Alumni Spotlight: Daniel Daponte

Alumni Spotlight is a series highlighting former affiliates of the Initiative on Cities (IOC).  We catch up with our alumni to feature their current work, updates, and accomplishments. Today, we highlight Daniel Daponte, a former NLC Menino Fellow with the Initiative on Cities.

Daniel Daponte is a Research Assistant at the American Institutes for Research (AIR). At AIR, Daniel supports technical assistance projects for federal, state, and local governments in the areas of early childhood education, multilingual education, and special education.

Daniel’s work includes researching equity in accessing early childhood and multilingual education services. He facilitates training and professional development for educators across the country. Daniel also enhances technical assistance and research publications by creating interactive maps and other data visualizations.

Daniel was selected as the 2020-2021 Thomas Menino Fellow. His Directed Study focused on analyzing alternative methods of criminal justice in two courts in New York City and Chicago that used restorative justice to address non-violent crimes. As an IOC fellow with the National League of Cities, Daniel was introduced to the world of community development and early childhood education policy. These interests continue to shape his career in public service.

During his time at Boston University, Daniel also served in Student Government–he served as Chief Justice in his senior year. He graduated from Boston University cum laude with a degree in Environmental Analysis & Policy and a minor in Urban Studies.