The McCourt School welcomes five new faculty members with a wide range of research and interdisciplinary expertise The McCourt School is committed to offering students unique opportunities to expand their skills and learn from some of the world’s leading policy experts. This academic year, the McCourt…
Each June, the LGBTQ community and allies around the globe celebrate Pride month. June is also the final month of the Supreme Court’s annual term, meaning we typically see the most significant legal decisions issued in June. In fact, three of the most historic Supreme Court decision on LGBTQ rights—Lawrence…
As DC considers what is next for the RFK Stadium project, students involved in the Policy Innovation Lab outline the opportunity it presents to create more affordable housing. Robert Francis Kennedy (RFK) Stadium on the banks of the Anacostia holds a special place in the hearts…
Congratulations to Dr. Lisa Rawlings who will serve as the next President and CEO of the National Urban Fellows! Dr. Rawlings is a dynamic leader, a skilled strategist, and a creative problem solver with a tireless work ethic. She brings two decades of…
McCourt alum Steven Swann (MPP ’20), who served as the Racial Equity Manager at Bread for the City in DC, outlines approaches to help guide racial equity efforts within organizations. The blog post below originally appeared on the Learning by Giving website. With support from the Learning by…
McCourt Professor Andrea Headley shares key terms, research, and several policy considerations on the topic of racial inequities and police reform. Policing, since its inception, is inextricably connected to race and America’s history of racism. From southern states’ slave patrols…
In a step toward a more sustainable, zero-carbon future, McCourt School assistant professor Raphael Calel and UC Santa Barbara assistant professor Paasha Mahdavi propose two ideas that would encourage companies to capture methane gas flared during the oil extraction process. Capturing and using the methane that is released during oil…
In the midst of a global pandemic, graduate students in the McCourt School’s “Philanthropy, Power and Impact” class learned real-time how critical grantmaking is to harnessing collective action and creating equitable community impact. Every year, Kathy Kretman and Tamara…
May 20, 2020
Discovery & Impact, General News, Student Experience
This academic year, while different than originally envisioned, reflected the strength and vibrance of the McCourt community. In celebration of the Class of 2020, here are some of the highlights from McCourt’s end-of-year virtual celebrations. Virtual Yearbook This virtual yearbook includes messages from McCourt School Dean Maria Cancian, McCourt School…
Vocational training programs can provide benefits beyond income and increase opportunities for trainees and their family members, according to a new study published by McCourt Professor Adriana Kugler and in collaboration with three other co-authors. The benefit of vocational technical training is generally measured by post-training earned income. However, in…
The Lugar Center and the McCourt School today jointly released their new Bipartisan Index rankings, a non-partisan tool that measures the degree to which Senators and Representatives work across party lines. The scores show a continued undercurrent of cooperation between rank and file members. The Lugar…
Low-income tenants in Virginia will soon have greater access to affordable housing, thanks to the efforts of McCourt School of Public Policy students Kellen MacBeth (MPM ’20) and Michael Pruitt (MPM ’20). In late 2018, MacBeth and Pruitt partnered on a project aimed at banning housing discrimination in MacBeth’s…
The Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service (GU Politics) hosted the chairs of the Democratic and Republican National Committee for conversations on campaigning during COVID-19. In late April, McCourt’s Georgetown Institute for Politics and Public Service (GU Politics) hosted Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez and Republican National Committee…
In the final GU Politics Virtual Forum event of the semester, Sen. Romney (R-UT) shares insight on COVID-19 Response Efforts, Economic Recovery, and American Leadership. Drawing upon lessons from his long career as a private and public sector leader, US Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) shared his perspective on how to…
McCourt Student Nick Stabile (MPP ‘21) reflects on his Policy Innovation Lab experience and shares insight on the importance of community engagement for equitable development efforts. There is a serious housing affordability crisis in the United States, and particularly in larger metropolitan areas like Washington, DC. In DC, like much…
