Dean of the LBJ School of Public Affairs; J. J. “Jake” Pickle Regents Chair in Public Affairs; Lyndon B. Johnson Centennial Chair in National Policy
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As the 12th dean of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin, JR DeShazo leads one of the nation’s premier public policy schools, ranked No. 1 in Texas and uniquely positioned within a top-tier research university in one of America’s most innovative hubs of government, commerce and technology. Founded in 1970 by President Lyndon B. Johnson to expand access to the halls of power, the LBJ School offers a range of nationally ranked degree programs that prepare students to take on society’s most pressing challenges.
Since arriving in Austin in 2021, DeShazo has bolstered the LBJ School’s reputation as a center for impactful policy education and research – mirroring the rising global profile of UT Austin. His focus on expanding academic reach, enhancing faculty research and enriching the student experience has driven growth in enrollment, research output, financial stability and academic programming.
Under DeShazo’s leadership, the LBJ School will launch its first undergraduate program – the Bachelor of Public Affairs – in fall 2025. This landmark initiative represents the school’s inaugural foray into undergraduate education after over 50 years of exclusively graduate-level offerings. The new program aims to build on the school’s legacy of cultivating public service leaders by equipping students with essential skills in policy analysis, data analytics, communication and organizational leadership.
A distinguished scholar and public policy expert, DeShazo specializes in clean technology policy, environmental equity and environmental economics. His expertise has made him a sought-after advisor for prestigious international organizations, including the World Bank and the United Nations, as well as U.S. federal agencies like the National Science Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Before joining UT Austin, DeShazo spent two decades at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he led both the Department of Public Policy and the Luskin Center for Innovation, a research center dedicated to addressing challenges local to California through actionable research in collaboration with impacted communities and policymakers. During this time, DeShazo and the Luskin Center played a critical role in helping state and civic leaders develop new policies in a variety of areas, including energy, transportation, environmental issues and water resources.
DeShazo’s academic career and leadership journey have been shaped by his experiences overcoming a childhood learning disability, which continues to fuel his passion for expanding educational access and opportunities. DeShazo holds a doctorate in Urban Planning from Harvard University, a Master of Development Economics from Oxford University and a bachelor’s degree from the College of William & Mary, where he was the first-ever Rhodes Scholar for America’s second oldest university.