Faculty Highlights and

Research

DiscoveryUTSA College of Public Policy Professor and Texas State Demographer Dr. Lloyd Potter was featured in the 2014 Issue of Discovery Magazine, UTSA's premier research publication, for his investigation and study of diversification of the diagnosing of health care occupations. Potter gave presentation at a recent hearing for the Texas House Health Care Education and Training Committee.

DiscoveryUTSA College of Public Policy Associate Professor in Applied Demography and Demographer Dr. Corey Sparks was featured in the Discovery Magazine, UTSA's premier research publication, for his investigation and study of cancer incident data for 36 South Texas counties. Based on an article written by Analisa Nazareno, Sparks's discovery led to finding elevated incidents of cancer in the neighborhoods near the former Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio.

Edwards Aquifer Protection Associate Dean, Dr. Francine Romero, takes part in briefing to discuss aquifer protection program. San Antonio City Council approved resolution to keep program in place.

"It keeps us from having to have regulations,” said Dr. Francine Romero, chairperson of the Conservation Advisory Board. “Regulations are unpopular. They have an impact on property rights, but they also don't work that well, because they always come in after the fact, after your water starts getting contaminated.“

January 29, 2015

Story received local coverage on K-SAT 12 news.

On February 2, 2015, Dean Saenz attended English Language Learners Symposium sponsored by the Intercultural Development Research Association. Dr. Saenz served a panelist. The panel reflected on key themes and questions raised by research and explored important implications of the research for education quality and equity for English learners in policy and practice. NOWCast SA provided live-stream coverage of the event.

The IGI Global 2014 InfoSci-Journals Distinguished Fellowship is a very prestigious honor given to an editor-in-chief who has exhibited an outstanding record of noteworthy success in securing adequate quantity of submissions from leading authors around the world and publishing each journal issue on a timely basis.

The news about Dr. Reddick’s award was featured in UTSA’s Top Headlines on Jan. 13, 2015 from local, state, national, and international media.

Dr. Christopher Reddick received the IGI Global 2014 InfoSci-Journals Distinguished Fellowship for his remarkable record of success in raising citation, visibility, and scholarship of the International Journal of Public Administration in the Digital Age (IJPADA), in which he is also Editor-in-Chief.

Congratulations to the UTSA Department of Social Work for receiving a gift from the Verizon Foundation in the amount of $22,000.00. The gift will support a training program dedicated to domestic violence prevention. This is UTSA’s first major gift from the Verizon Foundation.

(From left are: Dr. Rogelio Saenz (dean, College of Public Policy), David O. Russell (Verizon vice president of external affairs), Amy Chanmugam (professor of social work), Mariluz Martinez (Verizon associate director) and Dr. Martell Teasley (chair, Department of Social Work)

Dr. Heywood Sanders, one of America’s preeminent authorities on conventioncenters, most recent publication is titled Convention Center Follies: Politics, Powerand Public Investment in American Cities.

In addition to his research and teaching, Dr. Sanders currently serves as the editorof Urban Texas: Politics and Development and also as coeditor of The Politics ofUrban Development. Dr. Sanders is also a guest columnist for the San AntonioCurrent.

Rogelio Saenz, Dean of the UTSA College of Public Policy, has beenelected as the President of the Southwestern Social ScienceAssociation (SSSA). The SSSA is the oldest social scienceorganization in the United States and it promotes, cultivates, andcorrelates areas within the social sciences to improve applications.Dr. Saenz will preside over the 2015 SSSA Annual Meeting inDenver, Colorado.

Dr. Saenz, also the Peter Flawn Professor of Demography, hasrecently released a new report “The State of Latino Children”which explores the demographic trends of Latino children in theUS - including educational challenges, mortality rates, andprojected population growth from 2000 to 2080. The report wasprepared for the Council on Contemporary Families. Dr. Saenzconcludes, “An investment in the education of Latino children willyield major returns in the form of an educated, competitive workforce and engaged citizenry.”