On April 17, 2020 the Office of Graduate Enrichment, Biomedical Graduate Education, Graduate Student Government, McCourt School of Public Policy, and the McDonough School of Business hosted the fifth annual Graduate Student Awards Ceremony. McCourt student Verónica Hoyer (MPP-MSFS ‘21) received…
As the coronavirus continues to spread, here’s what faculty and staff are reading, watching, and listening to right now to remain resilient, hopeful, and energized. Remaining resilient during an extended challenge is difficult. People discern and cope with uncertainty differently, and this pandemic impacts people in a…
In a little under two weeks, people across the United States have realized we are in a moment of unprecedented change as we face the Coronavirus pandemic. At ProInspire, we have been using this moment to create space to support each other, shift work responsibilities considering many unknowns, and give…
A group of graduate students in the Communication, Culture, and Technology (CCT) program at Georgetown University won the 6th Annual Public Policy Challenge with a proposal to help young parents experiencing homelessness in DC. Students Yamel Sarquis Elias (G’20), Kristi Pelzel (G’20), and…
This post originally appeared in The Hill on April 2, 2020. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has clearly begun planning for a Phase IV bill (and perhaps more) to address the coronavirus crisis in the economy, and to support “recovery” after earlier bills that focused on “emergency”…
Sharing of credible health information on Twitter about COVID-19 is roughly keeping pace with sharing of misinformation on the internet, according to a new study by the McCourt School of Public Policy’s Massive Data Institute (MDI), in collaboration with three other universities. Georgetown…
Former Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg shares reflections on running at GU Politics virtual forum. On Tuesday night, nearly 5,000 people tuned in to a live virtual conversation with former Democratic presidential candidate and former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg. The event was part of the Institute of Politics…
In early April of 2020, Policy Director of the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, Tazra Mitchell, and Director of Policy at the DC Policy Center, Kathryn Zickuhr, joined Policy Innovation Lab members in a video conference to discuss the impact of the coronavirus pandemic in Washington, DC. In particular,…
Play Youtube Video Launched in 2015, the Policy Innovation Lab is a special initiative of the McCourt School of Public Policy. Beginning as a pilot, the initiative set out to bolster McCourt’s commitment and involvement with the local community in Washington, DC by looking beyond the…
As the coronavirus continues to impact the global economy, here’s what faculty and staff are reading to stay up to date and connected. Across the world, people continue to respond to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic including (virtually) uniting to help #flattenthecurve and support…
To celebrate Women’s History Month, Speaker Nancy Pelosi shared policy insights and reflected on the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, an amendment that established women’s right to vote in the United States. In celebration of the anniversary and Women’s…
March 26, 2020
Discovery & Impact, Student Experience, University News
GU Politics convenes a panel of experts to discuss next steps in addressing COVID-19. Georgetown students got the chance to ask questions of COVID experts from in and outside the university last night during the Institute of Politics and Public Service at the McCourt School…
As the coronavirus continues to spread, here’s what faculty and staff are reading to stay up to date and connected. As the world works to respond to the coronavirus, many people have (virtually) united to help #flattenthecurve and support the tremendous efforts of health care workers and…
FutureEd’s Policy Roundup Compares the Education Plans of the Leading Democratic Candidates While leading Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders have similar education policy goals—like increasing accountability for charter schools, making college more affordable and expanding support for disadvantaged students—they differ on how to reach those goals. …
A recent report from McCourt’s Center on Education and the Workforce finds that while women can still win in politics, the playing field still is not level.
Mia Hendricks (G’22), after completing research on the perception of the threat of terrorism and how it leads people to reduce their support for human rights and civil liberties, is now focusing on attitudes toward undocumented immigrants.
