Simon Y. Shachter (MA) — Graduate Research Assistant

Simon Yamawaki Shachter is a PhD Candidate in Sociology at the University of Chicago. His mixed-methods research analyzes the relationship between nonprofit organizations and political institutions historically and today. In research projects on international grantmaking, biomedical research funding, and in support of public agencies, he seeks to expose the problematic power dynamics inherent in philanthropy and how private donors' efforts often end up undermining public accountability and perpetuating systems of inequality. His dissertation compares the early historical development of West Coast cities, particularly the role immigrant organizations played in creating the political institutions of these cities; effects that continue to have substantial impacts today.