As we move into the final weeks of fall term, I am continually impressed with the creativity, and commitment that define the Hatfield School of Government community. This month’s newsletter offers a snapshot of that spirit—from student achievements and global learning experiences, to alumni leadership, and ongoing scholarly contributions to public service.

One of the highlights of November was our Research Showcase Series, a new initiative designed to elevate and celebrate the outstanding research conducted by Hatfield faculty, students and staff. Across a series of virtual presentations—now fully available to view online—we heard compelling work ranging from meaningful work in the nonprofit sector, to federal energy and environmental investments, to peacebuilding and organizational culture change . This Showcase marks the beginning of what we hope will become an annual Hatfield tradition, strengthening our shared identity as a research-driven school committed to solving real-world problems.

Of course, we are also navigating an unusually challenging period. Portland State University is undergoing a campuswide program assessment process in response to continued fiscal pressures, and like many institutions, we have been affected this fall by federal government shutdown and by policy changes in immigration enforcement that have created uncertainty for our students, staff, and partners.

Despite these headwinds, what I see across our community is not discouragement—but determination. The Hatfield School has always been defined by its ability to adapt, collaborate, and lead through complexity. Our faculty continue to produce nationally recognized research. Our students continue to seek ways to serve locally and globally. And our alumni continue to make a difference across all levels of government and in nonprofit organizations throughout the public service field.

I hope you enjoy this month’s stories, and that they remind you—as they remind me—why the work we do matters, especially in challenging times. Thank you for the many ways you contribute to the strength, reputation, and impact of the Hatfield School.

Warm regards,
Masami Nishishiba, Ph.D.
Director, Mark O. Hatfield School of Government

Oregon Consensus turned 20! Last week, on October 29th, the National Policy Consensus Center and Oregon Consensus celebrated the program’s 20 years of legislatively-supported service. We had a wonderful evening of festivities and discussion – and cake!

A remarkable panel of collaborators included Isaiah Jackman of Espousal Strategies; Mariana Ruiz-Temple, State Fire Marshal; Whitney Grubbs, Executive Director of Foundations for a Better Oregon; and Union County Commissioner Paul Anderes. Emceed by Donna Silverberg, Principal/Owner of DS Consulting, the panelists shared their honest and insightful perspectives from across the state about collaboration across Oregon. It was truly an inspiring evening that reflected on the history of community-building and collaboration, with a look to an even brighter future.

The night honored past connections and new perspectives. And, ultimately, “a deep desire to do what we can to preserve and extend the work of collaboration in Oregon,” as so eloquently shared by former Oregon Consensus Director, Elaine Hallmark during the event.

From just September to October, OCCoE hosted 3 cybersecurity tabletop exercises for the public sector at the Oregon Association of Government IT Management Fall Conference,  the League of Oregon Cities Annual Conference, and the Oregon Cyber Resilience Summit (above).  Each of these events had an impressive turn out, totaling 98 officials and staff from state, local, special district, K-12, higher ed, and more entities in Oregon.  Through collaborative simulations and discussions, participants left better resourced to enhance cyber resilience in their organization, with 82% reporting that the exercise helped them feel more prepared for a cyber incident.  The events also allowed for building connections and maintaining networks of support between various Oregon entities.   

 The Center for Women’s Leadership (CWL), currently housed within the Hatfield School of Government, is planning to transition to a new fiscal sponsor outside PSU to expand its reach across Oregon. Founded in 2009, CWL has long provided leadership development programs, scholarship initiatives, and community-based events aimed at empowering diverse women throughout the state. According to its 2025 biannual report, CWL has engaged more than 600 people at community events over the past two years and delivered leadership programming in 24 of Oregon’s 36 counties. CWL also continued to deepen its engagement with underrepresented and underserved communities.

 This transition is intended to enable CWL to expand its work with rural and marginalized communities, attract a broader range of philanthropic and corporate partners, and grow its programs in policy, business, and civic engagement. CWL’s mission has always extended beyond the boundaries of a single institution, and the shift aligns with Oregon’s changing political and economic landscape. Even after the transition, CWL will maintain close ties with Hatfield School and PSU through research partnerships, alumni engagement, and academic collaboration.

