News

Alan Thomas

Alumni Spotlight: Alan Thomas (Master of Public Affairs '94)

April 19, 2023

Alan Thomas (MPAff '94) specialized in national security at the LBJ School before he became a federal political appointee. Thomas ultimately became an operating executive with more than 25 years of delivering mission-critical programs, championing large-scale digital transformation initiatives, and building deep functional expertise in acquisition and procurement. Thomas is currently the chief solutions officer at Leadership Connect, a vital service in relationship-building for policymakers and public sector professionals nationwide.

Amy Knitt Eskew

Alumni Spotlight: Amy Knitt Eskew (Executive Master of Public Leadership EMPL '16)

April 14, 2023

Amy Knitt Eskew is the president and CEO of Texas Healthcare Trustees, a statewide association comprised of Texas hospitals, health systems, and the 3,000 board members who govern those organizations.

Future of Public Policy Schools in texas event graphic

Summit: The future of Texas public policy schools

April 10, 2023

Texas public policy schools convened in Houston last month for a summit aimed at shaping the future of public policy education.

moroney_ebarb_alumni_feature

Alumni Spotlight: Tina Moroney-Ebarb (Master of Public Affairs '22)

April 10, 2023

Tina Moroney-Ebarb is a broadband program coordinator in the Texas Broadband Development Office within the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. More recently, Moroney-Ebard obtained her Texas contract manager certification and helped her office apply for ARPA and IIJA funds, which could make them eligible for up to $4 billion in federal funds for broadband development and digital equity programs. A big part of her job is to work with her team to formulate and execute a vision for evaluating upcoming broadband deployment application submissions.

Lebermann Foundation boosts transformational health policy research at the LBJ School

April 4, 2023

Transformational health policy research gets a major boost at the LBJ School thanks to a gift from the Lebermann Foundation in honor of Lowell Henry Lebermann, Jr., a three-term Austin City Council member, former University of Texas System regent and a civic, cultural and business leader.

headshot of Matt Zeismer (MGPS) with burnt orange design

Alumni Spotlight: Matt Ziesmer (Master of Global Policy Studies '22)

March 30, 2023

Then U.S. Navy liaison Matt Ziesmer (MGPS '22) embarked on a master's program at LBJ while working remotely from Singapore. Despite attending classes at odd hours, he completed his Master of Global Policy Studies with an Indo-Pacific regional specialization. Now, Matt, a foreign area officer, is in California for Korean language training before returning to work on Navy policy in South Korea or Singapore. He tells us about his professional journey and the LBJ camaraderie he experienced, from afar.

Jamie McAllister headshot

Alumni Spotlight: Jamie McAllister (Master of Public Affairs)

March 24, 2023

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. 

headshot of Jaime Lizárraga

The Honorable Jaime Lizárraga named 2023 graduation speaker at UT Austin’s Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs

March 22, 2023

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.

Kids playing hopscotch at PE

Physical Education Policies in Schools Have Not Curbed Childhood Obesity

March 21, 2023

Laws that require physical education (PE) in elementary schools are not curbing the obesity epidemic, according to a new study from public policy researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Iowa.

Willie Nelson Headshot by Pamela Springsteen

Willie Nelson Cements His Legacy as an Advocate for Rural America Through New Endowment

March 21, 2023

Willie Nelson’s lifelong advocacy for rural America has found its home through a new endowment at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin.