Matthew LoCastro

About Matthew

(updated 2/2019) Matthew (Matt) LoCastro recently graduated from the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College with a bachelor’s degree in Economics, and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, with a minor in Public Policy. At Hunter, he co-founded a chapter of the national civics education non-profit, Generation Citizen. In his senior year, as President of the Undergraduate Student Government, he launched Hunter’s first anti-sexual assault campaign, and passed budgetary reforms resulting in universal access to menstrual care products, expansion of the reduced cost MetroCard program, and creation of a civic action fund. He interned at the New York City Economic Development Corporation, focusing on innovative business development in downtown Brooklyn, and worked with the New York State Regional Economic Development Council on business grant and tax credit distribution. These internships and a course he took with General David Petraeus inspired Matt to take a closer look at the critical role of infrastructure in security and economic development.  He spent a summer in Washington, D.C. at the Global Energy Institute of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, contributing to the 2017 International Energy Security Risk Index Report and researching energy infrastructure development costs and legal proceedings. His internship with Kohlberg, Kravis and Roberts (KKR)’s Global Institute led him to pursue independent insights into emergency response infrastructure and sustainability, landing him on the island of Lesbos, Greece in the summer of 2017, volunteering in refugee camps. Matt was a 2017-2018 Urban Fellow placed with the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget, focusing on renewable energy procurement for the City of New York. Currently, Matt is working in Jakarta, Indonesia with the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia and the Sandya Institute as a 2018-2019 Luce Scholar. Matt focuses on issues of low-carbon technology financing, energy efficiency, and migrant related issues. His experiences in the public and private sector drive him to pursue a future as a federal public servant to develop the framework for long-term infrastructure investment required to ensure sustainable economic growth. When not working, Matt enjoys camping, rock climbing, and exploring new restaurants.