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Issues Important to Texans
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In October, the Hobby School of Public Affairs and the Barbara Jordan–Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs released four reports in the 2025 Texas Trends Survey series, concluding the five-year project launched in 2021 to study the state’s evolving population and opinions. The first report asked likely Texas voters to weigh in on the 2026 primary elections, including the races for Texas Attorney General and U.S. Senate. The second report examined redistricting in the state and legislation passed during the second special session of the 89th Texas Legislature. In the third report, respondents were asked about the Trump administration’s immigration policies and enforcement actions. The final report in the statewide survey focused on household energy usage and energy burden in Texas. During the Oct. 28 “Houston Matters with Craig Cohen” show, Associate Director of the Center for Public Policy Gail Buttorff discussed the financial strain energy bills are putting on Texans, the factors that threaten to worsen affordability and the communities that are most affected.
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Report Tracks Frontrunners in Historic District Race
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A survey from the Hobby School asked registered voters in Texas Congressional District 18 to weigh in on the crowded race for the vacant seat in the historic district to identify frontrunners, runoff considerations and policy areas of concern. Without a primary election to determine party nominees, 16 candidates of all parties are eligible to be on the special election ballot. Principal investigators Renée Cross and Mark P. Jones also examined hypothetical 2026 runoffs between different pairs of the top three projected finishers on Election Day. During the Oct. 22 “Houston Matters with Craig Cohen” show, Senior Executive Director Renée Cross shared highlights of the latest political developments, including findings from the recent survey, which found Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee and former Houston City Council Member Amanda Edwards, both Democrats, locked in as the top choices of voters.
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2026 Public Officials of the Year Award Nominations
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In 2019, Dan Davis became the youngest member elected to the Manvel City Council and, in 2023, was elected mayor after building a reputation as an innovative thinker with a collaborative approach. His people-oriented leadership earned him recognition at the 2025 Public Officials of the Year Awards hosted by the Master of Public Administration program. Nominations for the 2026 Public Officials of the Year Awards and the Pioneer Award are being accepted through Friday, Dec. 5. Submissions will be reviewed by a selection committee led by the Hobby School Alumni Association. The awards ceremony benefits student scholarships and underscores the graduate program's public service principles. The 2026 luncheon will be held on Friday, Mar. 27, 2026, at the UH Hilton in the Conrad Hilton Ballroom. Registration and networking begin at 11 a.m., and the luncheon starts at noon.
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Don’t Miss the Student and Alumni Mixer, Nov. 10
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The Hobby School Fall Mixer is on Monday, Nov. 10, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Station 3. This annual gathering brings together Hobby School students, alumni and community partners to network and celebrate the Hobby Leadership Award recipients. Whether you are a current student, a recent graduate or a longtime supporter, this is a great opportunity to share experiences, meet mentors and explore ways to further the Hobby School’s impact on public service. Location and Parking Station 3, one of Houston’s original fire stations repurposed as a special events venue, is located near Downtown Houston at the intersection of Spring Street and Houston Avenue. Complimentary parking is available adjacent to the building and behind the Houston Ave. and Spring 44 bus stop.
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A Conversation with Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom S. Ramsey
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On the latest episode of Hobby Talks, Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom S. Ramsey shares insight into the inner workings of county government. He guides listeners through key components of the new fiscal year budget and his office’s priorities, including continued progress in addressing complex issues such as flood mitigation, public safety and infrastructure. Commissioner Ramsey oversees one of the fastest-growing areas in Harris County, spanning from Cypress to Baytown, with Tomball and Huffman to the north and the Memorial Villages and Spring Branch to the south. He has served as Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner since 2020. Listen to the podcast episode on a popular podcast application.
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Texas's Redistricting Plan: The Race to Control Congress
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Hobby School Senior Research Fellow Richard Murray broke down the proposed Texas maps, explaining what the newly drawn congressional districts mean for Texans and the balance of power in Congress, in a Hobby Talks episode with podcast host Jim Granato. He reflected on his decades-long career at the University of Houston and introduced listeners to his new newsletter, Letter from Texas, discussing the latest issue, which focused on the critical role Latino voters play in the future of politics in the state.
