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A Year of Growth and Transformation: 2024 Impact Report
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The Hobby School experienced significant growth and transformation last year, achieving notable milestones and an elevated reputation. The latest impact report showcases record cohort numbers in programs, one of the largest graduating classes and impactful public service opportunities and research. The Hobby School celebrated local government leaders and collaborative partnerships and empowered lawmakers and the public with information on public policy issues and concerns important to Texans. As a new chapter unfolds, the Hobby School is excited about breaking ground on a new state-of-the-art academic building and strengthening the school's strong foundation in research and public service.
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2025 Commencement Celebrates Achievements
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Families, friends, faculty and staff gathered at Cullen Performance Hall at the University of Houston on May 8 for the Hobby School's ninth commencement ceremony, which honored those earning undergraduate and advanced degrees and certificates in public policy and public administration. Former U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady delivered the commencement address, sharing stories from his upbringing, his mother's profound influence on his approach to public service and lessons learned from the halls of Congress. He encouraged the new graduates to devote part of their lives to giving back to their communities, consider serving in public office and start by diving in locally. Brady was a longtime public servant in the state, first in the Texas Legislature and for 26 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. On Capitol Hill, he rose to lead the influential House Committee on Ways and Means. He spearheaded the historic reform of America's tax code and free trade agreements crucial to the nation and the Houston region. Fifty-seven graduates walked the stage, the largest class in the Hobby School's history. The 2025 cohort includes 20 students earning a bachelor's degree in public policy, 21 Master of Public Policy graduates and 13 Master of Public Administration graduates. Nine are two-time Coogs, three completed graduate certificates in public policy and five achieved dual graduate degrees. Eighteen are members of Pi Alpha Alpha, a prestigious global honor society in public affairs and administration. The newest Hobby School alumni join other mission-oriented leaders who have mastered interdisciplinary coursework, ethics and leadership training and quantitative analysis. Whether enhancing their current roles, continuing their education or exploring new avenues, the graduates are poised to make a difference in their professions and communities, carrying forward Bill Hobby's public service legacy.
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The People and Passion of Public Service
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"We need people who are called to public service and who have community in their hearts and spirits. I was a student at one point. I need to give our interns what I got out of my internship—that connection. It is very full circle for me. I go back to my mission statement: be of service to the most vulnerable and help people live the lives they want to live." - Russell Etherton, 2009 Civic Houston Intern and Houston City Council District H Chief of Staff
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Certified Public Manager professionals Matt Daeumer and Ramiro Garza shared the benefits of executive training at the Hobby School. Master of Public Administration alumna Sydney Hargroder, an emergency management professional for the City of Pearland and a city councilwoman for Iowa Colony City, emphasized the importance of data-informed planning. Public service and civic engagement are core to the Hobby School's mission. From public transportation and infrastructure to education and public safety, the Hobby School celebrates the contributions and commitment of students and alumni who navigate complex challenges for the greater good.
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Volunteer Spirit in Spotlight
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In honor of National Volunteer Week in April, the Hobby School celebrated the spirit of volunteerism among its students, alumni and advisory board members. Hobby School Alumni Association board member Laura Parker stays engaged through the broad network of practitioners dedicated to the school's mission. The invaluable commitment of advisory board members and ambassadors led by chairman Ashley Smith supports the school's public affairs education, research and civic engagement opportunities. Hobby School Advisory Board member Kathryn McNiel has invested in training future leaders during her longtime involvement and leadership on the board. She has chaired seven fundraising luncheons for Austin and Washington, D.C. internship programs, which provide UH students with firsthand policymaking experience. Volunteering is part of the Civic Houston Internship Program experience, teaching students about community issues through hands-on and grassroots connections. Noah Cook learned the large-scale effort it takes to nourish a community by volunteering at the Houston Food Bank. “These experiences offered practical insight into the efficient operations of large-scale community organizations and highlighted the powerful impact of collective volunteer efforts. Volunteering at the Houston Food Bank deeply enriched my Civic Houston Internship Program experience, showing me how structured, intentional action can directly address food insecurity.” – Noah Cook, Spring 2025 Civic Houston Intern with Teach for America This spring, 46 Civic Houston Interns, led by Jessica Ruland O'Connor, dedicated 10 or more hours outside their host office assignments with organizations such as Cougar Cupboard, Legacy Community Health, Wesley Community Center, SPCA and Metropolitan Volunteer Program.
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Research Covers Elections, Quality of Life and Entertainment
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As Houston leaders face significant economic hurdles amid a projected budget shortfall and the release of a new budget for the upcoming fiscal year, Hobby School researchers Renée Cross and Mark P. Jones released three reports in the City of Houston 2025 series. The first report examined the opinions of registered voters in Houston on the city's direction, the mayor's job performance and the quality of life in the city. It also covered Houstonians' satisfaction with city services, what they believe to be the city's most significant challenges and the impact of various factors on the quality of life in their neighborhoods. The second report evaluated six candidates and potential candidates vying to fill the seat for Texas's 18th Congressional District. The Texas governor has set a special election on Nov. 4 for the historic district. The final report in the series gauged Houstonians' views on entertainment in the city, including major parks, their primary news sources and the addition of professional sports teams and a theme park.