Dr. Saenz was chosen as the recipient of the American Sociological Association’sLatina/o Sociology Section’s Founders Award in August 2013. The awardrecognizes his outstanding contributions over the years through service,mentoring, and research.

Dr. Marie Tillyer received nominations for The University of Texas System

Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award for 2012-2013 & 2013-2014. In

addition, Dr. Tillyer received a nomination for The Piper Professor Award in

2013-2014.

Dr. Tillyer has published multiple impact journal articles, serves as co-

investigator on multiple research projects, and her main areas of interest

include: victimization, violence, crime prevention and environmental

criminology.

Dr. Francine Romero, Associate Dean, was named District 8 zoning commissioner by theSan Antonio City Council in August 2013. In addition, Dr. Romero currently serves as thechair of the City of San Antonio Conservation Advisory Board.

Dr. Romero has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and hasauthored several books. Her most recent publications include:

Constructing “The Rim”: A Case Study of Land-Use Regulations in Texas to be publishedin the Journal of Architectural and Planning Research and “William Howard Taft andthe Constitution” chapter to be included in the forthcoming book American Presidentsand the Constitution to be published by NYU Press.

Dr. Romero served as a moderator at the EagleFord Shale conference Driving the 21stCentury Texas Economy: Sustainable Oil & Gas Communities for the session “CaseStudy: A Texas Community Grapples with Land Use” in April 2014.

Dr. Martell Teasley is recipient of the 2015 Dr. Inabel Burns Lindsay Education Leadership Award

UTSA College of Public Policy Professor and Chair of the Department of Social Workis the recipient of the Inabel Burns Lindsay Education Leadership Award. The award was named after the first Dean of Howard University’s School of Social Work, and it recognizes practitioners who promote and sustain social justices and quality of life for African-Americans, the poor, other minorities and society as a whole.

Dr. Joachim Singelmann inducted into UTSA Academy of Distinguished Researchers.

UTSA College of Public Policy Professor and Chair of the Department of Demography has been inducted in to UTSA’s Academy of Distinguished Researchers for his outstanding contributions to the research and for fostering exceptional research practices at UTSA.

“As member of the Academy, I hope to be instrumental to make UTSA a university of first choice for more and more of our students by raising the profile of the exciting research that is going on in all colleges," stated Singelmann.

Dr. Amy Chanmugam wins UTSA 2015 President’s Distinguished Achievement

Award for Excellence in TeachingUTSA College of Public Policy Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work is the first within the College of Public Policy to win this award in the category of teaching.

These awards recognize accomplished faculty who meet the challenges of motivating students and helping them develop into ethical and responsible citizens.

Dr. Patricia Jaramillo selected for the 2015 UT System Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award

Dr. Patricia Jaramillo, Lecturer II within the UTSA College of Public Policy and undergraduate advisor of record, teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the Public Administration Department. Jaramillo recently received the UT System Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award, the Board of Regents’ highest honor. She is the first within the UTSA College of Public Policy to win this award. The Regents' outstanding teaching award program is one of the nation’s most competitive and is offered annually in recognition of faculty members at the University of Texas System’s nine academic and six health institutions who have demonstrated extraordinary classroom performance and innovation in undergraduate instruction. By virtue of her selection for the Regents' Outstanding Teaching Award, Dr. Jaramillo was inducted into the UTSA Academy of Distinguished Teaching Scholars.

Dr. Jaramillo with UTSA President Dr. Ricardo Romo

Research & Discovery

• Dr. Steven Hoffman, Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work, studies how religion impacts Mexican migration to the U.S. Story was featured in UTSA Today on March 9, 2015.

Dr. Heywood Sanders, expert in convention centers and the politics of urban development

Dr. Heywood Sanders, Harvard-educated professor in the Department of Public Administration, was featured in Kansas City News The Pitch, about his research on the convention market. Dr. Sanders’ newest publication Convention Center Follies, levels city leaders’ claims that convention centers contribute to economic development.

