Scholar Profile

Alejandro Quiroz-Novela

Public Policy

Biography

Alejandro Quiroz-Novela is a senior at Claremont McKenna College pursuing a dual B.A. in Government and Public Policy with a minor in Gender and Sexuality Studies. This upcoming fall, Alejandro will begin his Master's degree in Public Policy at the University of Southern California's Sol Price School as a Dean's Merit Scholar. His academic and professional interests center on social policy, education, human rights, and reproductive justice, with a particular focus on LGBTQ+ inclusion, comprehensive sex education, and equity in public systems.

Alejandro recently completed a research fellowship through Claremont McKenna’s Summer Research Program, where he studied how variation in state-level sex education policy shapes public health outcomes for queer youth. Building on that work, his senior thesis focuses on California as a single-case study, examining the implementation gap between inclusive sex education mandates, particularly the California Healthy Youth Act, and district-level compliance. His research explores how decentralization, limited oversight, and political contestation shape whether policy translates into meaningful access for LGBTQ+ students.

He has held research, policy, and community-based roles with the City of Claremont, Connecticut Against Gun Violence, and Black Women for Wellness. At CMC, he has also been deeply involved in equity-centered leadership through the CARE Center, ¡Mi Gente!, Advocates for Survivors of Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, and the Claremont Colleges' Student Disability Resource Center.

Across these experiences, Alejandro has remained committed to using policy as a tool to expand equity, strengthen public institutions, and support historically marginalized communities.

High school:  Alliance Gertz-Ressler High School

Degrees