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Global Honor Society Welcomes Hobby School Students
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Dean Jim Granato welcomed ten Hobby School students to 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 fall marks the sixteenth 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. Among this semester's inductees are students assigned to the Teaching Cities program learning about municipal government management and former Social Economy and Enterprise Academy members who helped nonprofits with data research and analysis projects. Congratulations to Alfredo Prieto Pe, Grayson Golden, Dominick Nieswiadomy, Joseph Quartey, Juliet Amponsah, Lila Hiett, Sophia Ilahi, Michael King, Niamh Gerdes and Tia Hufstetler.
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Order in the Classroom: DA Inspires Civic-Minded Students
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Fall Civic Houston Interns had the opportunity to hear from Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare. The two-time UH alumnus shared how his journey from corporate law to public service is helping him drive change in the criminal justice system. Since taking office in January, District Attorney Teare launched initiatives addressing homelessness, mental health and violent crime in the third largest county in the country. Sociology major Cesar Barcenas is assigned to the district attorney's office and is learning firsthand about the guiding principles of prosecutors and the importance of collaboration in improving public safety. Civic Houston Interns work in government, campaign and nonprofit offices, observing how public service impacts communities. Apply to be a Spring Civic Houston Intern Applications for spring interns will be accepted through Monday, Dec. 8. Juniors and seniors of any major are eligible to apply. Strong candidates have solid academic standing and a desire to improve their communities. The Civic Houston Internship Program is in its 29th year and is led by Jessica Ruland O’Connor.
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Speaker Shares Culture Tools with CPM Participants
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Kristine Gentry, founder of Culture Grove, joined the Certified Public Manager program for Track 5, which focuses on productivity and program evaluation. A cultural anthropologist and workplace strategist, Gentry helps organizations build values-driven cultures where people and performance thrive. Speaking to public service managers, Gentry introduced her C.U.L.T.U.R.E.™ framework, which offers practical tools for cultivating trust, accountability and belonging. Through real-world scenarios and open group discussions, Gentry demonstrated how one person can help shift workplace dynamics in a positive direction. Co-directed by the Hobby School’s Emily Janowski and professional executive management consultant Arquella Hargrove, the executive management program provides a comprehensive course of study for public sector managers to learn and apply best practices while strengthening their professional networks.
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Celebrating Excellence in Ethical Scholarship: 2025 Elizabeth D. Rockwell Article Prize Winners
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The Elizabeth D. Rockwell Center on Ethics and Leadership announces the winners of the 2025 Article Prize, awarded annually to recognize outstanding scholarship in ethics, leadership and public policy. The published articles are selected for their originality, intellectual rigor and potential to shape real-world understanding of ethical governance. Grand Prize Winner: Ryan Pevnick, associate professor of politics at New York University, earned top honors for his article, “The Representation-Enabling Approach to Campaign Finance Reform,” in the Free & Equal: A Journal of Ethics and Public Affairs. Pevnick offers a fresh framework for evaluating campaign finance systems, grounded in democratic theory. His work expands the conversation beyond corruption and influence related to the effective functioning of the system of representation, including accountability, electoral selection, voter competence and other core elements of a healthy representative democracy. First Runner-Up: Ben Jones and Désirée Lim, scholars at Penn State’s Rock Ethics Institute, were recognized for “The Ethics of Defunding the Police” in Perspectives on Politics. Their article reflects on how to assess the best proposals to defund the police within the context of the debate's politicized nature. It introduces a typology of defund proposals and applies ethical principles of defensive force to assess the legitimacy of policing practices. The Elizabeth D. Rockwell Center supports research and dialogue that illuminates the ethical dimensions of public life.
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Speaker Challenges AI Assumptions
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The Elizabeth D. Rockwell Center on Ethics and Leadership welcomed digital media scholar Safiya Umoja Noble to campus to deliver the 2025 Elizabeth D. Rockwell Distinguished Lecture. In a powerful talk, Noble challenged the neutrality of generative AI and commercial search engines. Noble is the best-selling author of "Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism" and a 2021 recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship. She encouraged students in the audience to take on big problems and recognize the complexity of today's data-driven world. In an Oct. 16 segment on the "Houston Matters with Craig Cohen" show, the internet studies expert emphasized how corporate priorities and social hierarchies shape digital design. The next lecture in the "Rebooting Our Relationship with Tech" series is Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, with cultural historian and media scholar Siva Vaidhyanathan in the Rockwell Pavilion at the M.D. Anderson Library. The presentation on how social media disconnects us and undermines democracy is the 2026 Richard Gelwick Endowed Lecture, named in honor of ordained minister and scholar Richard Gelwick.