Research & Discovery

Drs. Emmett Gill, Christensen and Perez in the Department of Social Work examine social themes through sports scandals. In a new collection of research papers, Drs. Till, Christensen and Perez explore three professional sports scandals as case studies to understand the ways in which the mainstream media portrays race, gender and violence. Article was featured in UTSA Today.

Dr. Alfred Pérez

Dr. Emmett Gill

Dr. Candace Christensen

Dr. Rogelio Saenz featured on Texas Public Radio, talks about Latino policy issues related to health coverage

Dr. Rogelio Saenz, Professor in the Department of Demography and Deanof the College of Public Policy, sat down with TPR reporter Paul Flahive in March of 2015 to discuss the high rates of Hispanics who are still without affordable heath coverage.

Prof. Saenz works reflects on the low insurance rates among Hispanic communities. (Paul Flahive)

Dr. Emmett Gill featured on PBS NEWSHOURfor research on the role of the student-athlete

Just after the 2015 NCAA March Madness, PBS NEWSHOUR reporter Jeffrey Brown spoke with Dr. Emmett Gill, Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work and former NBA player Len Elmore on the role of student athletes on the court and in the classroom.

Prof. Saenz works reflects on the low insurance rates among Hispanic communities. (Paul Flahive)

Dr. Emmett Gill featured on PBS NEWSHOURfor research on the role of the student-athlete

Just after the 2015 NCAA March Madness, PBS NEWSHOUR reporter Jeffrey Brown spoke with Dr. Emmett Gill, Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work and former NBA player Len Elmore on the role of student athletes on the court and in the classroom.

Prof. Saenz works reflects on the low insurance rates among Hispanic communities. (Paul Flahive)

Dr. Emmett Gill featured on PBS NEWSHOURfor research on the role of the student-athlete

Just after the 2015 NCAA March Madness, PBS NEWSHOUR reporter Jeffrey Brown spoke with Dr. Emmett Gill, Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work and former NBA player Len Elmore on the role of student athletes on the court and in the classroom.

Prof. Saenz works reflects on the low insurance rates among Hispanic communities. (Paul Flahive)

Dr. Emmett Gill featured on PBS NEWSHOURfor research on the role of the student-athlete

Just after the 2015 NCAA March Madness, PBS NEWSHOUR reporter Jeffrey Brown spoke with Dr. Emmett Gill, Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work and former NBA player Len Elmore on the role of student athletes on the court and in the classroom.

Prof. Saenz works reflects on the low insurance rates among Hispanic communities. (Paul Flahive)

Dr. Emmett Gill featured on PBS NEWSHOURfor research on the role of the student-athlete

Just after the 2015 NCAA March Madness, PBS NEWSHOUR reporter Jeffrey Brown spoke with Dr. Emmett Gill, Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work and former NBA player Len Elmore on the role of student athletes on the court and in the classroom.

Prof. Saenz works reflects on the low insurance rates among Hispanic communities. (Paul Flahive)

Dr. Michael Gilbert discusses crime and society in the award-winning film Inside Peace

The film Inside Peace was presented by the San Antonio Film Festival and produced and directed by Cynthia Fitzpatrick. The film documented individuals' re-entry into society after incarceration. Dr. Michael Gilbert, Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Director of the Office of Community and Restorative Justice, housed under the UTSA Policy Studies Center, explains society's influence on criminal justice.

Policy Studies Center awarded $1.85 million HRSA grant to prepare students for careers in healthcare

UTSA Policy Studies Center, led by Director Roger Enriquez, has been awarded $1.85 million in funding over three years by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to prepare economically disadvantaged high school and university students for careers in the healthcare industry.

Associate Dean Dr. Francine Romero studies Edwards Aquifer and water conservation policies

As a researcher and chair of the San Antonio Conservation Advisory Board (CAB), Dr. Francine Romero has spent many years researching and recommending conservation policies related to the Edwards Aquifer and water use in Texas. The CAB makes recommendations to City Council on matters related to aquifer protection.

