Randi Aho
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Randi Aho serves as Program Director at the Institute. In this role, she oversees the development, implementation, and evaluation of Institute programs. Before joining the Institute, Randi worked at the Columbia Law School Human Rights Institute and the Institute for the Study of Human Rights at Columbia University, where she managed the Bringing Human Rights Home Network, a Human Rights Paper Symposium, the Alliance for Historical Dialogue and Accountability program, and an annual international indigenous leaders’ seminar. Randi has researched conflict policy in the Democratic Republic of Congo and human rights in Senegal, India, and the United States. Her interest in public affairs and policy began when she organized a grassroots anti-torture campaign in Iowa that led to President Obama’s Executive Order Ensuring Lawful Interrogations. Randi received a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University and a B.A. from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.
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Tatiana Fernandez
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
Tatiana Fernandez is the Associate Director of the Institute. She is the general manager of the Institute. She works closely with the PBI team to streamline internal policies and procedures, coordinate events, and support the implementation of programs. She has experience in the private sector, academia, nonprofit, and federal government. She’s worked at UCLA, American University, and the Department of State. She enjoys learning new subjects and listening to different perspectives. She was born in Los Angeles, CA, and lived in Costa Rica for over 20 years. She speaks fluent Spanish. She received a B.A. in International Relations from the Universidad Nacional in Costa Rica and a Master’s degree in Business Administration in Marketing from the Universidad Latina in Costa Rica.
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FRANCISCO JASSO
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Francisco Jasso is the Pat Brown Institute’s Research Associate where he analyzes original survey data that the Institute collects. He first joined PBI in May of 2022 and has worked on the LA County counterpart to the 2022 NFF’s State of the Nonprofit Sector Survey, the Regional Recovery Hubs Strategy and is the co-lead researcher for the LA Governance Reform Project.
He received his Ph.D. in political science at UC Irvine in 2021, studying race, ethnicity, and politics, public opinion, and participation. He has recently coauthored a scholarly journal article in Political Behavior and a book chapter in the Handbook of Politics and Public Opinion. He has also taught and TA’d courses in Race, Ethnicity, & Politics, and Chicana/o Studies.
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Yamireth Solis
STUDENT ASSISTANT
Yamireth is a student assistant at the Institute pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Her interest in politics sparked after taking some political science courses her freshman year of college. She felt inspired to become more involved in helping make a change in shaping our communities and promoting advocacy. At the institute, Yamireth contributes in supporting all programs. In her free time, she loves listening to music, hiking, going to the beach, and finding cute coffee shops.