Looking ahead, CWL  plans to host a town hall meeting early next year to discuss its future direction and gather community input as it enters this new chapter. We extend our sincere gratitude to Jessica Heilman, Director of CWL, and all past directors and staff for all their hard work and dedication, and for growing CWL into an indispensable institution serving our community.

Two professional certificate programs with the Hatfield School of Government are currently accepting registrations. 

Certificate in Tribal Relations

Seats are still available for the 2025-26 program! 

The Certificate in Tribal Relations is offered by the Institute for Tribal Government and Center for Public Service in the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government. The course is facilitated by Direlle Calica (Warm Springs) and Serina Fast Horse (Sicangu Lakota & Amskapi Piikuni), who bring deep expertise and lived experience in Tribal relations and community engagement. It is designed for local, state, and federal government agencies, non-profit and for-profit organizations, and trade associations that work regularly with tribal nations and native communities. Members of tribal governments and other Native communities interested in collaborative governance also participate. The program seeks to foster understanding of tribal perspectives, increase staff effectiveness and accountability when working in Indian Country,  and improve working relationships between participants and the tribal communities with whom they work. 

You can learn more about the program here. 

Professional Certificate in Program Evaluation

Are you looking for ways to enhance evaluation for your organization while developing your professional evaluation skills that are transferable to other careers? Consider the Nonprofit Institute's Professional Certificate in Program Evaluation!

Program evaluation offers public sector organizations the opportunity to examine their programs in order to find new ways to improve their programming and policies as well as discover opportunities for meaningful engagement with the communities they serve. You do not need to be a nonprofit professional to benefit from this program: we welcome all public sector employees to consider this opportunity.

The Nonprofit Institute's Professional Certificate in Program Evaluation guides you through the program evaluation process using a culturally responsive and equitable evaluation framework. Over the course of the program, you will learn the ins and outs of program evaluation, culminating in the preparation and execution of an evaluation plan for your organization.  

The Professional Certificate in Program Evaluation will be offered as a remote program in 2026. You can learn more about the program here. 

Over the month of November the Hatfield School of Government hosted a Research Showcase Series, featuring research from HSOG faculty and students! This is the start of an annual event that will continue to feature the amazing research that is being done by our faculty and staff. 

Don’t worry if you missed it. The recordings are available now below! 

Billie Sandberg (Chair, Dept. of Public Administration)

Carl Christiansen (Doctoral candidate, Public Affairs and Policy Doctoral Program) 

Meaningful Work in the Nonprofit Sector: What It Is & Why It Matters

Bobby Cochran (Mediator, Oregon Consensus Program) 

Justin Huber (Doctoral student, Earth, Environment and Society Program) 

Federal Energy & Environment Investment Project

Michelle Helman (Senior Fellow, Center for Public Service) 

Peace, Innovation, & Organizational Culture Change

Carlos Arias will soon be serving as the Editor-in-Chief of the Hatfield Graduate Journal of Public Affairs! The Hatfield Graduate Journal of Public Affairs is a graduate student-led academic journal of the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government in the College of Urban and Public Affairs at Portland State University. The journal serves as a focal point for public affairs discussions concerning local, state, national, and international issues. The journal aims to bring together perspectives from across the various fields of research on public affairs – political science, public administration, public policy, and governance

Carlos is a Ph.D. candidate in Public Affairs and Policy, joining the school in 2021. His research and teaching areas include Economic Development, Sustainable Development, and Latin American Public Policy. He served as associate editor to the journal last year and brings that valuable experience to the task. Congratulations Carlos! 

The journal is currently accepting submissions for the Spring 2026 issue. This is an excellent opportunity for graduate students to submit their work for publication and presents a unique opportunity to showcase your hard work around the globe. The deadline for submissions is December 30th, 2025, and they can be submitted at https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/hgjpa/.