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College of Medicine Article Examines Weather, Health and Vulnerable Communities
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Climate-related challenges can be a tipping point for those with limited resources or already facing other stressors as they adapt to a crisis or seek solutions. Hobby School researchers Gail Buttorff, Maria Perez Arguelles and Sunny Wong contributed to a study directed by Omolola E. Adepoju, a health services researcher and clinical associate professor at the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine, highlighting the intricate relationship between successive climate-induced disasters and emergency department visits for anxiety and depression in the Houston area. The American Journal of Emergency Medicine published the article. The analysis revealed that mental health service demand had distinct seasonal patterns, with higher demand for emergency department services during specific periods, such as hurricanes. The observations highlighted the significant influence of seasonal and weather-related factors on mental health and underscored the need for targeted public health interventions considering the timing and nature of climate events.
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Koelling Explains Court Efficiency Strategies
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Judges play dual roles in courts: deciding cases and processing them through the litigation stages. In a recent article in The Court Administrator, the official publication of the International Association for Court Administrators, the Hobby School’s Peter Koelling explained how courts can more efficiently process cases using a team approach. He explained that by collaborating, judges can expedite case processing and improve judicial time management, court schedule predictability, and response times for motions, deterring delays and non-meritorious filings. Koelling is an instructional associate professor. Before joining the University of Houston, he served as the chief of court management at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. He has worked as a court administrator in various Texas, Washington and Colorado courts and has been a licensed attorney for nearly 40 years.
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It's a Wrap – Spring CHIP Cohort Concludes Semester
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Forty-six undergraduates in the Civic Houston Internship Program completed part-time assignments in local government offices and with area nonprofits, as well as more than 525 volunteer hours focused on food insecurity, animal welfare and the environment in the community. The spring cohort gathered on April 25 to mark the end of the semester and reflect on their experiences. The final class meeting was a special moment for seniors completing their undergraduate journeys and moving on to professional opportunities or advanced degrees. Since 1996, the flagship internship program has introduced more than 1,700 students from various academic disciplines to public service. For some, it is the first time learning how local elections happen, how city services are delivered or what needs to be done after a weather event or city-wide call-to-action. Many former Hobby School interns pursue mission-oriented careers, and all take with them a greater understanding of civic engagement.
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Artist Talk Brings International Perspective
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Nadya Tolokonnikova, founder of the art collective Pussy Riot, sat down with Patricia Restrepo, curator at the Contemporary Art Museum Houston, for a wide-ranging discussion on art as a vehicle for disruption, embracing femininity, juxtaposition in art and public access to art that combines practice and theory at the University of Houston on April 17. Tolokonnikova also discussed the movement's emergence and global notoriety in 2012 following a provocative performance in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior, opposing the reelection of Vladimir Putin to the Russian presidency. The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts and the Elizabeth D. Rockwell Center on Ethics and Leadership hosted the capacity artist talk.
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U.S. Fulbright Scholar Checks in from Australia
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The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program allows professors to live and work abroad, sharing and expanding research and developing collaborative relationships. That is what Associate Professor Chris Bronk is doing this year in Australia as the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Cyber-Information-Influence at the Defence and Security Institute at the University of Adelaide. Bronk recently gave talks at Deakin University and Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology on cognition and computing in politics and met with colleagues at Monash University, La Trobe University and the University of Melbourne. In addition to academic pursuits and studying how cyberattacks and information influence public opinion and democracy, the cybersecurity expert is experiencing the sights, including the famous annual Australian Football League, where all 18 teams converged on Adelaide for a weekend of games.
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“My colleagues are amazing here and have helped me see the linkages between politics, computing and psychology to better understand the topic of information influence, which I am studying,” said Bronk. “Australian academia is world-class and produces some fantastic graduates and research.”
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Student Employees Support Hobby School Business
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Welcome new student employees Alex Corpuz and Maya Youts to the Hobby School business office. Corpuz is an accounting sophomore tasked with verifying financial records, organizing data and generating monthly fiscal reports that support the office's procedures and policies. On campus, the aspiring CPA performs with the Modern Dance Team, a hip-hop group, and is active with the UH Filipino Student Association and YoungLife organization. Youts studies economics and uses her passion for financial analysis to support reconciliation functions and analyze financial records. Youts is a triplet with two brothers at other Texas universities. Student employees perform vital services with enthusiasm and dedication while attending school. The two undergraduates are filling the shoes of valued student employees Andrew Wallace and Maria Duarte Salcedo. Wallace is a two-time Coog who earned his Master of Public Policy degree in May. He is among the Hobby School graduates representing the class of 2025. Salcedo graduated this spring with a degree in economics. She is looking for opportunities that blend economics, research and customer service.
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Hobby School faculty members and researchers contribute to conversations on topics that impact public policy and address Texans' opinions on issues of importance to the state and nation. Recent media coverage centered around the ceremonial groundbreaking on April 11 at the future site of the 42,000-square-foot state-of-the-art academic building for the Hobby School. Attended by University of Houston dignitaries, elected officials, advisory board members and members of the Hobby family, the event was covered by the Houston Business Journal, Houston Chronicle, Houston Style Magazine and higher education, real estate and construction media outlets. The City of Houston 2025 survey series, led by Hobby School researchers Renée Cross and Mark P. Jones, has garnered more than 40 media mentions in print, television and radio, including the Houston Chronicle, the Houston Business Journal, Houston Public Media, the Houston Press, AXIOS Houston and the Houston Defender, as well as national industry publications.
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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. Wednesday, May 21, 9 a.m.
“Houston Matters with Craig Cohen” featuring Hobby School’s Renée Cross
Listen Online 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 Monday, June 2
Last Day of 89th Texas Legislature
2025 Hobby Fellows Tuesday, June 3, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Graduate Program Information Session (Virtual)
Register Thursday, July 31
National Intern Day
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