December Newsletter

The Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston has been named one of the nation’s top election polling organizations for the accuracy of its findings.

It ranked third among pollsters working within a single state, the only Texas operation among the top 15 in the Real Clear Politics Polling Accountability Initiative. RealClearPolitics is a nonpartisan political news website known for its aggregation of polling data. The latest rankings were based on how accurately pollsters matched the final electoral results in the 2020 U.S. presidential and Senate races. The new polling accountability initiative aims to improve public trust and confidence in political polling.

The Hobby Hour is closing out the fall season with Texas’ chief financial officer, Comptroller Glenn Hegar, noon, Wednesday, Dec. 14. Hegar will speak about his role as the state’s CFO, his pathway to public service, the state’s economic outlook and budget considerations before legislators meet for the 88th Texas Legislative Session.

Congratulations to the fall 2022 Master of Public Policy graduates. They are among the more than 1,400 master’s graduates in the University of Houston System and 642 at UH. Their interest areas include health policy, economics, public administration and education.

The Hobby School graduate and graduate certificate program prepares individuals for public policy careers through interdisciplinary coursework blending social sciences, critical thinking and qualitative and quantitative analysis. Hats off to Karen Banda, Kimberley Castro, Emily Eubanks, Andrew Marks, Robert Sandage and Bradley Selsberg.

Hobby School alumni Paige Powell and Markus Benoit were recognized with the 2022 Hobby School Leadership Award for their professional accomplishments and dedication to public service. Powell is a two-time Coog (Master of Public Policy, B.A. in Economics), Certified Public Manager and former Civic Houston Intern passionate about building a sustainable future through policies that address public health, the environment and quality of life.

Benoit is the City of Waller's Assistant Director of Public Works and a Certified Public Manager. He exemplifies public service and leadership in government through his hands-on approach to navigating the challenges of public utilities and serving constituents with vital services.

They were honored at the Hobby School Fall Mixer, where Hobby School students, interns and alumni met to network, reconnect and exchange academic and career updates.

A civically engaged audience joined the Hobby School for a special post-election roundup with an expert panel moderated by Dean Jim Granato. Panelists included Texas Southern University's Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs' Michael Adams, Hobby School's Renée Cross, Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy's Mark P. Jones and Hobby School's Richard Murray. The experts recapped the Nov. 8 election results and what they mean for the future of our region and state. The luncheon, co-sponsored by Comcast Texas, was attended by members of the University of Houston community, elected officials, community leaders and public servants.

The ongoing video series, How Things Really Work, returned with a new series on the science of public policy research. In the first episode of the science series, Hobby School Dean Jim Granato talks about how scientific practices help us understand effective policy and policymaking. Part two explains order, cause and chance in research and science. Watch the series.

The Elizabeth D. Rockwell Center on Ethics and Leadership at the Hobby School of Public Affairs announced this year’s winner and first runner-up of the best-published article on ethics, leadership, and public policy.
 

2022 Winner: “The Ethics of Global Capital Mobility,” American Political Science Review, 116, 2 (May 2022): 439-452; Chiara Cordelli and Jonathan Levy, The University of Chicago.

Cordelli and Levy’s article focuses on the ethics of global capital mobility. The article is rigorously argued, original, and ties high theory to practical ethics in a way that can inform real-world ethics and policymaking. Abstract

2022 First Runner Up: “Police-Generated Killings: The Gap Between Ethics and Law,” Political Research Quarterly, 75, 2 (2021): 366-378; Ben Jones, Pennsylvania State University.

Jones’ article examines bad police tactics and killings by peace officers, pointing to the need for expansive legal frameworks to prioritize the protection of life. Jones provides a compelling ethical argument with practical policy solutions. Abstract

A new cohort of five graduate students is providing local nonprofits with evaluation metrics and actionable research this fall while building marketable skills and stronger community connections through the CONNECT Program. The initiative originated with a collaboration between the Hobby School and the RGK Center for Philanthropy at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin.

Congratulations to Karen Banda, Melissa Perrone, Juhyeon Song, Drew Tonjes and Hannah Urie.

Civic Houston Interns reflected on key takeaways from their fall semester assignments in local government and nonprofit offices during their last class day. They also discussed midterm turnout among young Texas voters. Students enjoyed the mentorship, networking and scope of work impacting the community.

The Hobby School is pleased to announce the promotion of Cherish Wallace to department business administrator. Wallace started at the Hobby School eight months ago after working 13 years in the UH Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. She manages administrative, financial and human resource operations while assisting with the annual budget, grants and contracts and sponsored programs. 

Welcome Yvette Farnum to the Hobby School staff as a department business administrator. Farnum has been at the University of Houston for six years at the Cullen College of Engineering and the Moores School of Music.

Hobby School faculty members and researchers are sought-after experts in their fields, contributing to conversations on the most pressing topics of the day that affect public policy and address Texans’ opinions on issues of importance to the state and nation.

The Hobby School garnered significant media attention from the Texas General Elections 2022 reports covering statewide election candidates, including the hard-fought governor's race, and top policy issues affecting voters' decisions and opinions about the voting process.

Hobby School faculty and researchers were cited more than 35 times over the past month.