Category: Alumni Spotlight

Sophie is a Visiting Scholar with the Prevention, Peacebuilding and Protracted Crises Program of NYU’s Center for International Cooperation, as well as a non-resident fellow with the Brookings Institution Foreign Policy Program, having recently completed a Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellowship based at both institutions.

Marco Mascorro (he/him) is an educator, engineer, immigration advocate, soccer coach, and analyst at Goldman Sachs. Marco is the descendant of a long line of Native American bean and corn farmers. A first-generation immigrant who moved to the U.S. from Mexico at age 5, he graduated from The University of Texas at Dallas with a major in Political Science and a minor in Finance.

Eve Gersh, a recent Bachelor of Science in Public Policy graduate from UT Dallas, attended the American Evaluation Association (AEA) Summer Institute in Washington, D.C. The institute offered professional development workshops and facilitated valuable connections with various professionals, including those working in tribal government relations, a field she is interested in exploring. She also engaged […]

I have always been fascinated by the sociology and psychology behind why people commit crimes. I originally wanted to be a defense attorney that defended the rights of individuals in the court of law, but decided I was more interested in helping individuals heal from things that may be caused by victimization.

I chose International Political Economy as my major because of the way it combined several things I was passionate about. The entire major promotes interdisciplinary study while still allowing for the flexibility to do things like study abroad. In addition, I have found IPE faculty and students to be some of the most involved and supportive on campus.

I aim to become a Spatial Data Scientist—an explorer who merges the worlds of data and geography.

Use your time at UTD to experience as many different things as you can. EPPS degrees are also very flexible, so don’t feel limited in your career choices.

I chose to study IPE with a minor in Ethnic studies because of my interest in and connection to global affairs and social justice. As someone who comes from a diverse cultural background, I am drawn to the intricate relationships between politics and ethnic and cultural diversity.

I have always been interested in what constitutes good governance and the reasons why people vote the way they do.

I am still in touch with a number of classmates from my time at UTD.  Most of them were fellow teammates on law-related competition teams (mock trial or mediation), and when we’re all in town, we try to catch up over lunch or dinner.  We made so many great memories during our time together which has helped us maintain that bond even after graduating.   

My EPPS education sets the foundation for how I facilitate my own classes. When I build my courses and think about content and assignments, the first thing I do is put myself in the shoes of my
students.

Throughout my graduate student career, I have routinely sought out opportunities to improve my teaching skills. For example, I have participated in various workshops, training programs, and initiatives that offered me new insights regarding cutting-edge pedagogical skills and strategies. These skills and strategies are those that I now implement daily in the classroom.

It’s incredibly unique that UTD even offers an IPE degree at the undergraduate level, and as someone interested in the intersection of science, technology, and public policy, I’m so thankful that I’ve been able to take courses focused on those intersections.

Throughout my graduate student career, I have routinely sought out opportunities to improve my teaching skills. For example, I have participated in various workshops, training programs, and initiatives that offered me new insights regarding cutting-edge pedagogical skills and strategies. These skills and strategies are those that I now implement daily in the classroom.

Throughout my graduate student career, I have routinely sought out opportunities to improve my teaching skills. For example, I have participated in various workshops, training programs, and initiatives that offered me new insights regarding cutting-edge pedagogical skills and strategies. These skills and strategies are those that I now implement daily in the classroom.

I graduated with a Master of Science in Criminology from UTD in 2016, and a Ph.D. from UT Arlington. Since graduation, I found and followed my passion for teaching and research.

The main focus of my research is based on examining active offenders and their decision making process to commit crime. Society often questions why an individual decides to commit a crime, and more specifically why that person selected a specific location or how they got involved in that particular type of crime. These answers could be found by asking the offenders to analyze their motivations and justifications in deciding to commit crime. Therefore, in order to complete this task, I go out to the field to conduct interviews with active offenders who are involved in various types of criminal activity.

I am greatly appreciative for the opportunity to share with students my lifetime’s worth of experience working in schools, non-profits, and state agencies. Prior to becoming a professor, I started out working with elementary kids in non-profits, and then worked with middle and high school youth to provide them tools to overcome barriers. It was during my work as a practioner when I decided that I needed to earn my Ph.D. so I could share what I have learned in the field with the next generation. I am truly passionate and greatly enjoy being able to show others how the criminal justice field touches so many facets of our communities.

Truth be told, years ago when I was playing dodgeball with youth or when I was counseling a gang member, I never thought that I would be a professor. Early on in my career, I was happy simply seeing a youth pass a test or complete their probation. Now, I am thrilled to see my students graduate college and go on to start their career.

The key to success in EPPS is to be enthusiastic about learning and building a rapport with our amazing professors!

My interest in environmental policy led me to Geospatial Information Sciences. Although I originally entered as a Political Science major, I was interested in the hands-on research applications of GIS.

I think one of the biggest reasons I’ve been successful in the GIS program is because I’ve taken the opportunities that have been offered to me, even though they were out of my comfort zone: from classes I’ve never heard of to research in Guyana and GIS internships.

