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Welcome to a New Academic Year!
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As we begin the 2026–27 academic year, I want to extend a warm welcome to our new and returning students, faculty, and staff, and warm greetings to our alumni, community partners, supporters, and friends of the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government.
September always brings a sense of new beginnings to campus. Students return, classes begin, and we look ahead to another year of learning, research, and engagement. At the Hatfield School, however, we certainly did not wait until September to get started! It has already been a very busy and exciting summer.
Over the past few months, our faculty, staff, students, and community partners have been engaged in activities ranging from applied research and international exchanges to community conversations and public service initiatives. Our annual Japan Local Governance and Management Training Program (JaLoGoMa) once again brought civic engagement enthusiasts from Japan to Oregon to learn with our community partners.
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Closer to home, the Hatfield School co-hosted “Protecting Our Communities” forum in August, partnering with the Gray Panthers, and brought community voices together for a thoughtful conversation about immigration and the importance of civil and respectful dialogue. Meanwhile, our Oregon Cybersecurity Center of Excellence organized another Summer NW Cyber Camp for mid- and high- school students.
These are just a few examples of what has been happening across the Hatfield School this summer—and you will find more stories and updates in this issue of Hatfield Highlights.
As we begin the new academic year, I am reminded again of the importance of the Hatfield School’s mission: improving democratic governance and building public service capacity through the integration of theory and practice. Whether through educating the next generation of public servants, supporting current practitioners, conducting research that informs public policy, or creating spaces for community dialogue, our work is deeply connected to the communities we serve.
I look forward to another year of learning, collaboration, and public service together. Welcome—or welcome back—to the Hatfield School, and best wishes for a wonderful 2026–27 academic year!
Warm regards,
Masami Nishishiba
Director, Mark O. Hatfield School of Government
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Centers and Institute Highlights |
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Changemakers Across Generations
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The 23rd annual Japanese Local Governance and Management (JaLoGoMa) Program brought 18 participants from Japan to Portland for a week of learning, connection, and exploration under this year’s theme, “Change Makers.”
Throughout the week, participants met with individuals and organizations across the Portland region who are creating positive change in their communities—from preserving local history and reimagining public spaces to strengthening neighborhoods, engaging young people, and building vibrant local economies. These experiences encouraged participants to consider what civic engagement can look like and how they can contribute to shaping the future of their own communities.
Reflecting on more than two decades of JaLoGoMa, the Hatfield Director Masami Nishishiba emphasized that meaningful change rarely happens through one person alone. It grows through relationships, listening, collaboration, and learning from people with different experiences and perspectives. She encouraged participants to carry these lessons home and continue building connections with the communities they encountered in Oregon.
As the week concluded with a graduation ceremony, participants celebrated not only completing their JaLoGoMa experience, but also the friendships and partnerships formed across generations, cultures, and communities.
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The Oregon Cybersecurity Center of Excellence NW Cyber Camp
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The Oregon Cybersecurity Center of Excellence had a summer of growth, innovation, experimentation, and improvement for 193 students and 9 teachers with NW Cyber Camp.
As a summer staple, OCCoE coordinates week-long cyber camps for middle and high school students throughout the state. These camps help youth explore key cybersecurity concepts and technologies, ethics, and career opportunities in the field with hands-on learning experiences from computer science teachers and engaging industry speakers. This year, all involved with NW Cyber Camp experienced growth, innovation, experimentation, and improvement.
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Aiswarya Dutta Receives Morgan-Ellis Endowment to Study Gender, Floods, and Policy Gaps in India |
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Aiswarya Dutta, a Ph.D. candidate in the Public Affairs and Policy program at the Hatfield School of Government, received funding support from the Morgan-Ellis Endowment to conduct her doctoral fieldwork research in India.
Rooted in feminist and decolonial methodologies, Aiswarya’s research examines how socio-economic factors exacerbate vulnerabilities across different gender identities during floods in Northeast India. By focusing on marginalized perspectives and regional context, her research aims to highlight communities' agency in navigating floods and illuminate critical gaps in policies and institutional efforts.
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Community Discussion: Protecting our Communities Discussion
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On August 3rd, the Hatfield School of Government partnered with the Portland Gray Panthers to host a community discussion titled Protecting Our Communities. The event featured two distinguished speakers: Portland City Councilmember Angelita Morillo and City of Gresham Design Commissioner Krestina Aziz.
