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Evans School of Public Policy & Governance

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UW Center on Risk and Inclusion in Food Systems (CRIFS) Launches with Support from the Evans School and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Panelists discussing SSP Commercialization and Income Diversification under Risk. From left to right, June Lukuyu (UW), Ana Paula de la O Campos (FAO), Saweda Liverpool-Tasie (MSU), Avinash Kishore (IFPRI), and Ken Giller (Wageningen)

We are excited to announce the launch of the Center on Risk and Inclusion in Food Systems (CRIFS) a partnership of the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), and the Evans School Policy Analysis & Research Group (EPAR).

CRIFS’ mission is to generate policy and action-focused research for improving the lives and livelihoods of small-scale agricultural producers (SSPs), inclusive of women, in low- and middle-income countries, through increased contributions of social, climate, and other scientists to advancing cost-effective strategies for managing risks and volatility as food systems transform.

The CRIFS launch kicked off on the UW campus with a technical workshop on measuring resilience in collaboration with UC Davis Professor Michael Carter and his USAID Feed the Future Lab on October 16. A day of small working group meetings was followed by a learning event co-hosted by CRIFS and BMGF, focused on topics central to investing in food systems facing heightened climate and associated risks in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The event brought together a blend of donors, practitioners, and researchers to provide a common grounding in key concepts and definitions, current and projected climate risks faced by food systems actors, and the state of applied research.

From left to right, Amaka Nnaji (UW), Nnemeka (Edith) Ihegwuagu (Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ACRN), Nnenna Ogbonnaya-Orji (UW), and Peter Agamile (UW)

Learning Event Sessions

The six sessions of the learning event covered the broad themes of risk measurement, sub-national heterogeneity, statistical vs. perceived risk, and decision-making under uncertainty, with a strong emphasis on perspectives and methods that embed gender and nutrition dimensions.

  • Session 1: Risk Fundamentals 1 – Biophysical food system risks and SSPs
    • Chris Funk (UCSB), Mario Herrero (Cornell), Tess Russo (BMGF), and Heidi Webber (ZALF)
  • Session 2: Bringing Risk, Nutrition, and Gender into South Asian Climate Platforms and Policies
    • Pramod Aggarwal (Borlaug Institute for South Asia), Prabhu Pingali (Cornell), and Shelly Sundberg (BMGF)
  • Session 3: Risk Fundamentals 2 – Decision-making and Behavior Change: Risk Perceptions, Poverty, and Risk Communication
    • Ann Bostrom (UW), Alison Cullen (UW), and Crystal Hall (UW)
  • Session 4: SSP Commercialization and Income Diversification under Risk: Institutions, Infrastructure and the Enabling Environment
    • Stanley Wood (BMGF), Ana Paula de la O Campos (FAO), Ken Giller (Wageningen), Avinash Kishore (IFPRI), June Lukuyu (UW), Saweda Liverpool-Tasie (MSU), and Shelly Sundberg (BMGF)
  • Session 5: Advancing Measurement of Post-Shock Resilience
    • Peter Agamile (UW), Michael Carter (UC Davis), and Jenny Frankel-Reed (BMGF)
  • Session 6: Can Increased Food Security Strengthen Inclusive Institutions?
    • Didier Alia (UW), James Long (UW), Sameer Shah (UW)

CRIFS to Address Key Elements of Decision-Making

There has been a steady supply of innovative agricultural technologies over the last few decades, but the rate of sustained uptake remains stubbornly low. This is due, in part, to technical knowledge about potential adaption strategies outpacing our understanding of SSP decision-making facing risks. Addressing this disconnect is urgent as climate change increases many SSPs’ exposure to flooding, drought, and extreme temperatures, which compromises rural household production and leads some families to cope by dipping into savings, selling livestock, or reducing food intake.

Stanley Wood (BMGF) closing the learning event with reflections

Which is why CRIFS is interest in the bio-physical and political economy of food systems that matter as SSPs make daily decisions on risk/return trade-offs that affect their enterprise and livelihood trajectory. CRIFS is concerned not only with decisions made for managing extreme events, or climate shocks, but with the ongoing communication and choices that may either expose SSPs to excessive risk, or limit their investment potential and, in aggregate, hinder inclusive agricultural transformation.

New Research on Public Investments in Community College Baccalaureate Degrees Will Investigate Program Approval and Development Data

In recent years, the landscape of higher education has witnessed a significant shift, marked by the proliferation of Community College Baccalaureate (CCB) degrees across 24 states that now award more than 25,000 bachelor’s degrees annually, and growing. Advocates of CCB degrees argue they cultivate talent and bolster state and regional economies, at the same time providing access to baccalaureate programs of study for adult learners and others who are rooted in communities where they work and care for family members and friends.

