental economics and...
Brett Guinan is a research associate at the Public Policy Institute of California, where she focuses on K–12 education policy. Prior to joining PPIC, she was a research data analyst at the California Department of Social Services. She has conducted independent research at the UC Center Sacramento and worked as a research apprentice for the political science department at the University of California, San Diego. She holds a BS in political science and data analytics from UC San Diego.
Heather Harris is a research fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California, where she examines criminal justice programs, practices, and policies. She has published research on the impact of cellmate relationships on reoffending and on the effects of domestic violence arrests on mortality in Criminology and the Journal of Experimental Criminology, respectively. Prior to joining PPIC, she was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, where her work focused on young men undergoing the transition to adulthood after prison. She and David J. Harding coauthored a...
Joseph Hayes is a senior research associate at the Public Policy Institute of California, where he studies population change, educational policy, and criminal justice issues. Recent projects have focused on estimates of the undocumented immigration population, English Learner reclassification policies in California public schools, and the changing composition of the state’s prison and parole populations. He holds an MS in agricultural economics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.