Month: September 2025

From Classroom to Commission: Finding the SPP 4+1 “Fast-Track” to Success

A chance encounter with a fellow undergrad introduced Tommy Dowd to the 4+1 program. A course that sounded interested introduced him to the IMRP and a research opportunity that would lead to his current role as the program assistant for the Connecticut Sentencing Commission. Read on to see his MPP “Fast-Track” to his first professional role…

Students Contemplate Voting Access on National Voter Registration Day

Students in IMRP Director Andrew Clark’s Intro to Public Policy course recently stepped beyond the classroom and into Connecticut’s Old State House to explore topics of democracy and voting access. The visits, held just blocks from UConn Hartford, included a tour of the historic site and a National Voter Registration Day roundtable co-hosted with the Connecticut Democracy Center. Students engaged panelists on issues ranging from compulsory voting in other democracies to recent changes in Connecticut expanding early voting and “no excuse” absentee ballots…

SPP Students Gain Policy Experience in Washington, D.C. 

Two students from UConn’s Master of Public Policy (MPP) and Master of Public Administration (MPA) programs traded classroom work for the nation’s capital this summer, immersing themselves in federal policy work. Read more about their experiences in higher education access and election integrity.