The University of Washington, in partnership with the firm Bragg & Associates and the Community College Baccalaureate Association is pleased to announce a new $250,000 grant from the Strada Education Foundation to research the data that states and colleges use to make the case for CCB degrees, identifying the strengths and limitations of current CCB policies and program approval processes. Phase one of this multiphase study occurs over the next 18 months and allows the research team to investigate program approval and development processes for new CCB programs in two states. By leveraging mixed methods and data-driven insights, results of the study will inform higher education decision-making and, ultimately, fortify state and local economies by ensuring adults and others served by community colleges gain opportunities for well-paying careers and lifelong learning. While the focus is on CCB degrees, the implications extend beyond community colleges to public investments in higher education.

Dr. Elizabeth Meza, Principal Investigator at the University of Washington Evans School of Public Policy and Governance described this study as “the first to systematically investigate data used for decision-making about CCB program approval and development. If colleges get this right and can provide quality degrees that students want and the labor market demands, all for an affordable cost, it can be a big win. However, the challenge is that’s a lot of moving pieces to consider.”

Dr. Meza, working in partnership with co-Principal Investigator Dr. Debra Bragg of Bragg & Associates, Inc., will examine data used for supply and demand analysis, curriculum and instructional design, partnerships involving colleges and employers and community-based organizations, and equity in student access and program outcomes. According to Dr. Bragg, “an important question the study will ask is how the case for new CCB programs address whether these programs create more equitable baccalaureate pathways for racially minoritized and other under-served populations.”

The Community College Baccalaureate Association (CCBA) is partnering in this project to ensure a robust network of colleges is involved and results are shared nationwide.

Evans School research team studies ballot rejections to improve voter experience

Vote by mail ballot, envelope and pen on table

Registered voters in Washington State will be receiving their vote-by-mail ballots in the next few days. Washingtonians have been voting by mail for over a decade and voter turnout in Washington routinely is among the highest in the country. Despite the success of vote-by-mail, a research study by the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance at the University of Washington has been examining why ballots are rejected to improve the voter experience and inform efforts by state and county leaders to continue to reduce the number of ballots rejected in any election.  

For a ballot to be valid and counted, it must meet three conditions: Completed ballots must be placed in an official ballot drop box by 8 p.m. on election day or postmarked by election day. Ballot envelopes must be signed by the voter. And, that signature must match the voter’s signature on file with their county elections office. For most voters the signature to match is the one on your driver’s license or state ID, because people commonly register to vote when getting or updating their driver’s license and the Department of Licensing. 

County elections offices process ballots and decide whether the signature from the ballot envelope matches what is on file. Ballots without a signature or without a matching signature are thus “challenged” and voters have the opportunity to “cure” or correct their ballot. Counties send out ballot cure letters within 24 hours of a ballot being challenged, which invites voters to submit by mail or in-person a signature verification that cures the ballot. If voters have a phone number on file, they also should receive a phone call from their county election office. Challenged ballots are rejected if they are not cured at the time election results are certified, which occurs about three weeks after election day. 

Study director and Evans School Professor Scott Allard reports that roughly 98 to 99 percent of ballots cast in November elections since 2012 have arrived on time with an envelope signature that matches the voter’s signature on file. “Even with this level of success, far too many ballots are rejected each election,” according to Allard. Although each general election is a little different, the study finds that about one-half of rejected ballots in November elections without a presidential or midterm congressional election (a.k.a. off-off-year elections) are simply received late. “Off-off-year elections like those this November get less media attention and less public discussion, which makes it easier to forget to return your ballot on time,” Allard notes. 

Project team member Calista Jahn observed several counties processing ballots in November 2022, “it is clear from watching county election offices work that they process ballots carefully and securely and receive training in signature matching that ensures integrity in the voting process. Our election workers are focused on ensuring elections have integrity and that all valid ballots are counted.” The study finds that about 1 in 8 rejected ballots lack a signature, with roughly one-third of rejected ballots challenged for signature mismatches in off-off-year elections.  

UW researchers found, however, that about 60 percent of all challenged ballots in November elections are cured before counties certify their final election results. “While this shows that ballot curing processes work, we should still have it be a goal to reduce the number of ballots needing to be cured,” Allard said. 

The Evans School study team final report will be delivered to the Secretary of State in early November, but other key findings stand out as voters prepare to fill out their ballots in the next few weeks. 

