ACLU of Hawaiʻi Welcomes New Community Field and Marianita Lopez Executive Fellows

MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 12, 2026

MEDIA CONTACT
Nanea Lo, Communications Manager
Phone: (808) 766-5425 Email: [email protected]

ACLU of Hawaiʻi Welcomes New Community Field and Marianita Lopez Executive Fellows

HONOLULU, Hawaiʻi — The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaiʻi (“ACLU-HI”) welcomes Catherine Titzer as its new Community Field Fellow and Zain Jafri as its Marianita Lopez Executive Fellow. Both bring valuable experience in advocacy, research, organizing, and community-centered work to support ACLU-HI’s mission to defend and expand civil rights and liberties across Hawaiʻi.

“We are thrilled to welcome Catherine and Zain to the ACLU of Hawaiʻi team,” said Executive Director Salmah Y. Rizvi. “Their passion for justice, commitment to community, and unique perspectives will help advance our work toward a more equitable Hawaiʻi.”

Catherine Titzer — Community Field Fellow
Catherine is the Community Field Fellow with the ACLU of Hawaiʻi, where she supports campus organizing, public education, and community-based advocacy across the islands. She recently graduated from Stanford University, where she studied Symbolic Systems and Dance. While at Stanford, she served as Co-President of Stanford ACLU and led the first large-scale digital humanities project on Hawaii’s plantation life.

Her experience spans public history, nonprofit advocacy, and digital humanities through roles at the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, the Pro Bono Institute, End Rape On Campus, and Stanford’s Center for Spatial and Textual Analysis. Catherine’s work brings together technology, history, and community engagement to expand access to Hawaii’s history and advance equity for historically marginalized communities.

“Working with the ACLU of Hawaiʻi is an incredibly meaningful opportunity to me—I’m really excited to serve our communities and continue to uplift Hawaii’s history!”

Zain Jafri — Marianita Lopez Executive Fellow

Hailing from Lahore, Pakistan, Zain is the Marianita Lopez Executive Fellow at the ACLU of Hawaiʻi, supporting the Executive Director, Salmah Y. Rizvi. He holds a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School and a B.A. in English from Lahore University of Management Sciences, with experience in political organizing and community advocacy.

“It’s an honor to be able to contribute to ACLU Hawaii’s efforts across multiple avenues to protect civil rights of the Hawaiian Kingdom. I look forward to being useful to the cause.”
Outside of work, Zain enjoys playing and studying chess.

###

The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i strives to build an equitable society. Our mission is to protect and promote the civil liberties and fundamental rights enshrined in the United States and Hawai‘i constitutions through litigation, legislation, and public education. We serve – and center the voices of – our impacted and vulnerable communities, regardless of background, status, or circumstance. As a non-partisan non-profit organization, we provide our services at no cost to the public, and we never accept government funds.