Marian Miner Cook
Athenaeum

Sara Sadhwani is an award-winning scholar and political commentator. A political science professor at Pomona College, her research has been widely published in academic journals examining elections, representation, and public opinion with a focus on Asian American and Latino voting behavior. Sadhwani also serves as a commissioner for the state’s Citizens Redistricting Commission and as a member of the Los Angeles County Governance Reform Taskforce. Her analysis of elections has been featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, CNN, and many others. She is a political contributor for Spectrum News SoCal and makes regular appearances on KCAL News, LAist’s AirTalk, and KNX Radio. Sadhwani earned her doctorate in political science from the University of Southern California and has held fellowships at Stanford University and the Harvard Kennedy School’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation.

Vernon C. Grigg III is the executive director of the Kravis Lab for Civic Leadership and brings to CMC deep experience as a trial lawyer, political actor, and educator. Holding degrees from Yale Law School, the London School of Economics, and the University of Michigan, Grigg has served as CEO & President of Up with People, an international educational nonprofit; as a litigator with clients ranging from government officials to Fortune 100 companies; and as a Managing Assistant District Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco. He founded and led the Center for Electoral Equity, a nonprofit organization dedicated to voting issues, served on the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa and clerked for the Supreme Court of Israel. He has taught at Golden Gate University School of Law and is a certified Intergroup Dialogue Leader. 

 The Civitas Sessions focus on the stuff you need to know before it becomes the stuff you wish you had known…Curated by the Kravis Lab and hosted at the Athenaeum, this lunch series is designed to build real-world civic skills and the knowledge needed to live thoughtful, productive lives as responsible community members and leaders. Each session will deliver practical knowledge and discuss how the subject matter applies to important current issues.