With these results in mind, the study team offers three simple guidelines for voters this election season. “First, sign your envelope,” notes Professor Allard. “Second, when you sign your envelope – sign your name as you do on your driver’s license or state ID. Third, mail or deposit your ballot early – ideally the week before election day, which this year is on Tuesday, November 7, 2023. This will ensure your ballot arrives on time and that you have time to cure your ballot before election day, just in case you forget to sign the envelope or signed too quickly for there to be a good match.” 

Voters can go to the Secretary of State elections website and follow their ballot through processing. Allard recommends that voters contact their county election offices with any questions they have about their ballot. He notes that voters also can go to their county election office websites to learn more about vote-by-mail and about ballot curing processes. “Sign your envelope, sign with your license signature, and return your ballot early,” encourages Allard. 

People Mentioned

Scott W. Allard

Scott Allard headshot
Associate Dean for Research & Engagement;
Daniel J. Evans Endowed Professor of Social Policy
(206) 221-4872

Cali Jahn

Innovation & Engagement Manager

David Suarez receives grant from Surdna Foundation

Evans faculty member and nonprofit scholar David Suarez received a research grant from the Surdna Foundation for a project entitled, “What is Effective Participatory Grantmaking? A Comparative Assessment of Four Initiatives.” This project extends Suarez’s growing expertise and research program in participatory grantmaking, a power-sharing approach to grantmaking, which a number of private foundations have pursued in recent years. Since few foundations have evaluated their efforts to share power with stakeholders, the purported benefits of adopting such innovations remain unproven, and insufficient knowledge has accumulated in the field to elucidate critical questions such as whether some practices shape outcomes more than others. To begin to fill this gap,  Suarez will complete a field scan of participatory grantmaking practices and initiatives in institutional philanthropy. Then, building on that work, as well as the literature on participation in nonprofit organizations, he will utilize a comparative case study approach to investigate four participatory grantmaking initiatives.

Art of Hosting and Harvesting 2024 Cohort

Leading Courageously in Higher Education: The Art of Hosting and Harvesting Conversations That Matter (affectionately called ‘Art of Hosting’) was called for leaders within and partners of the university and by the Evans School to support fundamental systems redesign.

The Art of Hosting is both a methodology and a world view. It is held by an international community of practitioners who share with each other tried and true ways of engaging people in dialogue, understanding complex systems, and designing ways forward together. It is a powerful approach for actually walking the talk and guiding systems change in this era when we are striving to unlearn old practices and become anti-racist leaders of groups, organizations, and institutions.

Throughout the 3-day training, participants learned hands on and participatory methods to explore powerful questions about both our personal leadership and goals for conversations that matter in our work and communities. The training was centered around the following purpose: to grow our capacity to be curious and courageous leaders who strive to make every space and system anti-racist, through our individual and collective actions that put humanity at the center as we navigate complexity. These methods and frameworks can be used to fuel innovation in higher education and public governance, helping us to understand more deeply how to decenter traditional sources of authority and invite in more voices to engage communities authentically.

Alumni Spotlight: Channing Nesbit, MPA ’20

We recently connected with Evans alum Channing Nesbit, who shared about his path from student-athlete on the Husky baseball team to pursuing an MPA at Evans. He also shared about his journey after Evans to the tech social impact sector, and more recently, to the Venture Capital space with Salesforce Ventures and how his experience at Evans has shaped his commitment to equity. 

Channing Nesbitt

Describe your journey towards pursuing your degree at Evans. What inspired you to pursue a career in public service?

Towards the end of my time on the UW baseball team, it became clear that I would not be able to pursue baseball as a career and I began considering what was next for me. Although I had two great internships at King County (thank you Leesa Manion!!), I realized I wasn’t 100% sold on going to law school.  

Around this time, I took Dorothy Bullitt’s Leadership class in 2017 and she ended up becoming a mentor and has since remained a great friend. We would often talk about politics, civic engagement, public policy and what it would mean to operate across all of these spaces. She encouraged me to look deeply at the Evans School program and as I did, I started shifting academic focus towards economic policy and opportunity building. Along with this shift, my long-standing interest in social impact and my desire to serve within my community is what ultimately led me to commit to Evans. The Evans curriculum centered around themes addressing systemic issues that have led to the degree of economic disparity we see today – this shaped my focus on how I can help close this gap to serve communities long-term.  

Describe your journey to the work you’re currently doing and how your MPA helped you get there. 