Councilmember Morillo, a native of Paraguay and Portland State University graduate, brought both personal perspective and public service expertise to the conversation. She is currently the only immigrant serving on the Portland City Council. Commissioner Aziz, who immigrated to Oregon from Egypt through the Diversity Visa program, is also a Portland State University graduate and the founder of a translation and interpretation agency.
The discussion explored several important themes, including the role of respectful civic dialogue when navigating areas of disagreement, how immigration policy can better protect individuals from exploitation, and how current immigration frameworks compare to those of recent years. Attendees also had the opportunity to share their own experiences and reflect on the forms of community support that have been most meaningful to them.
We are grateful to everyone who attended and contributed to a thoughtful, constructive conversation on a topic that holds deep significance for many in our community.
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Angelita Morillo
Portland City Council Representative
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Krestina Aziz
Vice Chair, City of Gresham Design Commission
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Straight Talk: Dr. Joshua Eastin discusses the war in Iran
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Professor Josh Eastin appeared on KGW's Straight Talk to offer his assessment of the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict. What the current administration billed as a short, weeks-long strike has now stretched past five months, and Dr. Eastin's verdict is clear: neither side is winning. The war has cost 18 American service members their lives, left more than 400 wounded, and produced far heavier casualties on the Iranian side, yet Tehran's hardline factions have only grown stronger, not weaker, in the face of sustained pressure.
Dr. Eastin, who accurately predicted in March that the conflict could escalate well beyond a limited exchange, describes the current situation as a "strategic stalemate" with no clear end in sight.
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Beyond Transparency: New Research Examines What Makes Citizen Participation Meaningful
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Frankline Muthomi, Assistant Professor, published “The Pathways Towards Citizen Participation Outcomes: An Empirical Study of the Engaged Budgeting Framework.” The study uses a process theory framework to examine how access to information and citizen participation across different levels of government and phases of the budgeting process contribute to meaningful citizen participation, citizen influence, and public trust in government.
The findings show that access to information and participation are necessary but not sufficient, on their own, to produce meaningful participatory outcomes. In particular, access to information does not directly increase citizens’ trust in government or necessarily translate into greater citizen influence over final decisions. These findings point to a potential dysfunction in participatory processes: governments may emphasize transparency by making information publicly available—often through government websites—without creating meaningful opportunities for residents to engage in deliberation and influence decisions.
The study underscores the importance of moving beyond simply providing information toward participatory processes that enable citizens to meaningfully contribute to and influence government decisions, particularly in areas such as budgeting.
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For N.J. Johnson, the path to city management started with a simple conviction: local government is where public service hits closest to home.
A lifelong Oregonian, N.J. was drawn to municipal government because of its direct impact on daily life. "Local government is typically the level of government that is the most impactful in people's daily lives," he says. "Because of the connection to our services and its size, local government is also the most accessible to participate in." That accessibility, combined with the ability to move quickly at a smaller scale, made it the right fit.
Choosing the Hatfield School of Government was, in his words, an easy decision. Having one of the top MPA programs in the country in the heart of downtown Portland meant he could pursue a rigorous education without leaving the state he calls home.
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With a background in local public civic service spanning over 20 years and continuing today, Jim Francesconi knows firsthand the value of the Hatfield School. Today, he is proud to be a Senior Fellow of the Hatfield School, where he works to strengthen the school’s connections with local and state governments and key community stakeholders. Jim assists the Director in expanding the school’s role as a trusted government and community partner while creating opportunities for students to gain experience in government and pursue careers in public service.
Additionally, Jim demonstrates his generous support as a donor to the school. “Supporting the Hatfield School is one of the best ways to encourage Public Service in Oregon,” Jim said. “The Hatfield School helps local and state governments be more effective in serving their citizens, and it helps provide government and nonprofits with the talent that they need to be successful.”
The school relies on private funding to continue to excel in creating meaningful social impact.
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Your generosity gives us the flexibility to invest where support can make a meaningful difference- in students, faculty, public engagement, and the connections that hold our School community together.
Join Jim and donate today!
Under "Fund Designation," enter "Hatfield School of Government" to donate to our fund.
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