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As the new semester begins, Dean Jim Granato reflects on the momentum building at the Hobby School and a shared vision for expanding opportunities for students as the school enters its next phase of growth. This year marks the tenth anniversary as a standalone school, which continues to demonstrate the power of connecting classroom learning with public service. Look for lectures that challenge assumptions about democracy and technology, career readiness workshops led by the student affairs team, new insights from the SPACE City Panel, primary and general election surveys highlighting candidates and issues in an important midterm year, and applied research and collaborations across Texas and the nation that amplify the Hobby School’s impact and reach. Read the dean’s back-to-school message.
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Save the Date for a Toast and Roast of Dick Murray: Celebrating 60 Years at the University of Houston
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Save the date for one of the Hobby School’s most anticipated celebrations of the year. On Thursday, April 9, from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m., the Hobby School will honor University of Houston Professor Emeritus and Hobby School Senior Research Fellow Richard Murray, who is celebrating 60 years of teaching, research and public service, at the historic Eldorado Ballroom in Houston’s Third Ward. The evening will bring together the Hobby School community, former students, colleagues, friends and civic leaders for stories, humor and heartfelt tributes. Hosted at one of the city’s most iconic venues, the program will highlight Murray’s lasting influence on Texas politics and civic education. A fixture in local and state political discourse, Murray is widely respected as a pollster, scholar and mentor whose work has shaped generations of students. Since joining UH in 1966, he has helped strengthen public opinion research and expand experiential learning opportunities that continue to define the Hobby School today. Chaired by Hobby School Advisory Board member Kathryn McNiel and coordinated by Jessica Ruland O’Connor and Renée Cross, proceeds from the event will benefit the 2027 Hobby Fellows program, supporting students who will serve during the upcoming 90th Texas Legislature at the State Capitol.
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Letter from Texas: Asian American Voters and the Midterm Elections
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In this latest edition of Letter from Texas, author Richard Murray examines the growth of the Asian American population across the state and its political influence. Murray highlights Collin County, north of Dallas, and Fort Bend County, southwest of Houston, as the places where this impact is most pronounced. He explores recent voting patterns in these suburban communities, noting how Asian American voters in Texas mirror national trends. Murray also considers what these developments may signal for the midterm elections.
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Media Scholar Joins Hobby Talks
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Cultural historian and media scholar Siva Vaidhyanathan will headline the next Hobby Talks podcast episode, offering a timely look at how social media and artificial intelligence are reshaping democracy, civic discourse and the media and political landscapes. In conversation with Dean Jim Granato, Vaidhyanathan will discuss the influence of technology on news consumption and the challenges of navigating this moment of rapid technological change. Vaidhyanathan is a professor of media studies at the University of Virginia and the author of "Antisocial Media.” Listen to the episode on the Hobby School website or on a podcast application on Feb. 16. As part of his campus visit, Vaidhyanathan will deliver the 2026 Richard Gelwick Endowed Lecture at 4 p.m. on Feb. 5 in the Rockwell Pavilion at the MD Anderson Library. The talk is part of the Elizabeth D. Rockwell Center’s “Rebooting Our Relationship with Tech” lecture series, which explores the ethical implications of technologies such as algorithms, smartphones and search engines.
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MPA Awards Luncheon to Honor Local Public Officials, Student Scholars
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The public service community will gather at noon on Friday, March 27, in the Hilton University of Houston Conrad Grand Ballroom for the 2026 Public Officials of the Year Awards. Hosted by the Master of Public Administration program, the annual event will honor five Houston-area leaders who are making a difference through committed public service, ethical leadership and collaborative partnerships. The ceremony will also recognize two graduate candidates with the Kathleen P. Rubinstein Best Paper Awards for exemplary writing that demonstrates a strong command of graduate coursework and its real-world application. The program provides support for graduate student scholarships. Learn about ticket and table sponsorship opportunities.
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Public Service Legacy Lives on through Leland Fellows
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On Jan. 12, ten undergraduates and post-baccalaureate students began their congressional internships as Leland Fellows in the nation’s capital. The Washington, D.C., program was initiated by the late Congressman Mickey Leland, who represented Texas’s historic 18th Congressional District. The new cohort, led by Jessica Ruland O’Connor, includes students like Laisha Ramirez, whose commitment to public service is shaped by personal experience, campus involvement and local internship assignments through the Civic Houston Internship Program. Through her work in U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia’s office, the first-generation college student hopes to address community needs through policy solutions. She is joined by peers representing a variety of academic interests and backgrounds, from public policy and political science to English and psychology. As full-time congressional aides, Leland Fellows research legislation, collaborate with other offices and interact with constituents. This year, they will experience government on Capitol Hill during the primary election season, volunteer with area nonprofits tackling food insecurity, and build valuable skills and professional networks. Program support provides paid housing and monthly stipends, offering UH students a transformative opportunity. Three of the ten students are inaugural Leland-Coleman Fellows, earning an additional stipend funded by former state Rep. Garnet Coleman for conducting research on a pressing health policy issue in Texas. Rawan Barazi, Panagiotis Georgantas and Madison Rainwater will strengthen their writing skills and develop evidence-based policy recommendations through their research paper. Coleman was a driving force behind the school’s establishment in 2016 and remains a steadfast supporter of the Hobby School’s programs. Throughout his public service career, he has been one of the state’s leading champions for mental health policy and a consistent advocate for expanding access to health care for all Texans. The newest cohort of Leland Fellows are Rawan Barazi, Kailey DeLorenzo, Nekane Diaz Lopez, Hector Doratt, Panagiotis Georgantas, Kelly Nguyễn, Kylie Nichols, Ferah-Chukwu Odili, Madison Rainwater, and Laisha Ramirez.
