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December Newsletter
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The Hobby Hour: U.S. Supreme Court and 2024 Elections
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Emily Berman of the University of Houston Law Center and Mark P. Jones of Rice University's Baker Institute of Public Policy address the U.S. Supreme Court's historic rulings on affirmative action, abortion, student loan forgiveness and LGBTQ+ rights on the next Hobby Hour. The constitutional law professor and political scientist focus on how these landmark rulings impact Texans and how consequential the term will be for politics and other legal challenges. Dean Jim Granato will host the virtual conversation. Watch the show on the Hobby School's YouTube, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) channels at noon on Dec.13.
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Nominations open for Public Officials of the Year awards through Jan. 15
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The Master of Public Administration program at the Hobby School of Public Affairs will recognize exceptional Houston area public officials serving their communities at the 13th Annual Public Officials of the Year luncheon in April 2024. Strong candidates are problem solvers, innovators and ethical leaders who improve the lives of others and tackle complex challenges through collaboration. Nominations are accepted through Jan. 15, 2024, and reviewed by a selection committee led by the Hobby School Alumni Association. The annual awards ceremony benefits the scholarship fund for graduate students in the Master of Public Administration program. For questions about the nomination process, please email Hobby School's Peter Koelling at pkoelling@uh.edu.
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Protocols and ethics explored in video series
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In a recent episode of How Things Really Work, Dean Jim Granato explains the scientific protocols using replication, peer review, outside audits, reporting and data distribution to establish credibility and transparency in research evaluation. In the final part of the science series, Dean Granato addresses the ethical responsibilities of research scientists. He explains how following a few guidelines fortifies reporting, enhances a researcher's credibility and strengthens their body of work. Watch the entire series on the Hobby School YouTube channel.
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2023 Hobby Leadership Award winners named
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The 2023 Hobby Leadership Award winners, Jason Mangum and Karla Rodriguez, were recognized for their professional distinction and commitment to public service at an annual mixer for Hobby School students, alumni, community partners and supporters. Jason Mangum is the assistant city manager at the City of Missouri City and a graduate of the Hobby School’s Certified Public Manager program whose experience spans parks, recreation management and higher education in three states, including Texas, Illinois and Arizona. His commitment to public service best practices is evident in his leadership in the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies, where he is a featured speaker and mentor, and in his numerous community volunteer roles. Karla Rodriguez is the press secretary for U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia. Her public service journey soared after her 2022 Leland Fellows internship on Capitol Hill in the office of Rep. Garcia when she was hired as a full-time staff person, ultimately becoming the congresswoman’s top media communicator. As a resident of the district, she shares the daily concerns of its constituents. In addition to her time as a Leland Fellow, she built her career path from internships as a Hobby School Harris Fellow and two-time Civic Houston Intern.
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Hobby School community gathers to network and celebrate at fall mixer
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More than 100 students, alumni, program participants and community partners gathered for the 2023 fall mixer at One Emancipation Center to connect with peers and mentors, share career experiences and honor the 2023 Hobby Award winners Jason Mangum and Karla Rodriguez. The evening, sponsored in part by the Hobby School Alumni Association, marked the first time Master of Public Administration students and alumni took part in the annual gathering since the program joined the school in the fall. Former state Rep. Garnet Coleman welcomed the robust crowd to the new office building that houses organizations engaged in affordable housing advocacy, administration and a range of support services. Hobby School Dean Jim Granato and Senior Executive Director Renée Cross spoke about the networking and collaborative opportunities made possible by the mixer, which was directed by Program Director Jessica Ruland O’Connor.
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RESEARCH
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Studies examine climate change, extreme weather events and electric vehicle adoption
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The Hobby School of Public Affairs and the Barbara Jordan–Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs released reports addressing the impact of the summer heat wave, climate change and the future of electric vehicles as part of the Texas Trends Survey, a five-year project to study Texas’ changing population and opinions. Report four of the year focused on the impact of the summer heat wave, asking respondents about their experiences and opinions, from energy use and health effects to worries about future extreme weather. Report five examined Texans’ opinions on climate change, from their perceptions of its role in extreme weather events and who or what is responsible for it to the actions they are taking to cope with its effects. Report six, which is the final report in the 2023 statewide survey series, queried respondents on why Texans choose to rent or purchase electric vehicles and the conditions for choosing a gasoline-powered over an electric-powered vehicle.
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Research on women in government and gun safety policies published
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politics, local politics, governance and public policy. In the second article, Holman and co-author Emily M. Farris, associate professor of political science at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, examine the correlation between county-level gun safety policy enforcement and political ideology. Among Holman’s research focus are the topics of women and politics, local politics, research methods and environmental politics, gender and political ambition, and women mayors and sheriffs.