UTSA Social Work Assistant Professor Dr. Alfred Pérez studies child welfare policy

UTSA Social Work Assistant Professor Alfred Pérez is an advocate for foster youth and scholar of child welfare policy.. Pérez uses data from Cornell University's National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect to study the effects of child welfare policies on youth in foster care systems and the extent to which these policies accomplish their goals without yielding unintended consequences. Recently, he was awarded competitive minority research fellowship at Cornell University to support this research. Pérez is also collaborating with Dr. Richard Harris, a professor of Social Work, to better understand the effects of the national independent living services provided under the Chafee Foster Care Independence Program, which was created by the Foster Care Independence Act of 1999.

Dean Rogelio Sáenz featured as guest on award-winning program POTUS 2016 with Brian Lehrer about new his new

research on Mexican migration to the U.S.

Mexican migration to the U.S. has declined by more than half, according to new research. In collaboration with the University of New Hampshire’s (UNH) Carsey School of Public Policy, Sáenz used data from the 2008 and 2013 American Community Survey (ACS) Five-Year Estimates Public Use Files to examine trends among Mexican migration to the U.S. He found that the volume of migrants in the country dropped from 1.9 million from 2003 to 2007 to 819,000 from 2008 to 2012 – 57 percent – across all U.S. states.

On Wed., Sept. 23, 2015, Dean of the College of Public Policy and Professor in the Department of Demography Rogelio Sáenz was interviewed via Skype by Brian Lehrer on his new series that examines the presidential campaign and issues through round-table discussions and a segment, "Evidence-Based Politics," in which scholarly research is used to counter inaccurate material. Sáenz’s latest immigration study examines the number of Mexicans coming to the United States and their economic status.

The U.S Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice awards $360,000 grant to Dr. Byongook Moon and Roger

Enriquez to conduct a study on teacher victimization

Byongook Moon, UTSA associate professor of Criminal Justice, and Roger Enriquez, associate professor and director of the Policy Studies Center, have received a nearly $360,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to embark on a two-year exploration of violence against teachers in Texas middle and high schools. Beginning in January, Moon and Enriquez will study data on approximately 2,000 middle and high school teachers in a Texas county to examine the various types of violence that they may face in the course of their scholastic duties. This study and the data gathered, the researchers hope, can serve as resources for future policy decisions.

Dr. Lloyd Potter receives $750,000 grant from the Texas Department of Transportation to produce population

projections for planning transportation to meet the needs of growing populations in Texas.

Dr. Lloyd Potter, Texas State Demographer and Professor in the Department of Demography will be working with the Texas Department of Transportation to produce population projections for Texas’ Transportation Analysis Zones (a unit of geography used in transportation planning models). These projections will then be used by local Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) in planning transportation related projects intended to meet the transportation needs of growing populations in Texas. Potter and his team will also be providing technical assistance to some of the MPOs on topics related to projected population growth. Another element of the work will be to analyze and tabulate survey data regarding population commuting and driving patterns in Texas.

The U.S Department of Justice awards $40,000 to Dr. Richard Hartley and Dr. Rob Tillyer to explore prosecutorial discretion

Dr. Richard Hartley and Dr. Rob Tillyer, Criminal Justice researchers and professors, were awarded roughly $40,000 to analyze data that assess the types of factors that influence a prosecutor to proceed with charges, offer a plea bargain, etc. in the federal criminal justice system.

Drs. Marie Tillyer and Rob Tillyer awarded contract to provide analytic support services to Harris County Community

Supervision and Corrections Department

Drs. Marie and Rob Tillyer provided analytic support services to Harris County Community Supervision and Corrections Department in 2014 and 2015. Analyses focused on developing a better understanding of current practices as they relate to agency goals and objectives. For example, the researchers examined how case processing and outcomes vary by disposition; the administration of client assessments across agency units over time; and patterns and outcomes of drug tests administered to individuals on probation.

