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Event Recap | Theory to Practice: “Antiracist by Design” Book Launch with Associate Professor Crystal C. Hall

Theory to Practice is an ongoing series of discussions hosted by the Evans School that brings together academics and researchers at UW with practitioners in the field to explore key policy, governance, and social sector topics.

On December 11, 2024, the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance hosted our Theory to Practice: Antiracist by Design Book Launch with Associate Professor Crystal C. Hall. This thought-provoking event celebrated the launch of her powerful new book on advancing antiracist practices in policy and design.

The evening featured an engaging interview led by Charmila Ajmera, MPA ’20, who explored the book’s themes and its inspiring call to action for creating equitable systems through intentional design. The discussion illuminated the real-world implications of antiracist work and the challenges and opportunities of embedding these principles into practice.

Attendees were invited to join a dynamic Q&A session, where thoughtful questions deepened the conversation around antiracism and systemic change. This meaningful exchange set the stage for a community-driven dialogue, fostering connections and shared commitments to advancing equity in policy and governance.

Resources

Speakers

Crystal Hall joined the Evans School faculty in 2008. Her courses include Quantitative Analysis, Psychology for Policy Analysis, Intergroup Relations for Public Policy, and Race and Equity for Policy and Governance.

Her research explores decision making in the context of poverty, using the methods of social and cognitive psychology, along with behavioral economics. This work has had a particular focus on financial decision making and economic opportunity for low-income families. In addition to broadening the theoretical understanding of the behavior of this population, her work has also explored new ways of incorporating these insights into policy design and implementation. She has a record of serving government agencies at the local, state, and federal level – including having served as a Fellow on the White House Social and Behavioral Sciences Team and the Federal Office of Evaluation Sciences at the General Services Administration.

Professor Hall holds an appointment as an Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychology in the University of Washington Department of Psychology. She is also an Academic Affiliate of ideas42, an Affiliated Scientist of the Behavioral Change for Good Initiative, and a Faculty Affiliate at both the University of Washington’s West Coast Poverty Center (WCPC) and Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology (CSDE).

In addition to her scholarly work, Professor Hall has provided guidance and training to community organizations, nonprofits, and government agencies seeking to implement tools from psychology and behavioral economics into the design and delivery of their programs and services. She holds a PhD and MA in Psychology from Princeton University. In addition, she holds a BS from Carnegie Mellon University in both Decision Science and Policy and Management.

Charmila Ajmera is Environmental Justice Policy senior manager in the Environmental Public Health division of the Washington State Department of Health. Prior to joining the agency, she worked with the environmental justice coalition, Front & Centered to help draft and pass the 2021 Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) act, and served as an Inclusion Manager at Tableau and Salesforce. She has been a staunch and effective advocate for equity and anti-racist policies and practices both in her professional and academic careers for the last 15 years. Outside of work, she loves enjoying the beauty of the PNW with her 2 year old daughter, partner, and pup.

Event Recap | Theory to Practice: Leading People in a Post-Pandemic World

Theory to Practice is an ongoing series of discussions hosted by the Evans School that brings together academics and researchers at UW with practitioners in the field to explore key policy, governance, and social sector topics.

On May 9, 2024, the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance hosted a compelling conversation on the challenges and opportunities of managing and leading a public workforce in our post-pandemic world.

Our panelists shared insights and experiences from their work at both local and federal levels, offering valuable perspectives on adapting to remote work, fostering employee resilience, and reimagining service delivery. From research-backed strategies to real-world practices, we delved into the complex issues facing public sector leaders today. Attendees engaged in an honest exploration of the hurdles ahead and the innovative strategies needed to navigate them effectively in today’s workforce.

Resources

Speakers

Lisa Pearson

Lisa Pearson serves as the PBS Regional Commissioner for the Northwest/Arctic Region of the U.S. General Services Administration, providing leadership to the region in delivering programs and services for a portfolio of 504 owned and leased buildings across Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.

Pearson began her career with GSA in 2001 as an Employee & Labor Relations Specialist in the Great Lakes Region. She has since held several senior level positions including two stints as Acting PBS Regional Commissioner.

She completed a Bachelor’s in Sociology & Urban Studies at Northwestern University and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Sebawit (Sebu) Bishu

Sebawit (Seba) Bishu is an Assistant Professor of Public Management at the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington, Seattle.