The journey started with my Evans internship, which focused on social impact with Tableau and Tableau Foundation. This internship gave me experience in grantmaking, project/program management, and an understanding of technology for good that allowed me to learn and grow as a professional and leader. I joined Tableau Foundation after graduating from Evans. Much of my work focused on partnering and collaborating with organizations that were heavily focused on combatting issues that spurred the beginning of the 2020s, such as racial, economic, and educational equality, and criminal justice.

After a few years of growth and organizational changes, I pivoted and wanted to learn and work more closely in the impact investing space. Impact investing focuses on providing avenues for directing capital towards efforts and innovation that provide benefits for larger society through efforts in sustainability, climate, education, and economic opportunity building, especially at scale. This is an industry and space that I believe will play a pivotal role in society going forward by helping to provide a sustainable and equitable future for all.  

I understand that my current role with Salesforce Ventures may not be a typical role where most folks with an MPA may find themselves. But I find it fascinating, especially given the AI innovation we’re seeing. Understanding how these monumental developments will need to be regulated, made accessible, and ultimately used for good is a huge focus for our team and Salesforce at large and something that evolves daily.  

You were involved in leading efforts in student interest groups like the Black Student Athlete Group and EPOC (Evans People of Color). Can you share more about your experiences being a part of these groups as a student?  

Along with other student-athletes, I was a part of starting the Black Student Athlete Group during my time in undergrad, and it’s great to see it is still thriving at UW. As a grad student, I was drawn to fellow classmates who were also passionate about demonstrating a commitment to diversity through our work and leadership on campus, and that led me to become a part of Evans People of Color (E-POC). 

As a member of E-POC, I was able to play a part in helping to organize the UW Evans School Coalition Summit on Race and Equity. It was exciting and energizing to see our community come together to discuss tangible policy and community solutions to the critical issues we’d learned about at Evans and were watching play out in real time. The Summit provided an opportunity for us to learn from experts in the field, share our own experiences, and network with leaders focused on addressing the racial, economic, and educational disparities being perpetuated throughout communities. It was great getting to collaborate with my fellow classmates and see many of their respective lights shine through their leadership, and it seemed to foreshadow of a lot of the amazing work that Evans folks are pursuing today.

The Evans School’s values are equity, courage, and service. In what ways have these values shaped your time as a student?

In general – these are all values that are core to how I aim to show up in everything I do, and have kept me inspired and energized as I wake up every morning. Through the early stages of my career, my role was specifically focused on working with organizations across the country whose missions centered around these themes and more. During my time with Tableau Foundation, we were focused on building and expanding the equitable use of data/data tools. This framed our partnerships with organizations, who were on the ground working with communities to combat injustice and inequity. My time at Evans prepared me to look at every part of my work through the lens of equity, courage, and service. Regardless of what rooms I enter or paths that I will navigate through my life and career, equity, courage, and service are a part of the few constants that I hope will always shine through my actions and energy.

Event Recap | Evans School Alumni Summer Social

On July 31, 2023, the Evans School hosted the Evans School Alumni Summer Social—our first in-person Evans alumni gathering since 2020. The Evans School Alumni community gathered together to reunite with familiar faces, build new connections, and share a vision of impact for the next generation of public leaders.  

The Junior Summer Institute (JSI) Scholars joined us as they wrapped up their seven-week program on campus. It was encouraging to see these emerging young leaders building connections with our alumni community. 

The Evans School’s Junior Summer Institute hosts undergraduate students for a rigorous summer session which prepares students from historically under-represented communities for future pursuit of careers in public service. As Dean Sandfort shared at the event, we hope you will consider ways to support and partner in evans School programs like JSI to help equip the next generation of diverse public leaders.  

Consider making a gift today.  

Evening at a Glance

Where: The Burke Museum, 4303 Memorial Way Northeast, Seattle WA 98195  

When: Monday, July 31, 202

  • 4:30 PM: Doors Open  
  • 5:45 PM: Brief remarks from Dean Jodi Sandfort and Vora Savengseuksa, MPA 2013 
  • 7:00 PM: Goodnight 

Akhtar Badshah Engaged with Creating Restorative Opportunities & Programs (CROP)

Over the last three years faculty member Akhtar Badshah has been deeply engaged with CROP – Creating Restorative Opportunities & Programs, a California based nonprofit dedicated to reforming California’s criminal justice landscape through innovative and holistic approaches to reentry. In a new blog post, Badshah shares what is has been like to learn about CROP and see first hand the impact of their work on formerly incarcerated individuals.

