Alumni Spotlights & Events

From an internship with a consulting firm to managing disaster recovery efforts at FEMA, this public servant's career journey exemplifies the importance of being flexible and exploring all options, reminding us that the path to our dream job may take unexpected turns. Keep reading to learn more about LBJ alumna Jamie McAllister's (MPAff 2010) career path. 

The Honorable Jaime Lizárraga, an LBJ School graduate with more than 3 decades of public service experience, will return to The University of Texas at Austin in May to deliver the graduation address to the class of 2023.

Samer Yousif (MGPS-DC '18) is the CEO of BLCK VC, a nonprofit that equips Black investors with the access, education and community they need to accelerate their careers in venture capital. He is a SXSW 2023 speaker on racial justice and the tech ecosystem space. When he was inspired to action, he said LBJ gave him the policymaking and advocacy tools to be effective. 

LBJ alumna Sarah Hamill (MPAff '22) studied sex education reform at the LBJ School. Now, she is the founder of Birds N' Bees Box, a business focused on reproductive wellness and access to menstrual and sexual health products and services. She grew her community engagement skills while studying at the LBJ School - skills that she says are invaluable to her business. 

Stacey Abrams (MPAff '98) is a voting rights champion and the founder of Fair Fight. She served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2007 to 2017, serving as minority leader from 2011 to 2017. In 2018, she was the first Black woman in U.S. history to become a major party's gubernatorial nominee and won more votes than any other Democrat in Georgia's history.

The regular session of the 88th Texas Legislature kicked off on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023 and will run through May 29. Sherri Greenberg, a former Texas state representative and the LBJ School’s Dean for State and Local Government, gives us an inside look and shares her tips for a career at the Lege.

Austin City Council voted to name LBJ School Alumnus Jesús Garza (MPAff '77) as interim city manager.

Irvin Ashford Jr. is the Chief Community Officer at Comerica Bank and a 1994 graduate of the LBJ School of Public Affairs. In 2022, Ashford was named one of the Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America by Savoy Magazine. 

The DC Concentration aims to transition LBJ DC Fellows into the federal policy workforce a full semester earlier than traditional public policy programs.

The LBJ School at The University of Texas at Austin has named the winners of the 2022 outstanding alumni awards: filmmaker and producer Bird Runningwater (MPAff '96) and disability advocate Chris R