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Hobby School Celebrates the Culmination of a New Building
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The Hobby School took a momentous step into the future of public affairs education and the next generation of leaders at the April 11 groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the new state-of-the-art academic building. It was a memorable celebration with University of Houston and community leaders, state lawmakers, the grandchildren of Bill Hobby and others who were instrumental to the historic day. The Hobby family embodies public service, and the legendary former Texas lieutenant governor and his family's legacy will continue through this innovative building, effectively connecting study with practice.
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Heralding the Next Generation
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Hobby School graduates are preparing to walk across the stage at the Cullen Performance Hall on May 8 for the spring commencement ceremony. Dean Jim Granato will recognize more than 45 graduates before an audience of faculty, staff, friends and family members. Former U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady is the featured commencement speaker. The former chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee served as a member of Congress representing northern Houston for more than 25 years. He was the architect behind the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and was pivotal in shaping economic policy, healthcare innovation and passing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Brady also served in the Texas House of Representatives for six years. Public policy major Saron Regassa will speak on behalf of the graduating class. Regassa is pursuing dual bachelor's and master's degrees in public policy through an accelerated pathway program. She is a Civic Houston Intern at the Harris County Department of Education, working with the civic engagement team, and a previous intern with Citizens' Environmental Coalition. She participated in the UH Honors College FrameWorks program and is a past Elizabeth D. Rockwell scholar and a Richard Murray Endowed Scholarship recipient. At the ceremony, Danielle Guevara and Lorenzo Salinas will receive the 2025 Garnet Coleman Award for Student Excellence, named in honor of Hobby School champion former Texas state Rep. Garnet Coleman, for their leadership and academic performance. Lorenzo Salinas is a Master of Public Policy/Master of Social Work candidate. Through the Hobby School, he worked on research initiatives during the 2023 legislative session, partnered with an area nonprofit on a data analysis project during a summer internship and was a teaching assistant. In the community, he serves on the City of Houston Food Insecurity Board. Public policy undergraduate Danielle Guevara has extensively engaged in classroom and leadership learning opportunities to fulfill her goals and build a community. She worked as a Hobby School peer assistant, participated in two Civic Houston Internship Program assignments, and helped found the Hobby School Registered Student Organization. Leonard Chan (MPA '09), president of the Hobby School Alumni Association, will deliver the alumni address. Master of Public Administration student Leyla Taghiyeva will perform the national anthem. Watch the commencement ceremony online on the UH website.
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Following the 89th with State Rep. Lauren Ashley Simmons
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Hobby Talks returned with a one-on-one conversation between Texas state Rep. Lauren Ashley Simmons and Dean Jim Granato on the freshman lawmaker's journey to public service and the latest developments at the Texas Capitol. Rep. Simmons represents House District 146 in south Houston, including the historic Sunnyside neighborhood. The union organizer and public education advocate discussed her background, challenging an incumbent for the seat and her office's policy priorities during the 2025 legislative session. Rep. Simmons gave insight into what Texans can expect from the Texas House floor and her advice for students interested in a public service career. She is on the House Committees on Appropriations and Public Health. Rep. Simmons also serves as the inaugural chair of the Texas Labor and Workforce Caucus. The episode is available on the Hobby School's website and popular podcast applications.
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Francisco Cantú Memorial EITM Conference Celebrates the Legacy of a Dedicated Scholar
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The 2025 Francisco Cantú Memorial EITM Conference, held March 28-29, honored the life and work of a beloved political science scholar who passed away in 2023. The conference celebrated Francisco Cantú's legacy and explored bridging formal and empirical research in social sciences. Presentations included a survey of research programs grounded in the EITM model, building on the National Science Foundation-funded training program at the Hobby School. The two-day event, sponsored by the Hobby School and the UH Department of Political Science, featured presentations from leading experts from various institutions, including the University Carlos III of Madrid, Rice University and Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México. Dean Jim Granato and Political Science Department Chair Jeffrey Church opened the conference, emphasizing Cantú's commitment to impactful research. Panels showcased innovative EITM applications, highlighting Cantú's contributions to research on real-world problems and reach beyond the UH campus.
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State of Public Education with Policy Expert Robert Pondiscio
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The Elizabeth D. Rockwell Center on Ethics and Leadership welcomed education policy expert Robert Pondiscio to the University of Houston to deliver a lecture on the future of K-12 public education. The former teacher and journalist says a gifted 10-year-old girl in his classroom influenced his thinking and approach to educational improvements. Pondiscio shared his perspective on the paradigm shift around system-wide reform and balancing the concepts of educational pluralism and social cohesion while focusing on the state's pivotal moment in passing an education savings account program and the takeover of the largest school district in Texas. During his campus visit, he sat down with Dean Jim Granato at the Center for Student Media studio for a Hobby Talks podcast episode. Listen to the conversation on the Hobby School website or a popular podcast application.
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Boot Camp Elevates Leadership Skills
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Alexander Obregon, who has deep ties to the Hobby School as a former Civic Houston Intern now teaching public finance and serving on the school’s advisory board, kicked off the Civic Leadership Boot Camp with examples of leadership challenges met and lessons learned from his days at Houston City Hall as the deputy controller. Arquella Hargrove, co-director of the Certified Public Manager program, followed Obregon with interactive sessions and problem-solving activities to exercise the leadership muscles of the participants. The Hobby School’s Jessica Ruland O’Connor coordinated the half-day workshop and moderated a closing panel of Hobby School alumni who have taken their careers to public and private agencies in Austin and Houston. Matthew Conner of Arete Public Affairs, Traci Buttram of Harris County Office of Administration and Santiago Franco of Harris County Intergovernmental and Global Affairs provided an insider's perspective on government relations and public service. Ilana Janniere and Khushvir Chahal, undergraduate students, were among those in attendance looking for skill-building opportunities across roles and issues. Ilana said, “I wanted to learn how to be a better leader at the undergraduate level before I graduate.” “It’s important to be civically engaged,” said Kushvir, who goes by KC. “It is the community’s common ground. The boot camp was insightful and allowed me to expand my network.”
