As Director of Research, Dr. Esteban Leonardo Santis leads Florida Policy Institute’s research process to promote policies and budgets that expand economic mobility and strengthen quality of life for all Floridians. At FPI, Dr. Santis supports the strategy and implementation of research projects, as well as provides senior expertise on state tax and budget policy analyses. His work emphasizes equity, accountability, and transparency in Florida’s fiscal management, bridging data and policy to inform actionable solutions.

Dr. Santis’s research has been published in leading journals, presented at national conferences, and featured in state and national media, including the Tampa Bay Times, the Miami Herald, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and NPR. He earned his Ph.D. and M.P.A. from the University of Central Florida, where his research was nationally recognized for advancing more inclusive approaches to public administration, and where he has been honored as a distinguished alumnus.