

Welcome to LAI
The Los Altos Institution is dedicated to fostering innovation and opening opportunities for youth from around the world. We serve as a hub for collaboration among high school students, professors, business leaders and government officials to drive forward-thinking solutions in various fields.
Institutional Priorities
Recognizing the Traits of Strong Economies
The Center on Economic Policy works to understand what makes successful economies possible and is led by Senior Fellows Dhruv Nagarajan and Travis Hodges.
Advising Developing Democracies
The Center on Developing Democracies helps nations build successful and sustainable government institutions and is led by Senior Fellows Carter McKinzie and Divaa Uthkarsha.
Researching International Geopolitical Relations
The Center on Global Policy researches geopolitical relationships across the world and is led by Senior Fellows Maulik Dhakal and Khyati Kapur.
Articulating the Effects of Science on Public Policy
The Center on Science and Policy links scientific advances to policy phenomena and is led by Senior Fellows Joshua Tang and Gabriel Kirkwood.
Understanding the Humanistic Perspective on AI
The Center on Artificial Intelligence and Policy analyzes the ethics and applications of AI in the contemporary world and is led by Senior Fellow Devansh Agarwal.
Measuring Public Opinion and Political Strategy
The Center on Politics analyzes the state of elections and measures public opinion. It is led by Senior Fellow Quinn Mitchell.
Rebuilding an Era of Great Architecture
The Working Group on Revitalizing American Architcture works with cities to examine approaches to re-establish character and aesthetic appeal in architecture. It is led by Distinguished Fellow Thomas Seigneurbieux.
Contributing to the Place Where it All Started
Los Altos, California is a center of innovation and the birthplace of the Los Altos Institution. Working on policy and youth issues in Los Altos is a priority for the institution and Distinguished Fellow Dean Harpaz leads these efforts.
Featured Fellow of the Month
Fer Escalante
Fellow on Development Economics and Associate Director on Communications
Fernanda Escalante, a senior at Phillips Exeter Academy and an incoming student at the University of Chicago, is a member of the Exeter Economics Association Competition Team. Outside of Exeter, she leads the EconToday Journal, an international publication focusing on the most pressing economic issues of the time. Growing up on the US-Mexico border, she developed a passion for development economics, specifically in the Latin American world. Today, she looks to investigate developing markets and their intersections with geopolitical relations worldwide.

