Category Archives: Economics and Policy Analysis Major

PPPA Student Lok Wu Selected For City Charter Review Committee

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One of UWT’s core values is community engagement, so it is inspiring to see students put this value into practice.

Last December, the Tacoma City Council formed its once-a-decade Charter Review Committee.  Among 52 applicants for 6 open positions, the Council selected UWT student Lok Yin Wu (Economics and Policy Analysis) to serve on the committee.

The city’s Charter Review Committee (CRC) reviews and proposes amendments to the city’s charter.  In this critical process, the CRC examines features in the charter, such as the city’s governance structure, police accountability, the ability of citizens to vote directly on policies, and the term limits of Tacoma’s elected officials.  The Committee’s task is to make recommendations to the City Council for changes to the charter that it would like the Council to put to a public vote.

The review process is a long one. This year it began in January and will end in May; it has required committee members to devote an average of ten hours of work per week. Of the 15 committee members, Lok is by far the youngest, reflecting an intentional effort on the part of City Council to involve young adults in the charter review process. Says Mayor Victoria Woodards:

“Children are not our future, but our present and we need to be engaging them now in the decisions that will impact them. There is no better example of this than the Charter Review Process and having youth participate in conversations that will shape the next decade of our community.”

Stephen Wamback, the chair of the review committee, agrees:  “I’m appreciative that our City Council appointed Lok to represent the voice of youth.  Active participation from younger generations is an important part of making sure we do this work right.”

Katie Baird, Lok Yu Win, and Nicholas Carr

Lok herself has found this opportunity to be “a breakthrough experience” for her.  She especially appreciated how much she has learned:  “It has deepened my understanding of the structure of the City of Tacoma and its progressive goals.  I appreciate how passionate so many individuals are for making positive changes.”

In addition to Lok, UWT is well represented on this year’s Charter Review Committee.  Prof. Katie Baird (PPPA) was also selected by the City, as were Andre Jimenez (Law & Policy, 2022), and Nicholas Carr (PP&E, 2012).

Karen Lin Interns with Pierce County Council

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Economics & Policy Analysis graduate Karen Lin recently completed a summer internship with Pierce County Council (PCC). Karen is the second EPA student to participate in PCC’s new paid summer internship. During Karen’s internship, she worked directly with the County Council and its professional staff.  One of the main projects she worked on was building an inventory for all the housing intervention services throughout Pierce County. Toward the end of her internship, the Council asked her to present this inventory to its committee meeting on homelessness.
During her internship, Karen took advantage of many opportunities made available to her by County staff, such as touring different facilities within the county to better understand the local government.  She also learned about career opportunities with the County. “I am glad to have taken this opportunity to work for the council,” Karen commented.  “It has allowed me to grow as a person and given me the experience of working in government administration.”
Meanwhile, EPA faculty continue to work closely with Pierce County Council, and to extend internship opportunities with it. If interested, contact Prof. Katie Baird (kebaird@uw.edu).

Calling all students interested in public policy and economic analysis

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Thinking of graduate school?  Consider applying to the Public Policy and International Affairs’ (PPIA) Junior Summer Institute, which is a new summer program at the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy. The application closes on November 1, 2023.

The PPIA program promotes the participation of underrepresented groups in domestic and international public service. This program is fully-funded, with a curriculum that includes economics, policy analysis, implementation, quantitative methods, and community engagement – all designed to sharpen students’ quantitative, analytic, and leadership skills.  You’ll also gain exposure to public service in the Pacific Northwest through experiential learning opportunities, mentorship, field trips, and engagement with community-based practitioners, regional leaders, and elected officials. This institute offers a terrific learning opportunity as well as enhances your credentials for graduate school in a public policy field.

What: Junior Summer Institute (JSI)

Who: Rising seniors of all majors

When: June 19-August 2, 2024

BENEFITS

  • Seven week residential program hosted by the University of Washington’s Evans School
  • Full tuition and housing with a meal plan
  • Stipend up to $1,000
  • Books and course materials
  • Mentorship from professionals working in fields of public policy, management, and governance
  • Scholarship at a PPIA graduate school

REQUIREMENTS

  • Graduating between December 2024 and August 2025
  • Demonstrated interest in public policy and commitment to career in public service sector
  • History of work involving historically underserved or underrepresented communities

INTERESTED?
There will be a PPIA Program JSI Informational Webinar on Friday, October 6th from 9am – 10:30am (Pacific Time – Los Angeles).  Use the following link to RSVP. https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://bit.ly/JSI2024Webinar__;!!K-Hz7m0Vt54!j5yxBbnZzzd-3kTgKy5BFR1GfZ2zVwhHRrPNLphlaqgRUC0aH1_nEyNVgt4rfbqjL6HabwxAdNr8$