In advance of Super Tuesday, McCourt student Layla Oghabian shares a recap and reflections from a panel discussion on 2020 campaign strategies and election coverage. Last week, students filled Copley Formal Lounge for a panel discussion examining the current state of the 2020 presidential races and what to expect as…
McCourt Alum Helps Restore Voting Rights to People with Past Criminal Convictions in Florida For decades, civil rights advocates have been fighting to ensure that all Americans can exercise their right to vote. There are many different types of systemic barriers that inhibit people from voting, many of which date…
The Issue: The 2020 Census is rapidly approaching. Much attention has focused on whether including a citizenship question will impact the accuracy of the count. But other factors – ranging from technical issues, to funding, to the ability to hire the number of census workers required – also present…
Six Hoyas went behind-the-scenes at the 2020 Iowa Caucus On January 31, six Georgetown students flew to Iowa to experience the first-in-the-nation presidential caucus. The student trip, organized by McCourt’s Institute of Politics and Public Service (GU Politics), gave students a chance to hear directly from candidates and their…
In advance of the SOTU, McCourt experts share policy insights and updates. On Tuesday, President Trump will deliver the State of the Union amidst a backdrop of an impeachment trial and an election year. The address generally touches on a number of policy topics, many of which have been circulating…
Health Policy Expert Judy Feder Advances Policy Efforts to Address the Financial Challenges of Long-Term Care For most catastrophic or unpredictable events, some type of insurance, whether public or private, helps most Americans manage the circumstance without overwhelming them financially. However, that is not the case for long-term…
Alumni from McCourt Center’s Certificate Program Expand Advocacy Efforts at DC Nonprofit As a licensed social worker, Adam Rocap knew he wanted to work in a space that created positive social change. When Cheryl Bell left the private sector, she was looking for something that combined her interests and…
January 20, 2020
Discovery & Impact, Student Experience, University News
The city’s housing inspection process will be improved, thanks to a group of McCourt School of Public Policy students who designed new algorithms for the city’s Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA). DCRA randomly selects housing units for inspection from a list of units not inspected in the past…
For many students, the biggest barrier to voting is often registering to vote. GU Votes is working to change that. GU Votes, part of the McCourt School’s Institute of Politics and Public Service (GU Politics), has a clear goal to make voting easy and accessible for students. Since its…
The McCourt School of Public Policy has had a stellar year and grew in a variety of transformational ways in 2019, deepening its ongoing commitments to impact, innovation, inclusivity, and infrastructure.
McCourt Students’ Help DC Residents “Breathe Easy” In DC, asthma rates are among some of the highest in the nation. After learning this, two McCourt School students created an effort called “Breathe Easy” that helps community health workers facilitate home visits, identify environmental triggers that can exacerbate asthma symptoms, and…
Georgetown students got the chance to pose questions to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg at an event today at Georgetown. Georgetown students got the chance to pose questions to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg at an event today at Georgetown. The event, sponsored by Georgetown’s McCourt School of Public Policy and its…
In a 2017 YouGov poll, public opinion in the UK rated weather forecasters as more trusted than economists. In the US, a survey asking a similar question also showed a lack of trust in economists explained Nobel Laureate Esther Duflo to an engaged audience of Georgetown students, faculty, and staff.
This year, three economists were awarded a Nobel Prize for their rigorously analytical approach to international development – an approach that is also at the heart of the McCourt School of Public Policy’s Master in International Development Policy (MIDP) program.
The McCourt School of Public Policy is excited to announce that six students and alumni were selected as Presidential Management Fellows for the class of 2020.
Gordon Berlin, the former President of MDRC, and a leading innovator in the field of public problem solving, will join the McCourt School on January 1, 2020, as a research professor.
LabGov Georgetown researches innovative ways to help people who live in cities enjoy and utilize shared living spaces and resources. Learn how the Harlem E-Project is working with community members to improve access to high-quality digital resources in Harlem neighborhoods.
For more than 15 years, the McCourt School’s National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health has been helping Washington, DC’s pediatric medical providers better serve some of the city’s most at-risk residents—children of low-income families.
FutureEd, an education think tank at the McCourt School, and the Georgetown University D.C. Public Policy Initiative hosted a policy forum Nov. 18 about the common lottery system that allows Washington, D.C. students to choose among charters and traditional public schools through a single, online application.
