As a valued member of the Hobby School community, we are excited to share the accomplishments and progress we have achieved together over the past two fiscal years in the latest impact report. The report celebrates the transformative changes and initiatives shaping the Hobby School.

Your ongoing contributions and belief in our mission have played a pivotal role in establishing the Hobby School as a premier source of public affairs education, research and civic engagement. Highlights include welcoming the Master of the Public Administration faculty, program and students into the Hobby School. Additionally, our innovative partnerships with The Volcker Alliance, Cougar Initiative to Engage, peer Texas public policy education schools and other mission-oriented organizations have contributed to our growth and continue to underscore our culture of collaboration.

The realization of planning for a new building, vital research initiatives and numerous other achievements are a direct result of your support, and we hope the FY22-23 Impact Report expresses our gratitude and hope for the future.

As we continue to reach greater heights, I invite you to stay engaged with the Hobby School. We want your involvement in student activities, events, research and interactions with our faculty and staff to be part of our sustained impact.

Jim Granato, PhD
Dean
Hobby School of Public Affairs
University of Houston

Highlights

Expanding the Footprint

The Hobby School introduced bachelor’s degrees in public policy in the spring of 2022 with students such as Abraham Guzman, Jr., a transfer student from San Jacinto College. Guzman wanted to pursue a public policy degree to examine the issues affecting his community, such as housing, healthcare, environmental protections and immigration.

Hobby School Ranked Among Top Pollsters

RealClearPolitics, a non-partisan political news website and polling data aggregator, ranked the Hobby School among the most accurate state pollsters in the nation. Several research initiatives and reports made prominent local, statewide and national news headlines or were featured at city-wide events attended by various stakeholders.

Transformative Public Service Experiences

The 2023 Hobby Fellows made their mark in Austin during a historic legislative session with a record-breaking budget surplus. Eleven University of Houston undergraduates and post-baccalaureates drafted and analyzed bills, staffed assigned committees, conducted research and worked with constituents at the Texas State Capitol during the 88th Texas Legislature.

Lectures on Ethics and Leadership

Professor and legal scholar Anita Hill delivered the 2023 Elizabeth D. Rockwell Distinguished Lecture on Ethics and Leadership to a capacity audience. Hill testified against then-U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas in 1991 with allegations of workplace sexual harassment, bringing the conversation into the public consciousness and becoming a leading voice on gender equality.