For me, studying public policy and/or political science means understanding the intersectionality of policy issues I am interested in. This includes the environment, economy, and equity.

Currently, I am the campaign manager for Dowd for Texas, which is a Democratic campaign for Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 2022. Since we just launched recently, a lot of my job currently involves organizing the internal structure of the campaign, setting up contracts with vendors & contractors, and setting our overarching strategy & tone of the campaign. Additionally, from my time at the Texas Capitol and previous campaigns, I’m reaching out to other elected officials around Texas to discuss meetings and possible support of our Campaign. My primary concern, daily, is to ensure that we are executing the appropriate actions so that we meet our goals and deadline. (I can expand on this, but I don’t want to get too partisan here).

Aditi Mutatkar is a former international Badminton player and has represented India in all major events including Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and World Championships. She is a Commonwealth Games silver medalist and was ranked 27 in the world in the year 2008 in women’s singles.

I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to study abroad in the Middle East and focus on language and area studies while also learning a lot about U.S. politics through EPPS, which absolutely helped me succeed later during graduate study at Harvard and now in Washington. 

I started my business because women kept coming to me for support in professional negotiations and career decision-making. Now, as a speaker, writer, and coach, I have the absolute pleasure of working with women who want to increase their impact and have a more profitable and fulfilling career.

My EPPS education in the Criminology program is the bedrock of my career. I appreciate how the program and faculty provided an education applicable to policy workers as well as academics. The union of theory and policy has been invaluable while conducting government research.

EPPS helped me develop a strong foundation that has helped me learn a great deal while working on the Hill. I owe the Bill Archer Fellowship Program and the Fred Hill Endowed Scholarship for the opportunity to intern for the House Budget Committee. Without the chance to take time to intern unpaid on the Hill, I would not be where I am in my career today.

Plan for what you want to do after EPPS while you are there — take advantage of your resources, including your colleagues and support staff. Take a statistics course, even if you don’t want to initially!

While enrolled in EPPS for undergrad, I had the opportunity to intern at a law firm in downtown Dallas. The experience of the internship while taking coursework really taught me about the intersection of the private and public sector. Having had extensive nonprofit professional experience, some of the principals discussed during my coursework days definitely resurfaced.

I work with consumer & sales data to identify product preferences, purchase behaviors, and optimal messaging strategies. I really enjoy the challenges of putting theory into practice and presenting complex statistical findings into relatable, actionable narratives.

I credit my EPPS education for allowing me to better understand the behaviors and social interactions of different groups and organizations as well honing my skills around analysis and understanding data. I feel that I am better equipped to handle situations in the workplace, deal with the “politics” that exist, and strengthen the relationships I build with the different areas of the business.

As a financial analyst with Mercer Capital, I work on the valuation of public and private companies, financial institutions, employee stock ownership plans, estate and gift tax planning, and other corporate entities. My favorite thing is the exposure to a variety of industries. 

Mary Elbanna BA ‘16, MPP ‘16, chief of staff for Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, discusses the value of her experiences at UT Dallas and her internships as a student. Elbanna’s first internship, which she discovered through UT Dallas, led to her jobs as campaign manager and chief of staff for Johnson.

Take advantage of the knowledge and connections of your professors. One of my summer internships and my involvement with a local political campaign were both experiences directly related to my classes. Connections like these can lead to great opportunities in the future, especially in the work place and with graduate programs.

Have goals and network. Networking is always one of the most important things you can do while in college, but networking with specific goals in mind will be the key to your success.

Working for Justice Murphy helped me with the basics like seeing the inside workings of a courtroom and how to approach the bench correctly.

As you go through life, almost everything can be taken from you, including your home, family, and friends. One thing that cannot be taken from you is your education. Once your degree is earned, it’s yours for life. Treasure and value your education.

Gain practical experience through internships, fellowships, join organizations and travel.

My job requires frequent cross-cultural communication, strategic thinking, and analytical skills. EPPS helped me get started with those skills many years ago, and taught me to be a clear, confident communicator in writing and in person.

I would suggest learning at least some math and/or statistics. This will give you a quantifiable boost in the job market, and will allow you to seek jobs outside of politics as well.

The top two skills I learned from UTD that I use today are preparation and thinking on my feet. Specifically competing in moot court with UTD.

Vary your course work as much as possible. Doing so will expose you to the many different functional areas of government and complexities of politics. If you do, you just might find a new passion.

Be the best that you can be. Strive for excellence in all aspects of your life.

The biggest factor by far was the time and attention that faculty invested in students like myself. The assistance they provided has had a lasting effect on me as a student and as a person.

Pay attention to the world. Learn how to give back and don’t wait until you graduate to begin thinking about what to do after school.

The rigorous course load and wide-ranging variety of EPPS, and more specifically pre-law, classes were instrumental in making law school a much easier experience for me.