With its Crossover Youth Practice Model, the McCourt School's Center for Juvenile Justice Reform is working to improve outcomes for young people who find themselves moving back and forth between the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.
Anyone who voted in the District of Columbia last year might have seen one of the volunteers for a new project, Observe D.C. The first-ever sample-based election observation project in the United States, Observe D.C. was the brainchild of Ben Mindes (MPP’19), a recent McCourt graduate.
For the first time in Georgetown history, students will have the opportunity to register to vote – almost exactly a year before the 2020 presidential election – at the same time they register for classes.
Sergeant Howard Singer (MPM'17), the communications advisor to the First Deputy Police Commissioner of the New York City Police Department, is leading a new initiative to establish and expand educational and leadership opportunities for all NYPD ranks and civilian titles.
Today the Georgetown Center for Children and Families released their ninth annual report on children's health coverage and launched a new interactive data hub.
Barbara Schone is Teaching Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the McCourt School of Public Policy. She also serves as the Faculty Director of the Master of Public Policy (MPP) program. Barbara Schone is Teaching Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the McCourt School of Public…
December 2018 marked a significant moment in U.S. criminal justice reform when the First Step Act was signed into law. The bill aims to ease the effects of hard-on-crime policies that for decades led to high incarceration rates, typically among African-American men. The legislation will hopefully make it easier for…
Since graduating from the McCourt School of Public Policy, Alex Engler, MPP ’13, has made it his mission to improve policy and governance through the use of data science.
As eviction gains national attention, McCourt assistant professor Eva Rosen’s research is shedding light on the little-known landscape of eviction in Washington, D.C., and the consequences for those caught in the process.
Foster, who has a joint appointment in the McCourt School of Public Policy and the Georgetown Law Center, is an expert in the areas of property, land use, environmental justice and local government law.
Political and social unrest has forced millions of Venezuelans to flee their country, often by traveling through Colombia to Ecuador. Many are stuck at the border because they have no money, no visa and no way to reach out for help. Using the tools she learned at McCourt and a…
Kids and teens are quietly losing their health insurance at unprecedented rates across America. Sounding the alarm: McCourt’s Center for Children and Families, with recent headline-grabbing reports that reveal disturbing declines at the state and national level.
Brittany Heyd (JD/MPP ‘13) was on the fast track for a high-powered law firm job when the lure of the startup world pulled her in another direction. For the past two years, Heyd has run Mana Up, a startup that fosters economic development in Hawaii by promoting local products and…
Nearly 3 billion birds have disappeared from the United States and Canada since 1970, according to a study published today in Science, co-authored by Georgetown Environment Initiative (GEI) director Peter Marra.
More than 10 of the candidates running for U.S. president participated in a conversation with young voters on the issues surrounding climate change during a two-day forum at Georgetown.
Surprise medical bills result in financial hardship for millions of Americans and top the list of health care costs that Americans are afraid they will not be able to afford. McCourt's Center on Health Insurance Reforms has launched a new project to provide unbiased and comprehensive information on the issue…
When it comes to development funding, would populations in need be better off if aid practitioners simply got out of the way and distributed aid in cash rather than in complex and bundled programs? McCourt Assistant Professor Andrew Zeitlin designed a study to compare the effects of the two approaches.
Seeing an opportunity to help D.C. taxpayers, Peter Nouhan (MPP ’19) founded a program to train Washington, D.C., high school students to facilitate free tax preparation for low- and middle-income workers, many of whom miss out on thousands of dollars in unclaimed tax credits every year.
Adriana Kugler, professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, has been appointed to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine’s Board on Science, Technology and Economic Policy. In this role, Kugler will contribute her wide-ranging expertise in economic and labor policy to further economic prosperity…
The McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University is pleased to welcome organizational and information systems expert William B. Rouse to our faculty as a research professor.