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Learning the language
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people working hard to improve themselves with a social safety net appeal. He says they provide an engine for workforce development and for helping immigrants integrate into society, unlocking latent skills from their training in their native countries. Heller's research and teaching focus on applied policy analysis and a range of education policy topics, including alternative academic pathways, adult training and immigrant language skills. Listen to the podcast.
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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
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Policy and leadership talks shared at teen summit
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The Hobby School’s Chase Untermeyer and Sunny Wong spent the day with area high school students at the 2023 West Houston Teen Leadership Summit hosted by Texas state Rep. Mano DeAyala. The more than 200 teens exchanged ideas on policy, government, skill-building and community leadership with prominent industry leaders during workshops designed to help build confidence and professionalism among the youth. Professor Wong helped students better understand how the federal government leverages the national budget and the economic trends that affect their future earnings. Hobby School Professor of Practice Untermeyer was a panelist on the personal leadership panel, sharing the experiences and lessons gained throughout his decades in public service at various levels of government. The Hobby School invests resources to better engage with needs in the community through partner programs such as the youth leadership summit, local chambers of commerce research presentations, government and corporate interchanges and other public speaking engagements.
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PROGRAM NEWS
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Richard Gelwick Endowed Lecturer examines Supreme Court’s role in policy
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Academic and legal scholar Melissa Murray shared her insights on the Supreme Court's role in our democracy, examining the implications of the recent landmark decisions by the highest court at the 9th annual Richard Gelwick Endowed Lecture. The distinguished lecture focused on the ruling that concluded a federal right to seek an abortion. Murray is a leading expert in family law, constitutional law, reproductive rights and justice. She is the Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of Law and Faculty Director of the Birnbaum Women's Leadership Center at NYU School of Law. The Gelwick Endowed Lecture Series brings nationally prominent speakers to the University of Houston to discuss the importance and meaning of ethics in society.
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Prize winners’ works contribute to understanding of ethics in public policy
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The Elizabeth D. Rockwell Center at the Hobby School has named the 2023 Hobby Prize winners for Best Article on Ethics, Leadership and Public Policy. Articles are judged on originality, scholarship and potential to impact real-world understanding of ethics in public policy. This year’s grand prize was awarded to Helen Frowe, professor of practical philosophy at the University of Stockholm and director of the Stockholm Center for Ethics of War and Peace, for the article “Assisting the Assisters: The Comparative Claims of Afghan Refugees.” Joseph Millum, senior lecturer in philosophy at the University of St. Andrews, was named the first runner-up for the article “Should Health Research Funding be Proportional to the Burden of Disease?” Read more about the award and the authors’ thought-provoking ethical arguments.
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Research conference gathers international scholars
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The Hobby School’s Center for Public Policy hosted Citizen-State Interactions in Comparative Perspective, a workshop for researchers in public policy and political science, organized by Jessica Gottlieb, associate professor at the Hobby School. Leading researchers in the field of comparative political economy presented original research on the complicated dynamics between citizens and the state. They discussed distributional politics in India, elections and urban politics in Africa, bureaucratic politics in Mexico, political parties and rebel groups. Gottlieb’s research focuses on the political economy of development and constraints to government accountability and state capacity in new democracies.
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Care ethics expands perspectives
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Scholars and practitioners gathered for the Cosmologies of Care Colloquium, an international meeting organized by Sarah Munawar, the Elizabeth D. Rockwell Center for Ethics and Leadership’s visiting scholar. Discussants and panelists reflected on topics such as health equity, care and disability justice for ways to further the practices of community-centered policy research. It was attended by leaders, scholars and practitioners committed to exploring diverse new perspectives on care ethics.
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FACULTY AND STAFF NEWS
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Congratulations to Hobby School's Diana Benitez
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Program Manager Diana Benitez completed the 2023 Emerging Leaders Institute program for young professionals, a leadership program sponsored by the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The leadership development program provides young professionals opportunities for professional growth and networking. Benitez started her journey at the Hobby School in 2013. Her duties have included various business operations, graphic and web design and managing the Certified Public Manager program. She now serves on the marketing and communications team, helping spotlight the Hobby School's interdisciplinary teaching, training, research and public service opportunities.
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Student workers include English, psychology, economics and public affairs students
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Thank you to Hobby School student workers Jayda Branch, Maria Duarte, Anisah Khan and Andrew Wallace for serving faculty and staff this semester. The Hobby School employs students who benefit from on-campus employment and professional experience. In turn, the school leverages the interdisciplinary perspective they provide and insight into a broader Cougar community.
