Our Staff

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  David Dyssegaard Kallick (he/him)

  Director

  David Dyssegaard Kallick (he/him)

  Director

  David Dyssegaard Kallick is director of Immigration Research Initiative. He is the author of numerous studies, book chapters, and academic papers on the economic and fiscal aspects of immigration at the national, state, metro area, and local level with a particular focus on the regions of New York State.

  Prior to starting Immigration Research Initiative he was deputy director and director of immigration research at the Fiscal Policy Institute, and before that senior fellow of the Preamble Center and editor of Social Policy magazine. In addition to his work at IRI, Kallick teaches Urban Economics at the Pratt Institute’s Graduate School for City and Regional Planning.

  Kallick’s grandparents were all born in the United States, and his ancestry is mostly Jewish from Eastern Europe. Kallick’s wife is Danish, and his two sons are dual citizens. He speaks Danish, German, and French.

   

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  Cyierra Roldan (she/her)

  Deputy Director

  Cyierra Roldan (she/her)

  Deputy Director

  Cyierra Roldan is Deputy Director of the Immigration Research Initiative where she supports in the management and communications of IRI and works on immigration-related research, which has included research on refugee workers and providing drivers licenses for the undocumented New Yorkers. Cyierra Roldan previously worked at the Fiscal Policy Institute as an immigration policy analyst. She also serves as a commissioner for the Schenectady County Human Rights Commission where she oversees the Jail Oversight Committee.

  Cyierra Roldan has a bachelor’s degree from Colgate University in sociology and a master’s of public administration from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy at the University at Albany.

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  Anthony Capote (he/they)

  Senior Policy Analyst

  Anthony Capote (he/they)

  Senior Policy Analyst

  Anthony Capote is senior policy analyst at Immigration Research Initiative. They are also a doctoral candidate in sociology at the CUNY Graduate Center with a master’s degree in sociology from the same institution. Their dissertation research focuses on how corporations use targeted micro-data to co-opt political movements and shape their brand image. They have previously worked as a crime and politics reporter in the Bronx and as adjunct professor at Hunter College. The child of Cuban immigrants, Capote has seen the positive impacts of favorable immigration policy up close. Capote speaks both Spanish and English.

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  Ashleigh-Ann Sutherland (they/them)

  Senior Policy Analyst

  Ashleigh-Ann Sutherland (they/them)

  Senior Policy Analyst

  Ashleigh is a Senior Policy Analyst of the Immigration Research initiative. They have previously held positions at the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Health Center, Public Consulting Group and the New York State Division of the Budget. They are also an advocate for gender and racial justice.

  Ashleigh has a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Buffalo State in Political Science a Master of Public Administration from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy at the University at Albany.

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  Ke Zeng (he/him)

  Quantitative Analyst

  Ke Zeng (he/him)

  Quantitative Analyst

  Ke Zeng focuses on providing data and technical support for Immigration Research Initiative and all other fields. He was previously a data analyst at the Fiscal Policy Institute (FPI), working solely on issues related to immigration. During his tenure at FPI, he was responsible for maintaining and updating one of the core projects – Working for a Better Life, and responding to all data related requests using nationally representative data.

  Ke Zeng is a PhD candidate at the City University of New York. He holds a master’s degree in Economics from Lund University, Sweden; and a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Northeastern University, China. Zeng grew up in China, and speaks Cantonese and Mandarin as well as English.