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New Team Members Join the Hobby School
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The Hobby School continues to grow its commitment to education, research and civic engagement with the addition of new team members whose work supports students, programs and policy research. Communications Manager Celeste Zamora checked in with them to learn more about their work and move to the school.
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Falon Boehm, Multimedia Specialist, Communications and Marketing
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As the visual storyteller and social media manager, Falon Boehm brings the school’s mission and stories to life through dynamic imagery and video, highlighting the voices of students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners. A Houston-area native, she is a proud University of Houston alumna with a bachelor's degree in communications from the Jack J. Valenti School of Communication. Before joining the Hobby School, Falon was a multimedia production teacher and social media manager at Houston Heights High School.
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What are you looking forward to at the Hobby School? "The aspects of the Hobby school that I am looking forward to are seeing how students are learning to engage professionally in their communities, whether they are public or non-profit, and getting to showcase that engagement in an intriguing way." What advice do you have for students? “My advice to students is to always ask questions and get plenty of sleep! It's better to ask for clarification than miss something, and coffee can't fix everything! (It fixes a lot, but not everything.)”
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Kailey Moore, Program Manager, Student Services
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The Hobby School is strengthening its commitment to civic engagement and experiential learning with the addition of Kailey Moore, the new program manager in student services. Moore provides project management and administrative support for the school's undergraduate internships and executive education programs. Kailey earned her bachelor's degree at the University of Texas at Austin and is pursuing a Master of Public Policy at the Hobby School. She possesses a range of skills and a diverse professional background, including user experience and interface design, youth camp instruction and secondary-level teaching.
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What drew you to the Hobby School? “As a graduate student, I've been immersed in the culture of the Hobby School since August and have loved it since day one. There's a palpable sense of enthusiasm and warmth that permeates the culture, and I'm thrilled to be part of it. I'm eager to contribute my ideas to the various programs and events, and help expand opportunities for students.” What advice would you give Hobby School students? “I'm going to borrow from Nike for this one and say ‘Just Do It.’ Go to the event. Apply for the scholarship. Reach out to that professor. Try that thing that you think you can't do. Fail and learn from it. Just. Do. The. Thing! You don't need permission or perfection. Learning is a series of failures that fertilize the seeds of success.”
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Soran Mohtadi, Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Public Policy
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Meet Soran Mohtadi, a postdoctoral fellow at the Hobby School working on energy policy research for the Center for Public Policy. He previously worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and as a lecturer at Washington State University’s School of Economic Sciences. He studies topics in applied microeconomics with a focus on the intersection of energy and resource economic development.
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What aspects of your research are you most excited about? "My work examines how natural resource wealth and energy policies shape social and economic outcomes, particularly in the context of inequality and sustainable development. Collaborating with colleagues at the Hobby School and UH Energy provides a unique opportunity to connect empirical energy research with actionable policy insights that can inform decision-making at both the state and national levels." What attracted you to the opportunity? “Houston’s role as a global energy hub makes it an especially exciting place to conduct policy-relevant research that can inform both local and global transitions toward a more sustainable and equitable future. I’m looking forward to collaborating with colleagues on research that connects energy-related issues to real-world policy challenges.”
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The Texas Trends Survey report series and an election survey on the contested Texas Congressional District 18 race earned over 90 media citations in October. Coverage included national outlets such as The Hill, Newsweek, Politico and Roll Call, as well as prominent state and regional outlets that featured the findings. The principal investigators gave commentary on several talk shows, broadcast stations and publications to discuss survey highlights. Cybersecurity expert Chris Bronk was a guest on Houston Public Media's new weekday program, "Hello Houston," to explain how the Amazon Web Services software update upended online communities and what it meant for everyday users. Center for Public Policy Director Pablo Pinto contributed to a conversation on the "Hello Houston" show about financial insecurity in the region, sharing insights from a SPACE City Panel report on household perceptions of the economy. 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.
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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. Monday, Nov. 10, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Student and Alumni Mixer Station 3, 1919 Houston Avenue Register Monday, Dec. 1 Spring 2026 Graduate Programs Domestic Application Deadline Learn More Tuesday, Dec. 2, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Virtual Graduate Programs Information Session Register Friday, Dec. 5 Master of Public Administration Program’s Public Officials of the Year Award Nominations Deadline Nominate a Public Service Leader Monday, Dec. 8 Spring 2026 Civic Houston Internship Program Application Deadline Apply
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