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Legislative issues survey takes measure of Texans’ opinions
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With an unprecedented $33 billion budget surplus, Texas legislators will be deciding where the surplus will go during the 2023 legislative session. The Hobby School’s senior executive director Renée Cross and senior research fellow and Rice professor Mark Jones surveyed 1,200 Texans to identify their preferences and opinions regarding top budget priorities and pressing policy issues facing the Texas Legislature. The results of the Texas Legislative Issues 2023 survey are presented in seven separate reports regarding the state budget surplus, casino gambling, school choice, and issues such as marijuana, abortion, firearms, elections, immigration and energy. The biennial statewide legislative survey has garnered widespread local and national media attention, including interviews and citations by the Texas Tribune, the Texas Standard, Houston Public Media, Houston Chronicle, Dallas Morning News and others.
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The Hobby Hour: Why parties?
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Renowned political scientist John H. Aldrich, Ph.D., will explain the foundations of the American party system, how and why parties evolve, and the place of the two-party system in an effective democracy. Aldrich’s examination of the profound changes in political parties since World War II and the driving forces behind the increase in polarization has prompted conversations around how the political divide affects governance today. |
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STUDENT LEADERS REFLECT ON BLACK HISTORY
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In recognition of Black History Month, the Hobby School celebrates two outstanding students who celebrate Black history and heritage throughout the year. UH senior Marie McGrew is a 2023 Hobby Fellow at the Texas State Capitol, serving in the office of State Rep. Jolanda Jones during the 88th Texas Legislature. Additionally, she has represented the Hobby School as a Harris Fellow in the office of Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth and as a Civic Houston Intern in the district office of Rep. Jones.
As a first-generation student, McGrew wants to pay in kind for the mentoring and guidance that has helped her become a young civic leader. In the community, she works with voter registration and food insecurity initiatives. McGrew’s campus activity as a senator on the UH Student Government Association and involvement with the UH NAACP chapter, Black student union and UH College Democrats prepare her to become a public service leader. McGrew was initiated into the Zeta Sigma chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., a historically Black sorority, in the fall of 2022.
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“Celebrating Black history is important because it shows how, despite the cards full of disparities Black people have been dealt, we still prevail, and we do so exceptionally.”
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Master of Public Policy candidate Kacey Williams will be graduating this spring. She came to the Hobby School program to develop her public policy skills to advocate for military veterans returning home. Williams is an Army veteran whose deployment to Iraq challenged her wellness yet served as a starting point toward healing herself and helping others. Following her military career, Williams created S.T.O.P. Act, an organization tracking suicide and mental wellness among military veterans. The nonprofit’s mission is to address the difficulties of readjusting to civilian life and advocate for legislation ensuring mental health services for individuals separating or retiring from the military. Williams is currently working in the district office of State Rep. Jacey Jetton as a policy analyst and has worked at federal and municipal agencies. As a Hobby School student, she attended the 2022 Texas Tribune Festival and is a Pi Alpha Alpha Honor Society member.
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“I celebrate Black history by following my grandfather’s legacy of service. I will continue to advocate for policy to address military and veteran suicides despite the personal hardships and to honor my forefathers’ struggles.”
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MPP candidate takes part in NSF grant research
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Allison Dean, a graduate student in the Master of Public Policy program at the Hobby School, has been selected as part of a research team to examine how inequality in childhood environments is related to climate and environmental hazards and risk on a global scale. A key collaborator for the project is UH economist Fan Wang in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, whose proposal won a $1.5 million 2022 National Science Foundation Partnership for International Research and Education grant to span three years.
Dean has her undergraduate degree in political science from UH and was a Hobby School Civic Houston Intern at the Citizen’s Environmental Coalition in 2021. Her desire to specialize in data analytics attracted Dean to the Hobby School and her interest in educational systems and sustainability is driving her career options. For the project, she will gather information from around the world that demonstrates childhood inequality related to environmental factors. The multinational, multilingual project will have partners such as the University of Pennsylvania, the Asian Development Bank, the InterAmerican Development Bank, the Regional Institute for Population Studies in Ghana, UNICEF and the World Bank.