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Jayda Branch is a psychology major and medicine and society minor at the UH Honors College. She is the vice president of the Psi Chi International Honor Society and Psychology Club at the University of Houston. Branch supports school-wide administrative duties.
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Maria Duarte is an undergraduate student majoring in economics with a minor in finance. She is a student worker in the business office. The Venezuelan American was born in Florida but was raised in Maracaibo, Venezuela, until she moved to Houston to pursue her academic goals at the University of Houston. Duarte is part of the business office team.
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Anisah Khan is an English major with minors in psychology and laws, values, and policy. She assists Hobby School student services with administrative tasks, event planning and civic engagement projects. The Pakistani American writer was a featured 2021 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards author and published in the first issue of PUBLIC/ATION, the UH Public Art project’s chapbook. She works as the poetry editor for Glass Mountain, the undergraduate literary journal at the University of Houston.
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Andrew Wallace is a graduate student pursuing a Master of Public Policy. He is a returning Coog, earning his undergraduate degree in political science with a minor in economics. Wallace works as a student worker for the business office, assisting with account reporting, reconciliation and purchasing processes.
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STUDENT AND ALUMNI NEWS
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First Hobby School undergraduates inducted into honor society
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The Hobby School welcomed fourteen undergraduate and graduate students into Pi Alpha Alpha, the global honor society for public affairs and administration. This is the first year the school has inducted outstanding undergraduates into the distinguished honor society since the school began offering bachelor's degrees in public policy in the spring of 2022. Pi Alpha Alpha members exemplify the high academic standards and commitment to public service that symbolize the organization's mission. Students benefit from the association's broad network of career and professional opportunities. Fall 2023 inductees included Cruz Almonaci Vargas, Gabriela Hamdieh, Juliana Hernandez, Dominique Lombard, Shayan Abbasi, Andrea Duhon, Eliz Markowitz, Emma McMahan, Christian Pelaiez, Brett Robinson, Giovanni Roselli, Lorenzo Salinas, Juyeon Song and Drew Tonjes.
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Team building and 2024 planning for Next Generation Leadership Academy members
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Hobby School Next Generation Leadership Academy members led by Program Director Emily Janowski heard from a program alumnus, Alvaro Martinez, at a recent planning meeting for the group's spring service project. Martinez was a founding member of the Next Generation Service Corp at Arizona State University. He is currently a first-year graduate candidate in aerospace engineering at the UH Cullen College of Engineering. Martinez shared his passion for the leadership development program and how it helped him in military service, working at NASA and returning to school. Be on the lookout for a student-led pet food drive project in 2024. It is one component NextGen students fulfill to complete the program, which is part of a national initiative sponsored by The Volcker Alliance to empower the next generation of public service leaders.
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Hobby School in the News
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Hobby School Texas Trends and election reports made national and local headlines in November. Surveys covering the opinions among Texans on school voucher support, the summer heat wave, climate change and electric vehicle adoption were widely covered. Mentions of October’s Houston Election 2023 reports on top issues and races continued to be subjects of interest into November as some races resulted in a runoff. The Hobby Prize for best papers in policy and ethics was announced in the Daily Nous, a source for philosophy professionals and academicians. Reports results reached audiences through broadcast, digital and print media, including the New York Times, Houston Public Media, World Oil, Texas Standard, Five ThirtyEight, RealClear Politics, AXIOS Houston, Fox NewsChannel, National World News, Florida Politics, Houston Defender, KSAT TV, KRIVTV, KPRC TV, KTRK TV, Election Central, Houston Landing, Houston Chronicle and Breitbart. The Hobby School has nearly 400 media mentions to date.
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Hobby Happenings
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Hobby School Happenings captures lectures, events, application deadlines, programs and collaborations hosted or co-sponsored by the Hobby School and its centers. Mark your calendars and join us for the next Hobby School happening. Wednesday, Dec. 13, 12-1 PM
The Hobby Hour: U.S. Supreme Court and 2024 Elections
Ft. Emily Berman, UH Law Center, and Mark P. Jones, Rice University
Virtual Thursday, Dec. 14, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Graduate Programs Information Session
Virtual Wednesday, Dec. 20, 9 a.m.
Houston Matters Political Roundup, Renée Cross
Houston Public Media’s News 88.7
Listen Online Dec. 25-Jan 1
Winter Break, University of Houston Holiday
2024
Friday, Jan. 5, 7 p.m.
Hobby School Alumni Association at the Houston Rockets
Promo code: COUGARRED
Purchase Tickets Thursday, Jan. 18, 4 p.m. Foundation Room, John M. O’Quinn Law Building
Save the Date: Security, Economics, and Technology for Houston Lecture
Daleep Singh, former Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics
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