It was a busy week here in the Department of Public Policy as students, faculty, and staff hit their third week of the semester.
Monday marked the first GAPPS-ICMA meeting. They spent time introducing association goals for the year and soliciting ideas from new students. Stay tuned for details on upcoming events, volunteering and learning opportunities hosted by GAPPS-ICMA!
On Tuesday, the DPP traveled with the School of Social Work (SSW) to the New York City Idealist Fair. The DPP’s Outreach Coordinator and SSW’s Admissions Recruiter were able to speak with a variety of students from the NYC area. They will be in Boston on Monday.
Tuesday also included the launch of the DPP Ambassador program. The program is designed to have current students interact with prospective students through a variety of events including one-on-one conversations, class visits, and fairs. To participate, please email Outreach Coordinator Lian Kish.
Wednesday and Thursday were quite eventful, with opportunities to meet new students on the Storrs campus. The DPP staff and faculty attended the Campus Change and Transfer Resource Fair and the Political Science Open House on Wednesday. On Thursday they visited undergraduate economics classes.
Speaking of economics, it was reported on Wednesday that Professor Eric Brunner’s 2018 co-authored research on K-12 school funding was pivotal in the development of a $9 billion education construction bond in California. The bond will go to vote in March 2020, for a total of $15 billion to fund new facilities for schools from kindergarten all the way through the state’s colleges and universities.
On Friday, faculty, staff, and students of the DPP joined UConn President Katsouleas for a Coffee Hour at the UConn Hartford Bookstore. He discussed his vision for the future of UConn and was excited to meet more students and staff on the Hartford Campus.
Later on Friday morning, representatives from the DPP and the CT Office of the State Comptroller presented findings from a report on behalf of the Governor’s Council on Women and Girls. Their report entitled “The Connecticut State Workforce: An Analysis of Representations and Compensation Equity Across Gender and Race-Ethnicity” made national news earlier this year. DPP Department Head, Professor Mohamad Alkadry spoke at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford with CT State Comptroller Director of Communications and current MPA Fellow, Tara Downes, and Assistant State Comptroller, Michelle Gilman.