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UH Energy Net Zero symposium
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How do we support a net-zero Texas while preserving the state’s competitive advantage and ensuring an equitable energy transition? Hobby School professors Gail Buttorff and Pablo Pinto participated in the Net Zero in Texas by 2050 symposium hosted by UH Energy and the Center for Carbon Management in Energy. Buttorff moderated the discussion, and Pinto was an expert on the workforce development panel. The symposium was a culmination of a multidisciplinary research initiative at UH to discuss issues that impact the 2050 goal across five focus areas: carbon capture, utilization and storage, electric grid, transportation, financial incentives and workforce development.
Pinto is a distinguished professor and director of the Hobby School’s Center for Public Policy (CPP). Buttorff is an instructional assistant professor and the associate director of the CPP. |
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The OpEd Project aims to lift diverse voices
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The Hobby School hosted 22 faculty from various disciplines on campus at the inaugural The OpEd Project workshop, a collaboration among the Elizabeth D. Rockwell Center on Ethics and Leadership with the national initiative to elevate diverse viewpoints on relevant topics through op-ed pages. Participants will join a nationwide network of their peers, gain access to mentors and emerge with an op-ed outline and the skills and resources to shape the critical conversations of the day. Participants will have ongoing access to resources, events and mentors beyond the daylong workshop. Learn more about the OpEd Project and meet this year’s participants. |
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Professional management program launches pilot online course
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The Hobby School has expanded its partnership with Texas State University with the Texas Certified Public Manager Program (CPM) by launching a pilot virtual CPM program. The online program follows the same curriculum as the face-to-face courses, which include monthly classes covering six management topics and a capstone project. The CPM directors at Texas State University and the Hobby School contend that future online availability will allow more professionals to earn the nationally accredited designation of CPM. The CPM program is a comprehensive sequence of study by which leaders can acquire and apply the best practices and theory to their management behaviors and strategies using prescribed sets of professional standards.
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“Public service executives benefit from the leadership and management training the established program has provided regional participants since 1995. With the development of high quality online learning technology, we saw an opportunity to make the program available across a larger geographic area.”
Chelsea O’Hara, Program Director, Certified Public Manager Program
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New spring graduate candidates join the Hobby School
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The Hobby School welcomed the spring cohort of graduate students seeking a Master of Public Policy or graduate certificate. The new class is comprised of nine working professionals, recent post baccalaureates and a student from our international partner university, National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan.
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Spring semester kicks off in style
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Hobby School instructors kicked off the spring semester with welcome back messages to the university community during the first week of classes. They are working with students on interdisciplinary coursework, from political economy and how ethics and market processes intersect to Houston’s municipal infrastructure and the role of institutions in governing. You can view all their greetings and learn more about their courses on the Hobby School’s Facebook page. |
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Next Generation Leadership Academy student earns national award
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Alexia Aguilar is a 2023 Paul A. Volcker Government Internship Award recipient. Aguilar is one of nine students in the Hobby School's inaugural cohort of the Next Generation Leadership Academy. She is also a current Civic Houston Intern with Houston City Council Member Edward Pollard. The first-generation college sophomore is majoring in public relations with a double minor in public leadership and energy and sustainability. She serves in leadership roles in the student organizations Public Relations Student Society of America and the Horticulture Society, blending her passions for the environment and communications. Off campus, she serves as a college mentor for Harmony Public Schools. She wanted to be a part of the Next Generation Leadership Academy to increase her understanding of policy and to educate her peers on critical environmental policy issues.
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Fall 2022 Civic Houston Internship Program award presented to Emily Cruz
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Emily Cruz is the recipient of the fall 2022 Civic Houston Internship Award in recognition of her outstanding performance as an intern with Teach for America, a nonprofit committed to education equity, where she performed legislative research, engaged in external communications and outreach and learned about the state of public education in Texas. Cruz is a junior majoring in political science and Spanish with a minor in quantitative social science. She serves as the vice president of the UH Association of Latinx/Hispanic Advocates and Allies, helping to build campus unity. Cruz is interning again with Teach for America.