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Murray Scholars: Models of Civic Engagement
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The latest recipients of the Richard Murray Endowed Scholarship are recognized for their dedication to public service. Sandra Teran and Cullen Watkins are public policy undergraduates with deep connections to Hobby School experiential learning opportunities. They will each receive $2,500 in recognition of their outstanding academic achievements, strong communication and interpersonal skills, and real-world experience. The scholarship honors Hobby School Senior Research Fellow Richard Murray, well known for his expertise in regional and state politics.
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Watkins is a senior who brings expertise from local campaigns and legislative work at the State Capitol as a 2025 Hobby Fellow. Before serving as a legislative aide in the 89th Texas Legislature, he interned with Houston Crackdown in the Mayor’s Office of Homeland Security and Public Safety through the Civic Houston Internship Program. Today, he serves as a district aide to state Rep. Charles Cunningham, and his policy interests include economic, drug and education reform.
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Teran is a first-generation college student and peer mentor in the UH Academic Achievers Program. She is a member of the Next Generation Leadership Academy and was selected to participate in the 2025 Next Generation Service Corps Summer Policy Academy, a competitive three-week professional development opportunity designed for emerging leaders interested in public service careers.
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Local Nonprofit Outreach Incorporates NextGen Input
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Members of the Next Generation Leadership Academy toured The Furniture Bank, a nonprofit that supports area families in need of a furnished home. The group, led by Emily Janowski, went behind the scenes to explore the organization’s logistics and operations. They were invited to brainstorm ways to expand the organization’s promotional reach, including student-led social media and outreach projects to raise awareness of its mission. Known for its “No Kids on the Floor” campaign, The Furniture Bank provides beds and healthy living environments for children in need. In addition to its two resale outlets and #NoKidsontheFloor initiatives, the nonprofit manufactures affordable mattresses, accepts donations, welcomes warehouse volunteers and works with partner agencies to host furniture drives. In 2025, it served 1,345 families, providing 12,651 pieces of furniture. The University of Houston’s leadership development program combines curriculum, experiential learning, student-led projects, mentorship and hands-on training to develop the next generation of public servants.
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Announcing the 2025–2026 NextGen Leadership Team
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The Next Generation Leadership Academy introduces its inaugural officers. These student leaders will guide the academy’s initiatives under the mentorship of Emily Janowski, foster collaboration opportunities and plan the spring service project. Chemical engineering senior Michelle Rodriguez will serve as president, leading meetings, representing the group at official functions and ensuring her peers gain the most from their experience as members of the national network. Vice President Rebecca Mejia, a senior in public policy, will assist in managing project logistics. Kerin Gomez, also a senior in public policy, joins as historian, documenting activities and sharing highlights with the Hobby School community. Applications for the 2026–27 cohort are open through May 29.
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AI Leader Provides Insights for Public Managers
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In November, the Certified Public Manager program class welcomed Kevin D. Jones, a military veteran, technology executive and higher education leader, as a guest speaker for a discussion on artificial intelligence and its growing impact on public service leadership. During his presentation, he offered leaders a high-level overview of AI tools, ethical considerations, and real-world implications for municipal and public-sector operations. Jones shared how leadership lessons from his military service informed his decision-making in both technology and governance. He also drew on his professional experience in information technology, including leadership roles at The Coca-Cola Company and as a technology startup co-founder, to help contextualize AI’s role in organizations. Co-directed by the Hobby School’s Emily Janowski and professional executive management consultant Arquella Hargrove, the 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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In December, the Hobby School sustained national and regional visibility, with media reporting focused on Texas electoral politics, Harris County governance, economic insecurity and Houston infrastructure issues. Research reports informed coverage of the U.S. Senate and Texas attorney general races, redistricting and voter sentiment, with mentions in CNN, Newsweek, The New York Times, The Texas Tribune, NPR and CBS News, alongside broad local pickup by Houston Public Media, the Houston Chronicle, KPRC and Texas Standard. The Space City Panel reports on economic and community well-being drove stories on food insecurity among Black and Hispanic families in Harris County, with insights from researchers Agustín Vallejo and María Perez-Argüelles. Additional coverage included policy analysis, Texas Trends reports findings and election research by Senior Executive Director Renée Cross and Senior Research Fellow Mark P. Jones. In a December opinion piece for the Houston Chronicle, Associate Professor Chris Bronk warned that inconsistent U.S. policy on advanced AI chips threatens America’s leadership in global technology. He argued that these chips are essential to AI research and that mixed policy signals could erode the country’s technological edge at a pivotal moment. In the past fiscal year, the Hobby School earned 2,149 news citations, connecting its research directly to real-world challenges, shaping public discourse and policy outcomes, and deepening understanding of the political and policy landscape.
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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. Thursday, Jan. 29, 1-2 p.m. Meet Hobby School Faculty and Staff Heritage Room (201), Bates Law Building Career Readiness Workshop Series
Lunch is provided with registration. Register Tuesday, Feb. 3, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Virtual Graduate Programs Information Session Register Thursday, Feb. 5, 4-5:30 p.m. "Antisocial Media: How Social Media Disconnects Us and Undermines Democracy" with Siva Vaidhyanathan Rockwell Pavilion, M.D. Anderson Library Register Monday, Feb. 16 Hobby Talks Podcast Episode: Social Media and Democracy Learn More Thursday, Feb. 18, 2-4 p.m. Application Portfolios Student Workshop Heritage Room (201), Bates Law Building Career Readiness Workshop Series Register Sunday, March 1 Fall 2026 Graduate Programs Domestic Application Deadline Learn More
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