BALTAZAR HERNANDEZ

Baltazar Hernández (he/him) is a public policy professional and Arizona native who participated in the CHCI spring 2014 internship class. Mr. Hernandez grew up in a mixed-status family and experienced family separation in Arizona during SB1070. That experience led him to volunteer for political campaigns and seek justice for migrants and their families. His early political involvement drove him to a career in public policy. His career spans multiple legislative branch offices, academia, and the nonprofit sector. Mr. Hernandez is passionate about economic justice, equity, science and technology policy, environmental policy, and participatory governance.

Mr. Hernandez received his M.P.P. from the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, where he chaired the Students of Color in Public Policy student organization. He holds a B.S. in Public Policy from Arizona State University, where he was a Los Diablos Scholar. He is a Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) fellowship alumnus, U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholar alumnus, Aspen Institute Scholar, Valle del Sol Hispanic Leadership Institute alumnus, and alumnus of the Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs’ Program for Cultural Immersion and Volunteering (Programa de Inmersión Cultural y Voluntariado).

In his off time, he co-hosts a podcast called “From A to B” where he discusses issues he encountered on his higher education and career journey. Mr. Hernandez enjoys dark coffee, studying Russian and Portuguese, distant travels, and making Instagram-inspired recipes, especially spicy Mexican food.