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Hobby Fellows at Inauguration Day Ceremony
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The 2023 Hobby Fellows attended this year’s Texas Inauguration, where Gov. Abbott and Lt. Gov. Patrick were sworn into office at the steps of the Texas State Capitol. Gov. Abbott emphasized the historic budget surplus in his third inaugural address. Eleven Hobby Fellows are serving during the regular session of the 88th Texas legislature, attending committee meetings, researching and drafting legislation, coordinating with other offices and interacting with constituents and lobbyists. Hobby Fellows earn upper-level academic credit and a stipend while gaining first-hand knowledge of the legislative process.
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The newest cohort of Civic Houston Interns represents the most diverse set of majors in the program's 26-year history, including political science, public policy, psychology, philosophy, public relations, economics, journalism, history, accounting and liberal studies. They kicked off the semester with an orientation led by Jessica Ruland, program director for internship programs at the Hobby School, and senior executive director Renée Cross. The 37 undergraduates will get a ground-level perspective working in local government, nonprofit and campaign offices, and volunteering with a community organization addressing education, animal welfare or food insecurity.
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UH Giving Day: A chance to give back and support the Hobby School
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Celebrate UH Giving Day with the Hobby School by showing your support for the next generation of public service professionals. For 24 hours on Tuesday, March 7, the UH community will go #AllinforUH with gift matches, challenges and special opportunities to engage and cheer on other UH supporters. Show your Cougar pride and make a lasting impact on current and future students.
You can give to the Harris Fellows and offer UH undergraduate students the opportunity to work as full-time interns in Harris County government offices during the upcoming summer semester. All donors will be entered into a raffle to receive a signed copy of Bill Hobby’s book, “How Things Really Work: Lessons from a Life in Politics.” For more information about UH Giving Day, contact Abby Whitmire, director of advancement for the Hobby School.
See how Hobby School alumni are giving back.
Stephanie Coates, MSW/MPP
Lauren Duhon, MPP
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The recent surveys on Texas legislative issues facing state lawmakers and policy watchers caught much of the Hobby School’s media attention this month. With a record-breaking state budget surplus and a new set of priorities, the reports were covered widely on outlets across Texas and nationally, including HuffPost, SBC Americas, CNHI News, Casino.org, the Dallas Morning News, the Texas Standard, The Texan, the Texas Tribune, Houston Public Media, and local NBC, ABC and Fox affiliates.
In addition, the Hobby School’s technology policy expert Chris Bronk’s opinion editorial on military tanks in Ukraine was published in Foreign Policy Magazine. Bronk was also a featured guest on Houston Public Media, commenting on cybersecurity and TikTok. Hobby School faculty and researchers were cited nearly 50 times over the past month. |
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'Great uniter': Gambling and sports legalization proposal has widespread support among Texas voters
Jan. 30, 2023
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Rural, minority Texans favor school choice according to University of Houston poll
Jan. 30, 2023
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Wanna bet? Texas Legislature to reconsider legalizing casinos and sports betting
Jan. 27, 2023
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Overwhelming majority of Texans support casino gambling in state, new poll shows,
Jan. 26, 2023
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Poll: Texans support spending state surplus on public school safety, Medicaid coverage
Jan. 24, 2023
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The M1 Abrams is the right tank for the job in Ukraine
Jan. 24, 2023
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Feb. 15, 12-1 p.m.
Why Parties?
The Hobby Hour with John H. Aldrich, Pfizer-Pratt University Professor of Political Science, Duke University
Virtual
Thursday, Feb. 16, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Graduate School Information Session
Virtual
Wednesday, Feb. 22, 9 a.m.
Houston Matters Political Roundup with Renée Cross
KUHF, 88.7 FM
Listen Online
Tuesday, Feb. 23, 4-5 p.m.
Accelerated Pathway Programs Information Session
Science Building, Room 107
Tuesday, Feb. 23, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Social Economy & Enterprise Academy Information Session
Science Building, Room 103
Wednesday, Feb. 24, 12 p.m.
Care Aesthetics
James Thompson, University of Manchester
Elizabeth D. Rockwell Center on Ethics and Leadership Care Series
Virtual
Saturday, Feb. 25, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
Spring 2023 Cougar Preview (Undergraduates)
Science Building, Room 114
Register
Tuesday, March 7
UH Giving Day – All in for UH
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