The LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin is excited to announce two new speaker series designed to strengthen democracy and develop public leaders. Guests from across political and public life, and from both sides of the aisle, including U.S. Congressman Tony Gonzales (R-San Antonio) and State Rep. Victoria Neave Criado (D-Dallas), and others, will make the LBJ School a destination for those seeking to explore critical issues in public policy.
“I am excited to host two new speaker series starting at the LBJ School this Spring,” said JR DeShazo, dean of the LBJ School. “The LBJ School is a hub for engaging local and state policymakers and a front door to issues of public policy.”
The “Renewing Democracy” series, hosted by the newly launched Patman Center for Civic and Political Engagement at The University of Texas at Austin, features bipartisan conversations on effective civic leadership with today’s political professionals. “Renewing Democracy” kicks off on Thursday, January 25, with a session titled “Civic Leadership: Stories from the Field” featuring former U.S. Representative Kenny Marchant (R-TX) and Texas State Senator Sarah Eckhardt (D-Austin). The series, free and designed for UT students, aspiring public policy professionals and the general public, will take place at the LBJ School throughout the semester, starting at 12:15 pm.
Future sessions and speakers include:
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“Voter Registration and Voting” with Dallas County Elections Administrator Heider Garcia (Feb.1)
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“Building Coalitions” with NextGen America President Cristina Tzintzun Ramirez and former Director of External Affairs for the Alliance for School Choice Randan Steinhauser (Feb. 20)
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“Public Deliberation” with former Texas State Representative Sherri Greenberg (D-Austin) and former Texas State Representative Larry Gonzalez (R-Round Rock) (April 2).
Click here to register and view upcoming “Renewing Democracy” events.
“We are thrilled to kick-off the speaker series and bring active political professionals to the LBJ School to teach the next generation key skills they will need to become effective civic leaders,” said Executive Director of The Patman Center, Emily Bhandari. “Our hope is that the learning opportunities bridge the gap between theory and real-life scenarios that our students will encounter in their careers and throughout their lives as engaged citizens.”
Evan Smith, co-founder and former CEO of The Texas Tribune and now a Professor of Practice, is once again teaching a class called The Politics and Issues of the Election Cycle. Designed for LBJ students, the class typically features some of the most powerful and celebrated names in politics and policy as guests. All semester long on Mondays from 1-2pm, the guests will be candidates running for office in 2024. The discussions between Evan and those guests will be billed as “Conversations with the Candidates” and, for the first time, will be open to the entire LBJ School Community.
Speakers include:
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U.S. Representatives Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, and Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio
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State Rep. Victoria Neave Criado, D-Dallas, who’s running for state Senate
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State Senator Roland Guitierrez, D-San Antonio, who’s running for U.S. Senate
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State Rep. Brian Harrison, R-Midlothian, on the ballot for reelection
A limited number of seats are available. View the schedule and RSVP here.
“I’m so excited to bring the campaign season to life at the LBJ School,” Smith said. “There’s no better way to understand the stakes this cycle and the choices before us than spending time with the candidates themselves.”
For updates and more information on LBJ School events, subscribe to our event newsletter or visit lbj.utexas.edu.
Both series are made possible by The Patman Center for Civic and Political Engagement.