Mike Land - ICMA President, Gabriella Tomei, and Julie Novak - ICMA Executive Director

Gabriella Tomei is a second year Master of Public Administration student and the president of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) student chapter at Portland State University. The ICMA has 1,200 student chapters across the country and brings together both students and working professionals interested in pursuing a career in local government. It provides resources and networking opportunities, and is free for students to join! 

Gabriella recently traveled with an ICMA delegation to Eswatini and South Africa, where she met local leaders and learned about the shared problems facing local governance, from inclusivity to trust building, and from community life to economic inequality. They directly engaged with local leaders, residents, and practitioners who live the realities of governance every day. 

Beginning in Eswatini, the group met local councils and chiefs, learning about their roles in shaping community life from land allocation and conflict resolution to maintaining social harmony. The group then traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa, where they met municipal leaders tackling informal settlements through innovative planning and collaboration with residents. 

“The ICMA delegation experience in Eswatini and South Africa was nothing short of transformative. I was struck by how different governance systems can teach the same universal lessons. Eswatini emphasized the strength of cultural continuity and community voice, while South Africa demonstrated the power of reinvention and inclusion . . . As a graduate student preparing to enter the field, this experience reaffirmed why I chose public service.”

Portland State University’s Hatfield School of Government supported students’ professional development by purchasing four tickets to attend Malala Yousafzai’s Portland stop on her Finding My Way book tour and distributing them via lottery. What students expected to be a traditional author event became a rare and intimate conversation with one of the world’s most influential advocates for girls’ education. Attendees were struck by Malala’s warmth, humor, and honesty as she reflected on the pressures of global attention, her college experiences, and the universal challenges of friendship, identity, and growing up.

Students who attended reflected on how deeply human Malala is—far beyond the symbol of resilience she became after surviving a Taliban attack at age 15 and later winning the Nobel Peace Prize at 17. Hearing her speak about singing Taylor Swift with friends, navigating relationships, and discovering who she is outside public expectations helped students see that extraordinary changemakers are often ordinary people choosing courage again and again.

From this experience, students walked away with several powerful lessons: that identity is something each person defines for themselves, that community and mental health support are essential, and that young voices—especially young women's—carry immense power. More than a book talk, the event reminded students that meaningful change often begins with authenticity, empathy, and the willingness to speak up.

Cole Grisham is a Public Affairs & Policy Ph.D. candidate, who started his studies at PSU in 2020. Cole has been invited by the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine to give the 2026 TRB Annual Meeting lectern session in Native Americans and Tribal Lands!

TRB’s Annual Meeting attracts thousands of transportation professionals from around the world. 

The program covers all transportation modes, with sessions and workshops addressing topics of interest to policy makers, administrators, practitioners, researchers, and representatives of government, industry, and academic institutions.

Cole's dissertation research examines the relationship between institutional structure in Alaska Native consortia and federal safety grant awards, including spatial distribution and governance dynamics. His research areas include governance, regional transportation and indigenous planning, and policy process. Good luck and congratulations Cole!

Over the years, Josh Thomas (MPA, '98) has held lead communicator roles for local, regional, state and federal government, including the Oregon Legislature, City of Lake Oswego, FEMA (for Hurricane Katrina), the Port of Portland, and the Oregon Dairy Products Commission.

For the past four years, Thomas has served as Executive Director for the Oregon Utility Notification Center, more commonly known as Oregon 811. 

Created by the Oregon State Legislature in 1995, the agency protects underground utilities and promotes public safety for those digging near them. Oregon 811’s free service provides utility locations statewide, along with public awareness, outreach and training programs to encourage adherence to dig laws and best practices.

Looking back over the past 30 years, Thomas credits much of his success to the experiences and strong foundation in public administration and policy gained during his time at Portland State University in the Hatfield School of Government.

“My classes brought me to Washington, D.C. and Victoria, B.C., sitting across the table from Senator Hatfield, shaking hands with President Clinton, and introduced me to concepts, resources and colleagues that I rely upon to this day,” said Thomas. “I’m forever grateful for the support and guidance of my professors and the lifelong friendships I gained.”