Research Areas of Expertise and Funded Research

The College of Public Policy aims to:

Deliver innovative programs of first choice in progressive public policy, research, and practice that prepare transformative policy makers and practitioners for the global environment

Undertake research activities that employ scientific principles and methods to address policy issues across a variety of domains

Promote public good through education and services for a diverse society

Research Areas Demographic Methods and Trends Economic Development Education and Social Mobility Family Demography Health Disparities Immigration Inequality International Migration Latinos in Higher Education

Maternal and Child Health

Poverty and Inequality Race Relations Spatial Analysis Social Change Social Demography Statistical Methodology US-Mexican Migration

Funded Research

Social Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on Coastal Communities along the US Gulf of Mexico

PI: Dr. Joachim SingelmannFunder: U.S. Department of InteriorAmount: $479,742

Research Areas Accountability in Local Government City Mangers and Administrative Power Civil Rights Litigation and Legislation Community Development E-Government Emergency Management Ethics Intersections of Public/Private Organizations Governance and Policy

Land Use Policy Local Politics Politics and Market

Intersections Nonprofit Organizations Public Management Public Policy History and

Process Urban and Regional

Planning Urban Renewal

Funded ResearchCommunity Land Trust Subsidy Calculator

PI: Dr. Carla FlinkFunder: Housing Leadership Council Inc.Amount: $3,750

Block walking Comprehensive - Neighborhood Sweeps Initiative, Animal Care Services

PI: Dr. Francine RomeroFunder: City of San AntonioAmount: $50,000

Research Areas Adoption and Foster Care Children, Families and Interpersonal Violence Child Welfare Abuse and Neglect Prevention and Intervention Demography of Aging, Gender Roles, Sexual

Harassment & Assault Disasters Ethics in Social Work Practice and Education Family Interventions and Support Services Health Disparities among Minority and At-Risk

Youth Homelessness and Homeless Communities

Mental Health, Substance Abuse, Sexism, Racism, Domestic Violence as related to Collegiate and Professional Sports

Racial and Ethnic Disparities of Children and Families Served by Public Welfare Agencies

Role of Discrimination in Healthcare Services Sexual Harassment and Assault Social Justice and Restorative Justice Substance Abuse Prevention and Intervention Violence Prevention as Related to Gender and

Sexuality

Funded ResearchTitle IV-E Child Welfare Training Project

PI: Dr. NevarezFunder: TX Dept. of Family Protective ServicesAmount: $303,156

Social Work Education Program Title IV-EPI: Dr. MikowFunder: TX Dept. of Family Protective ServicesAmount: $284,775

South Texas Access to RecoveryPI: Dr. MikowFunder: Univ. of TX HSC at San AntonioAmount:$24,315

Research Areas Funded Research

Biosocial Criminology Correctional

Interventions Crime Prevention Criminal Justice Decision

Making Systems Disparities in Sentencing Drug Control Policy Gang Violence Gender and Crime Genetics, Neuroscience,

and Behavior Immigration Law

Jury Issues Juvenile Justice Legal Attitudes

and Legal Socialization

Policy Reform Restorative and

Community Justice

Race, Ethnicity, and Crime

School Bullying Victimization Violence

Teacher Victimization: Understanding Prevalence, Causation, and Negative Consequences

PI: Dr. MoonFunder: US Department of JusticeAmount: $ 359,501

Examining Prosecutorial Discretion in Federal Criminal Cases

PIs: Drs. Hartley & R. TillyerFunder: US Department of JusticeAmount: $ 39,823

Recidivism in Harris County: Understanding Case Processing and Outcomes

PIs: Drs. M. Tillyer & R. TillyerFunder: Harris County, TX. Amount: $40,000

Evaluation of Bexar County Veterans Treatment Court

PI: Dr. HartleyFunder: Bexar County, TX.Amount: $8,300

Investigation into Organized Crime and Underground Economy in South Korea

PI: Dr. MoonFunder: Korean Institute of CriminologyAmount: $6,500