Public policy & society

Jan 9, 2024 by Dee Dee Flynn

Queen'Esther Pompee is an undergraduate student at the University of Colorado Denver where she majors in Public Administration from the School of Public Affairs. We sat down with Queen to find out more about her research on the housing crisis in Colorado and her recent honors.

Oct 3, 2023

The National Academy of Public Administration today announced that 60 leaders in the field of public administration, including School of Public Affairs Associate Dean and Professor Christine Martell, have been selected for the 2023 Class of Academy Fellows.

Mar 20, 2023

Democracy was in focus at CU Denver when Nobel Peace Prize recipient Dmitry Muratov recently visited the campus on a blustery Colorado Tuesday. The all-day event was hosted by the School of Public Affairs (SPA) and coincided with the school’s 50th anniversary, the launch of the Center on Policy and Democracy, and the newly re-energized Herrick Roth Lecture Series on Democracy. Students, alumni, faculty, staff, and members of the community gathered to hear the Russian journalist speak on topics like the role independent media, higher education, and world citizens play in creating peace and sustaining democracy.

Feb 28, 2023

This year, as CU Denver celebrates its own golden anniversary, SPA is also celebrating 50 years of education, research, and outreach that helps cities and communities operate better and more equitably.

Feb 28, 2023

Look around you: From roads that link neighborhoods to city governments that introduce recycling programs, to people that raise funds to build playgrounds and concert venues, our world is shaped by civics and public affairs. And students who are interested in a career in these sectors can make big impacts in their communities. At CU Denver, students can choose an educational path that focuses on public administration or public affairs—but how do these degree choices differ?

Feb 27, 2023 by Toula Wellbrook

CU Denver’s new Center for Policy Democracy, (CPD) housed at the School of Public Affairs and co-directed by Professors Tanya Heikkila and Chris Weible, hosted the inaugural Conference on Policy Process Research (COPPR) on the Auraria Campus from January 12 to 14, 2023. Of the nearly 400 policy process researchers who attended the hybrid conference, more than half represented institutions outside the U.S. An evening reception was hosted at the Tivoli Turnalle on January 13.

Jan 31, 2024 by Ellen Patterson

As a Director at Community Solutions, Melanie works directly with communities and partners to build and improve systems to end homelessness using data, quality improvement and problem-solving tools from multiple sectors. She is a leader on the Built for Zero team, where she oversees a portfolio of large-scale change partnerships and social impact investments in the United States and abroad. Prior to joining Community Solutions in 2014, Melanie spent six years with the City and County of Denver where she served as the Partnerships Manager for Denver’s Road Home, focusing on policy development, regional collaboration and strategic partnerships.

Jan 24, 2024 by Ellen Patterson

Over the past decade, Deena Duwaik’s unwavering commitment has been directed towards serving diverse communities, spanning regions across the globe – Jordan, Morocco, Thailand, and Kenya. Coming from a family of Palestinian refugees, Deena has a special place in her heart for immigrant and refugee communities that feeds her passion for this work. In her current role with the Human Rights and Community Partnerships Agency at the City and County of Denver, Deena is dedicated to supporting government entities in cultivating the most inclusive and accessible processes for their programs. This involves navigating the intricate web of policies to ensure that services effectively reach and serve diverse community members.

Dec 6, 2023 by Ellen Patterson

Thanks to her credentials from CU Denver as a Master of Public Administration and Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP), Alaina McWhorter catapulted her public service career from an entry- to mid-level financial analyst to a government affairs specialist advising executive leadership at the State Legislature, the City and County of Denver, and numerous nonprofit partners on best practices to achieve policy goals and program outcomes.

Nov 8, 2023 by Ellen Patterson

PhD in Public Affairs alumna Tracy Altman is the founder and Executive Director at Museum of AI, which produces immersive experiences and informal learning programs about artificial intelligence. Their mission is to explain AI so people are aware of its potential and pitfalls, and can apply it in their work and daily lives. Besides algorithms, they emphasize creative uses, decision making, public policy, and ethical considerations. They aim to improve technology learning through experience design.

Oct 25, 2023 by Ellen Patterson

Dallas Elgin is a research scientist at RTI International where he leads research and evaluation studies focused on increasing the effectiveness, equity, and efficiency of programs and policies designed to address adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and social determinants of health (SDOH) among children and families.