JSI Scholar: Martu J. Kollie

Tell us about your story

My name is Martu J. Kollie, an aspiring International Human Rights Lawyer and Environmental Justice Advocate. I am a first-generation college Senior at Beloit College in Wisconsin, double majoring in International Relations & Environmental Justice with a minor in Spanish. I was born and raised in a suburban community in Liberia, West Africa, where locals resell raw materials and other goods. Many girls in my neighborhood were denied the right to equal educational opportunities. Most parents believed girls should stay at home and learn what was conceived as “women’s responsibilities” while the boys went to school. Despite the fact that my dreams seemed like fleeting fantasies suppressed by age-old societal dogma, I was one of the few girls in my community who defied the odds and acquired quality education. My childhood experiences have deeply informed my interest in social change. Experiencing moments of injustice, inequality, and marginalization has cultivated my sense of responsibility to contribute to positive transformation, such as women’s empowerment and early childhood development. Since my adolescent years, I have been immensely involved in advocacy on both social and environmental issues. I have volunteered with several non-profit organizations focused on empowering young women and promoting environmental sustainability. In 2021, I began volunteering as a lobbyist with the Friends Committee on National Legislation, a nonpartisan Quaker organization that lobbies Congress and the administration to advance peace, justice, and environmental stewardship.

What path did you take when you first started college?

When I enrolled at Beloit, I took classes that would deepen my understanding of complex global policy systems and how they affect ordinary people. I also took courses to help me develop analytical, critical reasoning, writing, and research skills. I knew that I needed these skills to fully understand how the world works in the context of cross-border politics and why some countries behave the way they do. Through my Beloit classes, I gained exposure to different trends in the global political sphere, career development lecture series, and policy-based research projects. I also secured volunteer opportunities on and off campus. I currently serve as a student volunteer at the American Red Cross of Wisconsin to educate the American public about the importance of International Humanitarian Law (IHL). I am also a member of the UNHCR Young Champion Network. I create art and written pieces to advocate for the rights of refugees and asylum seekers.

What made you consider a career in public policy/public service/international affairs?

I am passionate about addressing global challenges, fostering international cooperation, and promoting peace. I also want to help improve the administration of immigration policies and practices by governments and ensure a more workable immigration system globally. Tackling these complex global issues requires interdisciplinary skill sets, advanced knowledge of how they affect people, and the policies for addressing them. It requires exceptional research and policy analysis skills to address complex and discriminatory immigration policies, which I can only obtain through a career in public policy or international affairs.

Who inspires you to think about public service?

My communities are what inspire me to engage in public service. The Mexican American, immigrant family, and student communities have shaped my life and motivate me to serve them. I feel a duty to give back to them – and in a way, my family – by uplifting them through policy. As a representative of my communities, I hope to ensure that my community’s voices are heard and taken into account when creating and implementing policy.

What are you most excited about the JSI program at UW?

I am excited about meeting new people, exploring the beautiful city of Seattle, and, most importantly, networking with experts in the public policy arena and learning from their experiences. I am also excited about learning how to evaluate policies using data. Policymaking involves a lot of data analysis and multi-disciplinary approaches to providing solutions to different types of policy issues. I need to learn more about using different strategies to develop solutions to global policy problems. I look forward to developing these skills through the JSI program.

JSI Scholar: Isabella Romo

Tell us about your story

I grew up in Gilroy, CA, a predominantly Latine immigrant community in the southern region of the Bay Area. This community allowed me to connect with my Latine roots and take advantage of educational and extracurricular opportunities. These experience are somewhat unique to the Bay Area and I am very grateful that my family has been able to support me in my ambitions. These experience have also, however, motivated me to make more opportunities like these accessible to more youth. I’ve dedicated my work to providing resources to the Latine community – locally and internationally – and to ensuring that all individuals’ human rights are protected at all levels of government.

What made you consider a career in public policy/public service/international affairs?

It took me 20 years to learn what public policy is and I was sold on a career in public policy the second I understood what that meant. I find immense value in public policy’s stake in people’s every day lives; yet, there are many flaws in how public policy Is both created and implemented. I want to enter public policy in order to foster equitable policies that ensure the public’s – especially minority groups’ – wellbeing.

Who inspires you to think about public service?

My communities are what inspire me to engage in public service. The Mexican American, immigrant family, and student communities have shaped my life and motivate me to serve them. I feel a duty to give back to them – and in a way, my family – by uplifting them through policy. As a representative of my communities, I hope to ensure that my community’s voices are heard and taken into account when creating and implementing policy.

What are you most excited about the JSI program at UW?

I’m most excited for the mentorship- professionally and academically- that the JSI program offers. I hope to forge relationships with the professors, counselors, and public policy professionals we have the privilege of working with. I anticipate that this mentorship will allow me to succeed not just in graduate school applications but also in graduate school itself.