Martinez-Ramos Named Pardee RAND Fellow In Public Policy Research

SAN MARCOS – Gloria Martinez-Ramos, a professor in the Department of Sociology and director of the Latina/o Studies minor at Texas State University, has been awarded a Faculty Leader Fellowship in public policy research by Pardee RAND in Santa Monica, Calif.

Through the Next Generation Initiative’s Faculty Leaders Program, the Pardee RAND Graduate School seeks to build diversity in public policy through strong engagement of faculty leaders across the United States, particularly at colleges and universities serving students who are underrepresented in public policy.

Faculty leader fellowships were awarded to 14 faculty to participate in the policy analysis program at the Pardee RAND Graduate School at RAND Corporation headquarters in Santa Monica July 22-26.

“What they want to do is support me in enhancing public policy in the Latina/o studies program that we just started. They’re going to assist me in not only how to conduct public policy research, but also they’ll assist me in how to teach this to students in the Latina/o minor,” Martinez-Ramos said. “The students are going to benefit, because [Pardee RAND] is going to be walking me through some projects I can use in the classroom.

“The students at Texas State are really interested in public policy. They want to learn how they can become civically engaged,” she said. “My goal is not only to teach undergraduate students how to conduct research on public policy, but also how to engage in public policy. The program fosters critical thinking, analytical reasoning and multidisciplinary collaborative research planning. I’m really excited about that.”

The workshop features four components:

• a “short course” in the methods of policy analysis modeled after the curriculum of the Pardee RAND doctoral program
• an opportunity for each participant to apply these tools to a policy issue of their choice throughout the week with mentorship and input from RAND policy researchers in areas of common interest
• an introduction to the Pardee RAND Graduate School, its faculty and advanced doctoral fellows in policy analysis
• a forum in which to network with each other and past program participants

Participating faculty are expected to return to their home institutions with new tools to effect change in their communities and to inspire their students to consider careers and advanced study in public policy analysis.

For more information, visit www.prgs.edu/research/faculty-leaders-program.html.