University of Chicago Public Policy Studies

Check out the PBPL student spotlights at the convocation this year!

Thanks to all who joined us at the PBPL Reading Period Breakfast! Good luck with your finals!

PBPL Reading Period Breakfast
Saturday | May 23 | 10am - Noon | Keller Center’s Sky Suite
OPEN TO ALL PBPL STUDENTS
Come study or write your final papers
Medici Croissants (Sweet and Savory) + Coffee!
PBPL 22300 Policy Implementation TAs will be there to discuss your final projects!

Thank you to everyone who joined us yesterday to celebrate the end of the academic year and cheer on our graduating class! Huge thanks to Maya Handa, our 2026 Taub Lecture Alumni Speaker, for sharing her wisdom and experiences. We’re so proud of everything our students achieved this year, and we can’t wait to see the amazing things you’ll do next!

Public Policy End of Year Celebration
Wed | May 13 | 4:30 - 6:00pm | Keller Center’s Sky Suite

We are delighted to invite you to this year’s Public Policy End of Year Celebration in recognition of your achievements. Please join us on Wednesday, May 13, from 4:30 to 6:00 pm in the Keller Center’s Sky Suite. This year, we are honored to feature Maya Handa, PBPL class of 2016, as our Taub Lecture Alum Speaker. Maya currently serves as the NYC World Cup Czar and is the former Campaign Manager for NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani. We look forward to welcoming her back to campus and celebrating with you and your friends and family on this special day!

RSVP HERE: https://forms.gle/P7o96HfR7135Xafc9

*Senior gifts will be distributed during the celebration!

Lunch & Learn with Prof. Eman Abdelhadi
Wednesday | April 22
12:30-1:30 PM
Keller Center | Sky Suite

A Study in Mixed Methods Research:
Gender, Religion, and Migration through the Case of Muslim Americans

Curious about how researchers study topics that cut across academic fields? Join us for a conversation with Prof. Abdelhadi (Department of Comparative Human Development) as she discusses the use of mixed methods research in her work. You’ll leave with practical insight and ideas you can use in your own research experiences. Prof. Abdelhadi joins us from the Department of Comparative Human Development.

* Lunch will be provided. Space is limited, please RSVP!

Lunch & Learn with Harris alum Edoardo Ortiz, and Adi Martínez-Román
Thu | April 16 | 12:30-1:30 PM | Keller Center, Room 2054

Come learn about their work through Right to Democracy.
Title: The Undemocratic Framework in U.S. Territories in light of "America 250" and 125 years of the Insular Cases.

Description: 250 years since the U.S. Declaration of Independence established that governments derive their “just powers” from the “consent of the governed,” we must reckon with the reality that 3.6 million people under U.S. sovereignty live under undemocratic territorial rule. This normalized reality was institutionalized 125 years ago through the Insular Cases, a series of Supreme Court decisions that gave constitutional sanction to indefinite undemocratic rule. Colonial rule is thus, not a historical problem, but a NOW problem. Join them for a deep dive into how ideas completely at odds with the Declaration first developed and continue to be practiced today. Further, they'll explore how Territory communities are facing the challenges of holding the federal government accountable. Their experiences touch on innumerable facets of territorial and State-side lives.

RSVP Here: https://forms.gle/aSQJQaJy1ePigxYc6

PBPL 3rd Year Meeting
Tuesday | April 14
5 PM in Keller Center Sky Suite
Join Faculty, Staff and Students for a presentation & chat on preparation for the Capstone Process, Completion of Requirements, and Graduation for AY 2026-2027.

Seniors, we’re hosting an open writing session on April 3rd! Bring your thesis drafts and enjoy some food and snacks while you write. Professor Bautista will be there to answer any questions.

Our Second Year Meeting is on March 31, 2026. If you’re a sophomore in the College, join us to learn more about the PBPL major!

Second Year Meeting
March 31, 2026
5-6:30 pm
Keller Center - Sky Suite