It is hard to believe, but we are already in the eighth week of the Spring term, with only three more weeks before we conclude another academic year at the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government. This issue of Hatfield Highlights is the final issue of the academic year. As I reflect on this past year, I am filled with gratitude for the many students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community partners who continue to advance our mission to improve democratic governance and build public service capacity.

This spring, we gathered to celebrate public service through events such as our annual Public Service Recognition Event and the Friends of Hatfield Speaker Series. These gatherings reminded us that public service is sustained through relationships, collaboration, and a shared commitment to strengthening our communities.

I am also deeply honored to share that, at our Public Service Recognition Event, Dr. Walt Ellis announced his commitment of a $1 million estate gift to support the Hatfield School of Government. Dr. Ellis’s extraordinary generosity reflects his lifelong dedication to public service education, scholarship, and community engagement. His support will help expand opportunities for our students and strengthen the Hatfield School’s impact for generations to come. As someone who had the privilege of having Walt as my doctoral advisor, I am personally grateful for his mentorship, leadership, and enduring belief in the importance of public service.

This issue of Hatfield Highlights showcases just a few examples of the remarkable work happening across our school—from faculty research and student achievements to alumni leadership and community partnerships. I hope these stories inspire you as much as they inspire me.

Thank you for being part of the Hatfield community and for supporting the next generation of public service leaders.

Warm regards,

Masami Nishishiba
Director, Mark O. Hatfield School of Government

On Thursday, May 7 the Hatfield School of Government community gathered to celebrate Public Service Recognition week at the annual Public Service Recognition Event! Each unit within the Hatfield School nominated a community partner to honor their contributions to public service: 

Skyler Brocker-Knapp, Director of Portland Solutions 

Frances Portillo, Founder of Portillo Consulting 

Richard Rader, Chief Technology Officer of Umpqua Indian Development Corporation 

Leah Benson, Ranked Choice Voting Project Manager at Multnomah County

Jennifer McGuirk, Multnomah County Auditor 

The five panelists gathered for a panel discussion moderated by Wendy Willis, Director of Oregon’s Kitchen Table, to present their perspectives on public service and their experience as “community game changers”.

On Thursday, April 9, representatives from Hatfield Institutions gathered for the third annual Friends of Hatfield Speaker Series! Panelists included Dr. Masami Nishishiba, Director of the Hatfield School of Government, Dr. Seth Coltar, Professor of History at Willamette University, and Mark Farley, Director of Business Operations at the Hatfield Marine Science Center. 

Through a discussion facilitated by Laurel Singer from the National Policy Consensus Center at PSU, the panelists and audience explored how Senator Mark O. Hatfield’s values have shaped public institutions and leadership in the state of Oregon. Attendees shared stories about Senator Hatfield’s work, values, and the importance of expanding collaboration between the institutions carrying the Senator’s name. 

Watch the full recording of the panel through the link below. 

In March, NPCC Fiscal and Operations Manager Jacen Greene presented at Compact26, the annual Campus Compact conference. Campus Compact is "the largest and oldest association dedicated to higher education civic and community engagement,” and the conference brings together students, faculty, and staff to discuss community-engaged learning and teaching. 

Jacen and his co-presenter, Dr. Catherine Cotrupi of Virginia Tech, led a workshop on “Equity-Minded Mentoring: Affirming Relationship-Rich Environments for Grad Students and Early-Career Faculty.” The workshop reviewed recent research on mentoring, which shows that a reciprocal, equity-centered network of mentoring relationships is more effective than a traditional, hierarchical mentor-mentee relationship. They also discussed ways in which this emerging approach can be translated to university-community partnerships.

Dr. Paul Manson is a Research Assistant Professor with the PSU Center for Public Service. His latest research is a collaboration with Reed Professor Chris Koski, titled "Not yet partisan: Cultural Theory explains attitudes about solar radiation management in the US". In it, they ask how the public interprets emerging threats before political parties get their hooks into the issue. 

Read the full publication here. 

Dr. Jack Miller of Portland State University's Department of Politics and Global Affairs recently released his third novel, Silent Majority. Exploring the human costs of political success while also painting a hopeful picture of how regular Americans might take back their nation from performative ideologues and intolerant extremists, Silent Majority tracks a painful political awakening during the Obama and Trump years by following the rise of a suburban businessman from a placid non-political life to a seat in Congress. 

In a lead opinion essay in the Wall Street Journal on March 29, Professor Bruce Gilley argued that recent discussions about "restoring democracy" after President Trump's term expires mask a worrying and undemocratic attempt to ensure permanent Democratic Party rule.

Read the full article here. 

Ph.D. student Omotola Oladapo shares her experience at the annual American Society for Public Administration Conference: 

I am grateful for the opportunity and valuable exposure I gained from attending the ASPA 2026 Conference. A major highlight of the conference was presenting my paper for the first time, titled “Governing Climate Vulnerability in Developing Countries: Toward Equitable and Resilient Solutions.” 

Third-year Ph.D. student Prabhas Pokharel has been awarded the Carl Imhoff Scholarship by the Renewable Energy Scholarship Foundation (RESF)! These scholarships are given to students who have demonstrated success in their academic pursuits in any aspect of renewable energy, from the sciences as well as relevant pursuits in complementary fields like public policy, law, economics, and sociology. Prabhas specializes in energy policy and collaborative governance for his dissertation research.  Congratulations!

Second-year Political Science student Grace Peterson has won the Undergraduate Presidential Award for Service to the Community.  As a high school student, Grace participated in the inaugural cohort of Hatfield Futures youth and then stepped into leadership with the program as a first-year PSU student. She was pivotal in creating an engaged alumni network for Hatfield Futures called the “Helping Hands” team, contributing to program design each year, and mentoring other youth in the program. Whether she’s hosting an arm-wrestling contest or inviting an elected official she has just met at a local tea shop to meet with youth, Grace brings enthusiasm, creativity, and courage to supporting and encouraging other young people to step into leadership roles.  

Since graduating from PSU’s MPA program in 2013, Teresa Alonso Leon has spent over a decade working in public service and to improve her community. Teresa’s family immigrated to the United States when she was four years old, working as farm laborers. Experiences with poverty, housing insecurity, and navigating systems that exclude communities of color shaped her commitment to public service and advocacy. Members of her community encouraged her to run for local office and the Oregon Legislature, where she helped to create a stronger voice for rural communities, immigrants, and communities of color. 

During her time at PSU, Teresa focused on nonprofit management and educational access. The practical focus of the MPA program’s coursework set her up for success in the public sector by giving her the tools needed to understand Oregon administrative rules. Today, she continues to advocate for education, healthcare, equity, and social justice policies. 

Check out Hatfield School's graduate programs below! Each program equips students to face challenges head-on and effect real change. Application deadlines are coming up soon!

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