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Montclair State University Campus Visit
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Hobby School’s Emily Janowski and Next Generation Leadership Academy member Bryanna Nimmons hosted the program director and students from the Next Generation Service Corps chapter from Montclair State University in New Jersey, tapping into the national network of The Volcker Alliance programs at universities that inspire future public service professionals. The MSU students used their spring break in March to complete hands-on volunteer work with Houston Habitat for Humanity. They finished their Houston visit networking with their mission-oriented peers at the University of Houston. The leadership development program incorporates curriculum, student-led projects, mentorship and professional skill training.
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Paul A. Volker Government Internship Award
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Next Generation Leadership Academy member Sophie Kaloustian has received the 2025 Paul A. Volcker Government Internship Award for exemplifying the public service values needed to address the issues of her generation. The $3,000 award is inspired by the legacy of The Volcker Alliance’s founding chairman, Paul A. Volcker, who was known for his lifelong commitment to the public good.
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Kaloustian distinguished herself from a nationwide pool of applicants participating in the network of more than 20 university chapters to honor Volcker’s legacy. The senior will graduate with a bachelor's degree in public policy in May. Through the Hobby School, she interned in the City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Education and Youth Engagement, Jolt Initiative and with Harris County District Attorney Christian Menefee. On campus, she is involved with the Venezuelan Student Union and was one of 100 students selected nationwide for the National Youth250 Bureau to help celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday. She is the fourth Hobby School student to receive the prestigious award since the leadership development program launched in the fall of 2022.
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CHIP Class Visit with Councilman Joaquin Martinez
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Houston City Councilmember Joaquín Martinez spoke with Civic Houston Interns about growing up in the East End and discovering his purpose through public service. The University of Houston-Downtown graduate shared how he stays grounded with loved ones and neighbors, remains focused on his constituents, and improves the neighborhoods he represents through services, programs and initiatives. He advised students to be proactive and to "claim their space" in life. This spring, 46 undergraduates in the Civic Houston Internship Program are sharpening their professional skills and exploring careers throughout Houston.
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Dean Jim Granato and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies Sunny Wong welcomed seven Hobby School undergraduate and graduate students to Pi Alpha Alpha, the global honor society for public affairs and administration. The scholars join a network of students around the world who meet the rigorous standards required for membership by demonstrating academic excellence, commitment to public service and leadership distinction indicative of the Hobby School culture. This spring marks the fifteenth cohort of Pi Alpha Alpha members at the Hobby School, consisting of public policy undergraduates and Master of Public Administration and Master of Public Policy candidates Sana Dadabhoy, Christopher Burbridge, Jason Frederick, Aenya Fike and Ideal Hernandez. Not pictured are Zahra Imam and Cullen Watkins. Watkins is a Hobby Fellow in Austin during the 2025 legislative session.
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Scholarship Honors Professor Emeritus Richard Murray
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Meet the latest Richard Murray Endowed Scholarship recipients, Danielle Guevara and Vincent Ruggiero. The spring 2025 scholars were selected for their passion for public service. As a public policy major, Guevara has learned to apply her classroom learning to various leadership and civic engagement opportunities. She is a two-time Civic Houston Intern and Hobby School Undergraduate Advisory Council member. Ruggiero is a junior majoring in political science with a minor in public leadership. A transfer student from the Honors College at Lone Star College–University Park, he quickly found a home at the Hobby School, drawn in by its rich networks and opportunities. He is a two-time Civic Houston Intern who has focused on community engagement in the offices of Houston City Councilmember Joaquín Martinez and Houston Controller Chris Hollins. Ruggiero is the president and co-founder of the Political Science Undergraduate Association. The scholarship is named for UH Professor Emeritus and Hobby School Senior Research Fellow Richard Murray, who is well-known for his expertise in regional and state politics.
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NASPAA Student Simulation Competition
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The Hobby School celebrates undergraduate public policy student Alexa Perez for her contributions to the winning team at the annual NASPAA Student Simulation Competition. The event, hosted virtually this year, brought together students from around the world to work in teams to design a response to balance the economic, political and public health fallout of a global disease outbreak. The scenario-based competition leans on the same skills outlined in the Hobby School's curriculum framework to test agility, communication, leadership and negotiation skills and bridge classroom theory with practical application. The simulation places participating students in roles within a time-sensitive environment where they use data to solve complex policy issues. Other Hobby School students who took part in the day-long competition were Master of Public Administration candidates Christopher Burbridge and David Cunningham and undergraduate students Danielle Guevara and Juan Moreno. They competed with peers from more than 30 other public affairs programs and universities, such as Cornell University, Arizona State University, Rutgers University, Shanghai University, University of Dhaka and Nazarbayev University.
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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. Tuesday, April 15
Elizabeth D. Rockwell Ethics Bowl Student Scholarships Application Deadline
Apply Wednesday, April 16, 9 a.m.
“Houston Matters with Craig Cohen” with Renée Cross
Listen Online Thursday, April 24, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Government and Nonprofit Career Mixer
UH Student Center South, Multipurpose Room
Register Tuesday, May 6, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Graduate Program Information Session (Virtual)
Register Thursday, May 8, 7 p.m.
Hobby School Commencement
Cullen Performance Hall, University of Houston
Watch Live Friday, May 30
Fall 2025 Civic Houston Internship Program Application Deadline
Apply Friday, May 30
Next Generation Leadership Academy 2025-2026 Cohort Application Deadline
Apply
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