The 2024-2025 academic year marked a year of growth, innovation and impact for The Patman Center. We hosted 94 speakers across 56 public events, welcomed over 3,000 event registrations, launched our first Dialogue Across Difference training, and celebrated our one-year anniversary at our inaugural Leadership Symposium.
Fall 2024 at a Glance
In the fall, we hosted two speaker series focused on the 2024 election. LBJ Conversations, hosted by LBJ professor of practice and Texas Tribune co-founder Evan Smith, brought national, state, and local elected officials to campus for candid discussions about key forces shaping the election. Speakers included Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar, Travis County DA José Garza, U.S. Representative Tony Gonzales (R-San Antonio), and U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro (D-San Antonio). Speakers shared insights on emerging trends, offered predictions, and explored the unique factors influencing voters in Texas.
“Every week we hear from someone new, someone different. And just hearing their perspectives on some of the challenges that they face, or providing us insights of things that will be helpful for our own future career, goals, and aspirations, has been the best part,” Kevin Roberts, an LBJ student said.
The Renewing Democracy Speaker Series, hosted by The Patman Center's Executive Director Emily Bhandari, explored the skills and strategies essential for winning campaigns and elections. Featured speakers included Brencia Berry, former political director for the Democratic National Committee, John Drogin, former campaign manager for U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, Rob Johnson, former campaign manager for Governor Rick Perry, and Sam Robles, former campaign manager for Roland Gutierrez's U.S. Senate run. They shared personal stories and broke down the core elements of a successful campaign. Their insights offered attendees a behind-the-scenes look at the realities of political organizing and electoral strategy.
JC Dwyer, an Austinite and consultant who supports nonprofits in public policy advocacy, attended many events in the fall. The Patman Center interviewed him about his experience.
“I wanted to learn more about how campaigns work, so I could understand the mechanics of the decisions that candidates are making and what they’re thinking about during (the election cycle), Dwyer said. “Also, (The Patman Center) had great guest speakers.”
A standout moment from the fall was a visit from with Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi. Before her evening event at the LBJ Presidential Library, she met with a small group of students for an intimate conversation about leadership, public service, and the evolving role of Congress. Students were captivated as she reflected on her time in office, offering candid insights into the challenges and responsibilities of governing.
The fall semester also marked the launch of several new speaker series, including the first Betty Anderson Speaker Series, named in honor of beloved community leader Betty Anderson. The inaugural speaker was MSNBC Anchor Ali Velshi, who discussed themes from his book, Small Acts of Courage, with Dr. Peniel Joseph, LBJ professor and founder of the Center for Race and Democracy. Velshi shared personal stories about his upbringing, career in journalism, and the values that have shaped his commitment to civic engagement. Students were especially moved by his reflections on integrity, resilience, and the responsibility of using one's platform for the public good. His message challenged students to lead with courage and clarity in the face of today's most pressing social and political issues.
In October, the Patman Center marked our one-year anniversary of its founding with the first annual Leadership Symposium. The evening brought together current and former students, alumni, and speakers for a night of dinner, fellowship and thought-provoking conversation. Featured speakers were former U.S. Trade Ambassador Ron Kirk (D) and former U.S. Representative Mimi Walters (R-California), who shared bipartisan perspectives on leadership, public service, and navigating today's political landscape.
In November, The Patman Center introduced another speaker series, the Inaugural Lt. General Norm Lezy Distinguished Speaker Series, named for Lt. General Norm Lezy, former deputy assistant secretary of defense. Former Texas governor and U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry spoke about his time in office and his work with veterans, and Evan Smith moderated. He also reflected on the importance of public service and encouraged students to pursue careers that contribute to the greater good.
After election day in November, we sponsored a post election debriefing with Matthew Dowd, a political analyst for ABC News and former strategist for the 2004 Bush-Cheney campaign. Mr. Dowd reflected on the major factors that shaped voter behavior, including the economy and other trends. He also examined the impact of the Trump Administration's continued influence on the Republican Party and what the election results signaled about the future of our American democracy.
Then, we closed out the fall semester with Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, who spoke about the future of public education in Texas. He highlighted ongoing efforts to address learning loss from the pandemic and to modernize curriculum standards to better align with workforce needs. Looking ahead to the upcoming legislative session, Commissioner Morath discussed school funding formulas, educational savings accounts, and measures to improve transparency across school districts.