For those who seek it, UT Dallas and EPPS offers students the opportunity to become leaders that have exceptional critical thinking skills and developed analytical abilities.

The Archer Fellowship program will give you an amazing experience working an internship with other UT System students in Washington, D.C. The alumni network is active and has strong contingents in D.C., Dallas, Austin and New York.

Everything we do, we want to focus on being the groundbreaker. But the way we do that is through people.

Do not waste the opportunities available at UT Dallas. Apply for the various programs that exist to help you achieve your goals.

Get involved and start networking. As soon as you graduate, you will rely on your network of contacts to get your foot in the door and hit the ground running.

Consider every door that is presented to you, even if you do not want to open it. You never know who you will meet, what you will learn, how you might apply what you have learned, or what opportunity might come next — it might be your career.

There is no question that my doctorate studies and work on my dissertation has given me a valuable perspective on my work and business relationships.

I credit my success in the field to the strong quantitative skills required by the program at UT Dallas.

Look for opportunities to dive into the work you think you want to pursue. There’s no better way to determine if you’ll truly enjoy a particular path than actually walking it.

My advice to any student is to network, network, network.

Always follow your dreams and never stop the learning process – we should strive to learn something new each and every day!

The stuff you learn at UT Dallas matters. Taking a deep dive on policy analysis will put you a step ahead, adding value to your organization.

“Always take by choice the job you do not know how to do. By doing so you will build into your life the variety of experience that is required of the public administrator.” – Harlan Cleveland

The MPA at UT Dallas gave me the practical skills necessary to succeed in the federal government.

Get to know your classmates; they are interesting, talented, and will become an important part of your professional network.

My advice for all students is to pursue your goals with passion and persistence. More importantly, never settle when it comes to going after your dreams.

The knowledgeable instructors helped me to see the value in research and attention to detail. Understanding the process is just as important as getting to the desired end result.

Take the most rigorous, challenging courses that you can in order to differentiate yourself.

Always look at the big picture and be passionate about your career goals. Everything is possible with hard work and dedication.

There is a wealth of knowledge available to you in EPPS. Absorb all that you can while you have the opportunity.

I was able to meet such wonderful facilitators and colleagues in EPPS. Without their help, I would never have been able to complete my academic study successfully.

UTD is an excellent place to study. Learn as much as you can while you’re here. I love Public Policy and Political Economics!

I would strongly encourage students to have experiences away from UT Dallas — whether through an internship, a language immersion program or an exchange with a different university — to broaden your understanding of the world.

I learned very practical skills that apply directly to the real world workforce.

Focus on the reason you chose your degree/field and look for opportunities to put what you’ve learned in action.

Covering public policy is challenging, but my UT Dallas education provided me with strong analysis and evaluation skills.

There were many devoted faculty members and staff who made time to give me counsel and thought.

Work hard, challenge yourself, and do not be afraid to take constructive risks.

Learning in class is not adequate for your research. To work well in academia, training in reading, writing, and critical thinking is necessary.

Make complete use of what EPPS has to offer and see how the outside world offers you the opportunity to excel.

Great faculty. Great facilities. Great curriculum.

While it is easy to focus entirely on the material in the classes, be curious and ask questions. Try to figure out ways your education could be applied to find a solution to other areas.

Get to know the faculty during your time as a student — it’s vital for finding a job when you’re done.

In the GIS world, you really need to get to know your professors. They will be a valuable and appreciated resource for you for years to come.

One better studies something he likes than just spend time and money on a subject he started and discovered as not being fit for him.

Get as much of a variety of courses as you can from different schools.

Your degree has the potential of offering you an exciting life that has an incredible impact on your world.

Don’t think of graduation as the end of learning. The degree can open the door to great opportunities, but you must keep stretching your mind and thinking about the next step forward.

I took an unpaid internship and it ended up being instrumental in helping me get an interview and ultimately a position at GAO.

Your efforts today will secure your success tomorrow.

Work hard, learn the material (do not just memorize to pass the tests!), pay attention to details, be proactive about networking, do what you say you are going to do, do the right thing, and you will succeed in whatever it is you choose to do.

Plan your work and work your plan. Keep your eyes on the prize!

Home: Shippensburg, Pennsylvania UT Dallas Degree: MS – Criminology, 2009 and PhD – Criminology, 2013Profession: Sergeant of Police My Work My job at CPI is very broad and limited only in that it must involve academic research, assistance with grants and publication in peer-reviewed journals when possible. I conduct empirical research in many areas related to […]

This University is unique and so much fun. We don’t have a football team, we have an esports team and an awesome chess team. There are so many resources available. I hope that current students take advantage of everything that’s out there. 

I went to a couple of classes and loved it. I was around other adult learners like myself, all from different branches of government and other local entities. I really made a lot of friends.

UT Dallas is the best thing that ever happened to me. It has a small-family feel but big-school resources. I loved being surrounded by smart people who constantly push you to be better, with professors who give so much attention to the individual success of each student.