The McCourt School of Public Policy is pleased to welcome economist Keith Hall, outgoing director of the Congressional Budget Office, as a professor of the practice. Hall will begin his tenure in July, 2019.
The Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University today jointly released updated lifetime Bipartisan Index rankings of U.S. Senators who have served since 1993. The non-partisan tool measures the degree to which Senators work across party lines.
A growing body of research shows that strong relationships with teachers & other adults are critical to academic success, especially for at-risk students. A new report from McCourt's FutureEd research center details efforts to improve teacher mindsets.
Eva Rosen, an Assistant Professor at Georgetown’s McCourt School of Public Policy, is using her MDI Seed Grant to further her research in poverty and American housing policy.
Leaders of Georgetown’s recently-announced Initiative on Technology and Society host prominent international research, policy and practice thought-leaders on the subject of the digital divide.
The McCourt School of Public Policy congratulates the Center for Children and Families (CCF) Senior Fellow Tricia Brooks on her appointment to the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC).
The McCourt School is thrilled to support our students through the Fund for Student Excellence, which provides financial assistance to students who are advancing their careers with substantive and meaningful internships that are unpaid.
The McCourt School of Public Policy mourns the loss of Alice M. Rivlin, a visiting professor at the McCourt and our predecessor the Georgetown Public Policy Institute from 2003 to 2016.
Last month, the Massive Data Institute (MDI) organized a two-part panel discussion on “Data Blending: Tackling the Obstacles” in the Bioethics Research Library.
The McCourt School of Public Policy mourns the loss of former Senator Richard Lugar, who died peacefully on April 28, 2019. Lugar served as Mayor of Indianapolis from 1968 to 1975, and six terms as a U.S. Senator from Indiana, making him the longest serving senator in Indiana history.
A study by two Georgetown professors and a World Bank senior economist shows that residents of rural Bihar, India, prefer public health services and infrastructure improvements to direct cash transfers.
This past month, the Massive Data Institute (MDI) collaborated with the School of Foreign Service (SFS) to organize a two-day workshop on Satellite Imagery and GIS software.
Peter Marra, a leading environment and conservation expert, has been named director of the Georgetown Environment Initiative, the Laudato Si’ Chair in Biology and the Environment and professor in the McCourt School of Public Policy.
The McCourt School was proud to serve as a host site for the 2019 NASPAA-Batten Student Simulation Competition. This year’s competition—a partnership between the University of Virginia Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA)—was called Host Nations:…
The Latin American Policy Association (LAPA) at McCourt seeks to disseminate knowledge and awareness about Latin American issues and policies among the Georgetown community, in addition to advancing the interests of Latin American students in the McCourt School and in the larger D.C. community.
The 5th annual Georgetown Public Policy Challenge tasked graduate students with developing innovative policy solutions to address local or regional issues in the Washington, D.C. area.
The Lugar Center and the McCourt School today jointly released their new Bipartisan Index rankings of members of Congress, completing the picture of the 115th Congress (2017-2018). The non-partisan tool measures the degree to which Senators and Representatives work across party lines.
Georgetown’s leadership in the emerging field of public interest technology and prime location in Washington, DC, has led it to co-found a network that will boost the field through scholarship, new courses, research collaborations and more.
Georgetown has once again been classified by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as an institution with “very high research activity.” A large set of research centers of the McCourt School of Public Policy informs the nation about significant policy issues.
Georgetown’s Justin Thaler, an assistant professor in the department of computer science, has dedicated his latest research to develop new, more efficient ZKPs using his MDI Seed Grant funding awarded in 2017.
A $20 million gift from Patricia and Jon M. Baker will enable Georgetown University to develop a new paradigm of learning that engages, adapts, and responds to the complex needs of the 21st century.
On February 23, McCourt will host graduate students from a cohort of 137 universities to participate in the 2019 NASPAA-Batten Student Simulation Competition.
Georgetown mourns the passing of former Rep. John D. Dingell (D-Michigan), the longest-serving member of Congress in U.S. history and a devoted Georgetown alumnus.