Her scholarly work explores race and gender relations in public organizations with a focus on leadership, street-level bureaucracy, identity, and organizational behavior. Bishu’s research asks the question “how do societal, organizational and managerial level factors shape public organizations’ and bureaucrats’ behaviors and decisions, and what are the implications for access to, and quality of, public services?”

Bishu’s work is published in academic journals such as Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Public Administration Review, the American Review of Public Administration, and the Review of Public Personnel Administration.  She is currently conducting qualitative research using data from 143 interviews with municipal managers across the United States.

Stephanie Lucash

Stephanie Lucash is Deputy City Manager at the City of Kenmore. She has 30 years of municipal government experience including management and leadership positions at the Cities of Kenmore, Seattle, and Covington. In Kenmore, she oversees an array of critical areas such as economic development, public safety, housing and human services, and more. Her exemplary work in Kenmore has earned her two statewide award.

Lucash is President of the Board of Directors for the Washington City/County Management Association. She also serves on the Association of Washington Cities Board of Directors and as Vice Chair of the Washington Secretary of State’s Archives, Library and Legacy Foundation Board of Trustees.

Before joining Kenmore, Lucash was Director of Citywide HR Planning and Innovation at the City of Seattle where she played a key role in the City’s pandemic response and launched nine citywide human resources projects.

Lucash has a Master’s of Public Administration from the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance at the University of Washington and is a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, certified Crucial Conversations trainer and Peacekeeper.

Event Recap | Theory to Practice: Addressing Inequalities in the Philanthropic Sector

Theory to Practice is an ongoing series of discussions hosted by the Evans School that brings together academics and researchers at UW with practitioners in the field to explore key policy, governance, and social sector topics.

As a sector, philanthropy is beginning to acknowledge and grapple with an inherent dissonance: though philanthropy’s intended purpose is to create positive change, it can also be a driver of continued inequity and harm. The policies and structures that support charitable giving have perpetuated wealth inequalities, and the practices that many philanthropic institutions have historically employed may cause harm to the communities they are trying to support.

On December 7, 2023, Maria Kolby-Wolfe, President and CEO of Washington Women’s Foundation, and David Suárez, Ph.D., an associate professor at the Evans School spoke about systemic challenges in philanthropy as well as new models that strive to reduce harm and shift power to communities closest to the work.

Resources

Speakers

Maria Kolby-Wolfe

Maria Kolby-Wolfe is President and CEO of Washington Women’s Foundation (WaWF) and a part-time instructor at the University of Washington in Nonprofit Management. Prior to WaWF, Maria served in a variety of development and communication roles at Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, Seattle Symphony, Path with Art, ACT Theatre, the Museum of Pop Culture, and Swedish Medical Center Foundation. She is also an experienced board member, having served on the boards of TeamChild, Rainier Valley Food Bank, Allied Arts Foundation and the Global Leadership Forum. Maria was raised in Bellingham, Washington, graduated from the University of Puget Sound, and achieved doctoral candidacy in American History at Northwestern University. Her passions and beliefs align directly with her work: Food, Art, and Justice for All.

David Suárez, Ph.D., is an associate professor and the Colleen Willoughby Endowed Faculty Fellow in Philanthropy & Civil Society at the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, University of Washington. His current research focuses on social sector organizations (nonprofits and foundations) and explore show management strategy shapes organizational performance, the relationship between service-provision and social change activity, and the consequences of professionalization. Ongoing projects include research on the emergence and development of participatory grantmaking in foundations, the Civic Life of Cities – a multi-team project exploring how nonprofits contribute to the communities they serve, public-nonprofit partnerships in national parks and schools, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) practices in development NGOs, and the role of foundations in generating social change.

Event Recap | Theory to Practice : Artificial Intelligence & Implications for Public Policy

On May 3, 2023, the Evans School hosted our Spring Theory to Practice webinar on Artificial Intelligence and Implications for Public Policy. Evans School Professor Justin Bullock and Information School Professor Afra Mashhadi shared their insights into the rapidly developing field of AI and discussed possible policy implications related to the increased development and use of large language models.

Theory to Practice is an ongoing series of discussions hosted by the Evans School that brings together academics and researchers at UW with practitioners in the field to explore key policy, governance, and social sector topics.

Event Speakers: 

  • Dr. Afra Mashhadi, Adjunct Professor, Information School
  • Dr. Justin Bullock, Affiliate Associate Professor, Evans School of Public Policy & Governance