Speakers

About the Program

As Americans prepare to vote in another critical contest, do they trust that it will be a free and fair election and that ballots will be counted accurately?

Professor Thad Kousser will share findings from a new national survey on trust in elections and draw on the work of a team of scholars centered at UC San Diego that partners with election officials across the country. Since the 2020 election, these officials have conducted public-information campaigns designed to provide voters with factual, nonpartisan information about election safeguards. The research team has supplied rigorous, real-time data to support those efforts and strengthen public confidence in American democracy. This timely discussion will examine the lessons learned and what they mean as the nation approaches the 2026 midterms.

About Thad Kousser

Thad Kousser is a professor of political science at UC San Diego and an associate dean of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs. He co-directs the Center for Transparent and Trusted Elections and the Yankelovich Center for Social Science Research. His research focuses on American state and national politics, election administration, voting reforms, direct democracy, public opinion, and trust in elections.

Professor Kousser joined the UC San Diego faculty in 2003 and served as chair of the Department of Political Science from 2016 to 2022. He has worked as a staff assistant in the California, New Mexico, and United States Senates and regularly comments on American politics for outlets including NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Politico, The Hill, Los Angeles Times, and San Diego Union-Tribune. He received his B.A. from Harvard University and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.

Related research: Read the September 2026 national survey on trust in elections and visit UC San Diego's Center for Transparent and Trusted Elections.

About Nathan Moeder

Nathan Moeder is widely considered one of the West Coast’s foremost authorities on the financial feasibility of real estate projects. He serves as a strategic consultant who advises a wide array of clients from the perspective of real estate economics.

His clients include real estate developers, investors, corporations, financial institutions, businesses, and public agencies. His project assignments span all real estate sectors, including residential developments, office buildings, industrial, hotel, retail, and mixed-use projects. He brings extensive experience and financial expertise as an advisor and analyst to successful projects and assignments throughout North America.

Mr. Moeder is a member of Lambda Alpha International, a land economics society. He served on the San Diego/Tijuana Urban Land Institute board for 14 years, where he founded the Young Leaders program.

He is an Advanced Toastmaster and speaks regularly to industry and business organizations on global economic trends and real estate land-use issues at the local and national levels. He has been quoted in the San Diego Union-Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Baja Times, California Real Estate Journal, National Real Estate Investor, Meridian Star, San Diego Daily Transcript, and San Diego Business Journal. His radio and television appearances have included Channel 39 KNBC, Channel 10 KABC, Channel 8 KFMB, Channel 9 KUSI, and other local outlets.

Mr. Moeder received his B.A. in Economics in 1998, with a concentration in mathematical economic theory, from the University of San Diego. He also holds a Master of Science in Real Estate degree from USD, where he participated in its inaugural class.

By popular demand, Eduardo Velasquez returns to LJGT Rotary.

Eduardo Velasquez, Vice President of the San Diego Regional EDC, will share San Diego's Economic Outlook 2027 and a look at what may be ahead for the region.