2023 Hobby School Commencement

Families, friends, faculty and staff gathered at the Cullen Performance Hall at the University of Houston on May 11 for the Hobby School of Public Affairs sixth commencement to honor those achieving graduate and dual degrees and certificates in public policy.

The latest graduates represent the 121 mission-oriented leaders who have mastered the interdisciplinary coursework, ethics and leadership training and advanced qualitative and quantitative analysis since the school was founded in 2016. They entered the program from backgrounds in teaching, politics, research, the military, business, law, nonprofit and healthcare management. These newest Hobby School alumni work in the public, private and nonprofit sectors with employers such as Houston-Galveston Area Council, Houston Methodist Hospital, the Center for Houston’s Future, Harris and Fort Bend County.

Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth delivered the 2023 commencement address. Among the featured graduates were student speaker Jon Bumann and Garnet Coleman Award for Student Excellence winner Karen Banda who inspired their peers and Hobby School faculty members. In addition, a military veteran, first-generation college graduates and a panorama of diverse experiences represented the more than two dozen graduates who crossed the stage.

MPP Graduates showing their cougar paw hand sign

MPP graduating students lined up along a wall

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Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth
2023 Commencement Speaker

"Congratulations, Hobby School graduates! Go out and do good for yourself and others. The most impactful thing you can do is help someone else. It's not only just a good feeling, but to do something greater than yourself, building a legacy that will outlive you, is something we should all aspire to reach."

Hudspeth's passion for public service began on Capitol Hill as a 2003 Mickey Leland Congressional Intern with former U.S. Congressman from Texas, Chet Edward. Today, as Harris County Clerk, Hudspeth is the chief officer overseeing records for the almost five million county residents. The Texas Southern University graduate is the first African American woman elected to this role.

Jon Bumann, Master of Public Policy
Class of 2023
Student Commencement Speaker

"What I have learned here is already helping me make a difference. I use my skills every single day to lead more effectively and to communicate data and ideas more clearly. There's no substitute for the people I've met or the experiences I've had."

Jon Bumann is graduating with a Master of Public Policy with a specialization in nonprofit management. The San Angelo native first came to the Hobby School to advance his career but takes with him much more. Growing up in a small town surrounded by a family who valued service to others instilled in him a sense of community and giving. Bumann’s academic and professional careers reflect his values and determination, accomplishing much while lifting others. He develops educational and professional development opportunities in the energy sector through the Energy Education Foundation. His experience at the AIDS Foundation Houston, the ALS Association and the March of Dimes speak to his thoughtful approach to making a difference on a broad scale. At the Hobby School, he excelled in technical areas such as research methods and quantitative modeling while leaning into leadership and ethics courses. Seeing every challenge as an opportunity, Bumann grew his skills and exceeded his professional goals.

Karen Banda, Master of Public Policy
2023 Garnet Coleman Award for Student Excellence Recipient

Karen Banda is graduating with a Master of Public Policy with a specialization in race and ethnicity in public policy. Banda graduated cum laude from Smith College with double majors in Latin American and Latino Studies and government. She is a member of Pi Alpha Alpha, the global honor society for public affairs and administration. She was a graduate student researcher for the Center for Public Policy at the Hobby School and served as a Hobby School CONNECT Fellow on a community project with the local nonprofit Cy-Hope.

Banda was selected as a finalist for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program. Chosen from over 10,000 applicants, she is one of 850 finalists across the country selected for the federal government’s flagship leadership development program. The first in her family to attend college, Banda uses her early life experiences to study social issues through the public policy lens and hopes to apply her efforts to helping disadvantaged communities thrive.

We’re proud of our graduates for achieving this milestone in their journeys and look forward to them carrying the Hobby School’s mission of public service across our communities.