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The LBJ Foundation honored Willie Nelson with the foundation's highest honor, the LBJ Liberty & Justice for All Award, at an outdoor gala on Friday, May 12, at the LBJ Presidential Library. Musicians Eric Church, Sam Hunt, Elle King and Lyle Lovett played musical tributes to Nelson and Mark K. Updegrove interviewed the Texas legend. Net proceeds from the gala will benefit the newly established Willie Nelson Endowment for Uplifting Rural Communities at the LBJ School. 

Philip Gurley graduated from the LBJ School with a master's in global policy in 2022. He currently works at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Chicago and caught up with his alma mater to reflect on his time at the school.

In a display of passion, intellect and dedication to public service, the LBJ School of Public Affairs Class of 2023 took center stage on May 6, prepared to make an indelible mark as future changemakers.

This year our achievements have set us apart as a leading institution in public policy education. 
I want to express my deepest gratitude to our incredible faculty, staff, students, alumni, and supporters. It is because of you that we continue to thrive as an example of excellence in shaping the future of public policy leadership.

Geoff Carlisle was an eighth-grade science and sex education teacher for 12 years, both in Mississippi and Texas. He found himself consistently frustrated by policies that were out of touch with the realities of classroom teaching and clearly not informed by individuals with teaching experience.

The LBJ School Class of '23 will graduate with the skills the world needs most: the leadership to get big things done together, the training to craft effective public policy, and the know-how to make a better world possible.

We're proud to highlight the sustainability efforts of LBJ School faculty experts in honor of Earth Day and every day.

Joellen M. Austin is an experienced executive with 16 years in the senior executive service and 33 years at the National Institutes of Health. In her time after the LBJ School, she's demonstrated a record of success working in the federal government and research sector with direct provision of administrative operations, IT, budget, ethics, contracting, grants, human resources, labor and employee relations.

The LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas ranked in the U.S. News & World (USNW) Report’s “Top 10” overall programs for the sixth consecutive year. The new ranking places the LBJ School in the top 3.7 percent of all public policy schools in the nation.

The LBJ School of Public Affairs convened researchers and policymakers for a discussion on the needs of aging adults in Texas and the United States at the Livability for Longevity Symposium on April 17.