Spring 2025 - The 89th Legislative Session
We began the spring with an event about the second Trump administration, where Karl Rove, former chief of staff for the Bush Administration, spoke about what were the likely policy priorities, the key players to watch, and the implications for the 2026 election cycle.
LBJ Conversations with Evan Smith returned for the spring, and guests included U.S. Representative Chip Roy (R-Austin), who discussed immigration, national security, and his views on federal spending. San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg addressed challenges facing urban governance in Texas, including infrastructure, afforable housing, and water policy. The Honorable Dennis Bonnen, former Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives offered insight into the ongoing legislative process and the evolving political dynamics at the state-level policymaking process.
We hosted a number of standalone events that spring. In January, U.S. Representative Greg Casar (TX-35) joined The Patman Center to talk about the future of progressive America. In February, State Representative Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) spoke about leaving the speaker's race and the upcoming legislative session and State Representative James Talarico (D-Austin) discussed public education in Texas and the legislative bills that affect it.
In February, we also had the honor of hosting The Patman Center's first Dialogue Across Difference Training. This training brought together undergraduate and graduate students, who spent the day learning skills to resolve conflict and have difficult conversations. 92 students registered for the event, and 41 received badges of completion to add to their LinkedIn or resume. Our trainers were UT-Austin instructors Becca North and Larry Schooler who brought deep expertise in conflict resolution and fostering meaningful dialogue.
In March, three Texas journalists visited The Patman Center to discuss the ongoing legislative session and what to expect from the upcoming 2026 elections. In April, KIND Bars founder Daniel Lubetzky spoke about the importance of building community and how entrepreneurship can drive social change. The Honorable Robert Duncan, former Chancellor of the Texas Tech University System and Chief of Staff for Speaker of the Texas House Dustin Burrows, talked about the legislative session, offering insights into key policy debates, priorities of leadership, and what to expect in the final weeks of leading up to Sine Die.
The last event of the spring semester was about the intersection of sports and politics, with former UT Head Football Coach and National Championship winner Mack Brown. Coach Brown was an inspiring speaker, sharing powerful lessons on leadership, teamwork, and resilience drawn from his decades-long career in college football. Afterwards, students, faculty, and members of The Patman Center's advisory committee met and mingled in a cocktail reception to honor Coach Brown.
Shortly after the end of the spring semester, Patman students flew to Washington, D.C. to participate in the Patman Center's May-term course, "Effective Advocacy for Influencing Federal Policymaking." For a full week, students learned from and networked with some of our Capital's most dedicated advocates, lobbyists and elected officials - many of whom are LBJ alumni - and represented all sides of the partisan spectrum. Students had the opportunity to go to Advancing American Freedom to learn about conservative policy advocacy from former Vice President Mike Pence. This was a wonderful opportunity for students to hear from an elected official who had deep experience working in federal policymaking.
“A frequent theme that came up today was leading with integrity," said LBJ student Estefani Marchena. "Mike Pence’s point that ‘adversity reveals character’ stuck with me. It made me think about how I want to show up when things get hard, not just when they’re easy. He mentioned to lead with respect and you don’t have to yell or raise your voice to get your point across, just try to create a human connection with people.”
You can read more about the week here and consider joining us in May 2026!
Thank you to everyone who participated in Patman Center programming this year! While this year might be over, we are excited about Fall 2025 and what the future holds. The Patman Center is offering three classes in the Fall. Dr. Becca North is teaching Bridging Divides Across Texas, a policy research project seeking to cultivate communication across differences. Evan Smith is once again teaching Politics and Issues of the Moment, a course focusing on the current events and people shaping the moment we're in. Emily Bhandari is teaching Skills for Winning Campaigns and Elections, where students learn directly from campaign experts how to draft their own campaign plans. This course is open to any UT-Austin student and is taught by bipartisan political professionals. The Renewing Democracy Speaker Series and LBJ Conversations with Evan Smith speaker series will both resume this August as well. Check back on our website or on our social media to see our new events schedule or sign up for our newsletter to stay in the know of upcoming activities.