University of Houston Center for Public Policy

Vincent Harding Earns the Outstanding Civic Houston Intern Award

Two-time Center for Public Policy CHIP intern Vincent Harding was selected as the latest recipient of the Outstanding Intern Award through the Civic Houston Internship Program (CHIP). Read more about Vincent, his goals, and the award.

Center for Public Policy Survey of Texas Lottery Players Finds

Steady Participation

The primary goal of the Center for Public Policy's (CPP) demographic study for the Texas Lottery Commission is to provide a snapshot of who is most likely to engage in the state's lottery games. The 2008 survey marks the second consecutive year the CPP has completed the study.

Led by Dr. Timothy Hellwig, the 2008 results were similar to many of the 2007 findings, with a few exceptions. “The 2008 survey found an overall participation rate of 38.82 percent compared to 38.47 percent the previous year,” said CPP Director Jim Granato. “This stable rate of participation marks the first time in recent years that the participation rate did not decline." Learn more by reading the 2008 report or the 2007 report.

Read the media release about the CPP Survey of Texas Lottery Players.

You can now compare both 2008 and 2007 by downloading an interactive geographic multi-dimensional visualization software.


UH Economist Bart Smith Updates Houston on the Economy On May 5, 2009 Bart Smith, director of the Institute for Regional Forecasting (IRF) and University of Houston economics professor, delivered his talk on "Houston Without Energy Growth: Implications for Jobs and Real Estate" to a full house at the Hyatt Regency Houston Hotel. Read what others are saying about his update on the Houston economy. Global Meltdown Reaches Houston (UH Today); Now Best Time To Buy Home (The Houston Chronicle); Houston's Energy Cushion To Be Lost In 2009 (Houston Business Journal).

Apply to the Richard Murray Endowed Scholarship The Richard Murray Endowed Scholarship was established in 2008 for the purpose of honoring Dr. Richard Murray's service to the Houston community and 40 years of teaching and research at the University of Houston. The first scholarship will be awarded after the conclusion of the spring 2009 semester. Read about the scholarship and download the application. Deadline extended to July 17, 2009.

Jim Granato Discusses Policy Decisions and Economic Recovery Are a series of federal policy actions directed at strengthening the financial system undermining the effectiveness of the monetary policy tools traditionally employed by the Federal Reserve? Jim Granato, director of the Center for Public Policy, discusses this possibility in the April 26 Houston Chronicle editorial Policy Moves are Slowing Economy.

Bill Hobby Honored with the 2009 History-Making Texas Award Governor Bill Hobby (CPP Research Associate and Advisory Board Member) was the recipient of the 2009 History-Making Texan Award, which was presented to him at the fifth annual Texas Independence Day Dinner on March 2, 2009 by The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin, Texas. View video of this event honoring his countless years of public service or read his acceptance speech "The Threads of Texas History" and learn some interesting facts about Bill Hobby and Texas!

Barton Smith's Commentary: "Gold! Is it good for you and for the Nation?" Dr. Smith discusses the pros and cons of buying gold for one’s portfolio today as a hedge against either inflation or economic collapse or simply as a good investment. He also evaluates the usefulness of a gold standard as a foundation for the nation’s money supply in an attempt to protect the nation from ill-advised monetary policy. He concludes that gold is a rather risky investment, especially at current high prices, and that the gold standard for any nation creates more problems than it provides benefits. Read the full commentary by Dr. Smith, director of the Institute for Regional Forecasting.

Meet Mirel Herrera, the University of Houston Center for Public Policy Legislative Intern UH political science senior Mirel Herrera is working as a full-time legislative intern in the office of State Senator Mario Gallegos during the current legislative session in Austin. Mirel is actively working on numerous issues ranging from higher education to voter identification. Learn more about Mirel.

Community-Based Participatory Research Workshop: Challenges and Solutions for Researchers and Community Leaders The University of Houston Center for Public Policy co-hosted a community research workshop on April 10, 2009. The one day workshop brought academics, applied practitioners and community advocates together to discuss the most effective ways to conduct research within a community, particularly with hard to reach populations. The Workshop was sponsored by the Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics (JERHRE), the University of Houston Center for Public Policy, and the Community-Campus Partnerships for Health.

Center for Public Policy to Study Houston Housing Market, Foreclosure

The University of Houston Center for Public Policy is the recipient of a grant from the National Science Foundation to study Houston's regional housing market, particularly significant in the wake of the nation's crisis in leading financial institutions. Read more about this grant and the project to be done in partnership with the UH Institute for Regional Forecasting (IRF) to help create a comprehensive Houston area real estate database. Read an article about this grant by The Daily Cougar and the Houston Business Journal.

Interagency Coordinating Council for Building Health Families (ICC) Evaluation Project

The Center for Public Policy is currently working with the UH Graduate College of Social Work's Office of Community Projects to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of Texas’s publicly funded child abuse/neglect prevention and early intervention services. The goal of the evaluation is to provide the ICC with an analysis of the current status of the prevention programs and services and to offer specific options and methods for maximizing prevention services. The project will continue through August 2009.

UH Student and CPP Mickey Leland Intern, Natali Blevins, Awarded the 2009 Women Professionals in Government (WPG) Scholarship

Natali Blevins, University of Houston senior and CPP's Mickey Leland Congressional Intern, was the recipient of the 2009 Women Professionals in Government (WPG) $1,500 Scholarship. The primary objective of the WPG Scholarship is to assist exceptional women who are dedicated to becoming public servants. Read more about Natali.

Tammy Oliver (left) and Dr. Jeraine Root (right) with the Women Professionals in Government award Natali Blevins the 2009 WPG Scholarship.

WPG's Kathleen Ownby (left) and Sheriff Adrian Garcia with Natali Blevins.

Local High School Students Receive a Real Voting Experience

Charles H. Milby High School seniors received a real voting experience as they voted for their prom king and queen thanks to an educational pilot program developed by the Harris County Clerk's Communications and Voter Outreach Department titled Voter Outreach and Teaching Enterprise (VOTE) and the assistance of the University of Houston’s Center for Public Policy. Read more about this community outreach activity.