Master of Public Policy at UNM

07/17/2024

Julio, a 2024 MPP graduate, is on his way to Washington DC this fall as a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Fellow! CHCI’s Postgraduate Fellowship Program is for emerging Latino leaders in public policy.
From everyone at the UNM MPP - congratulations, Julio

07/11/2024

MPP Student Spotlight! ✨Hannah✨is an MPP student and graduate intern at Sandia National Laboratories. Her goal is to use her MPP degree to work in international relations, global security and/ or immigration. Hannah’s interest in international and humanitarian policies is what sparked her MPP journey.
In her spare time Hannah enjoys playing with her dog and going to the gym. This summer she is enjoying spending quality time with her family and friends.

06/25/2024

It's summer and it's hot outside. Travel back with us to the cool spring day of April 10th when Dr. Gabe Sanchez stopped by the Policy Seminar and chatted with the students about his extensive career in policy and what he has learned along the way about building a good reputation as a researcher and analyst --->
http://mpp.unm.edu/news/item/dr-gabe-sanchez-on-building-a-reputation-in-policy-be-transparent-non-partisan-and-professional.html

06/17/2024

MPP Student Spotlight! ✨Melanie✨ wants to use her MPP to help make critical changes in how family court cases involving allegations of abuse are perceived, understood, and handled. Specifically, she believes these cases should automatically be referred for clinical assessments by appropriately-trained medical and psychological specialists that return diagnoses and treatment plans for family court judges to enforce compliance with. Currently, such cases are most often referred for forensic psychological evaluations which focus on surface-level issues and make recommendations based on subjective opinions – an approach that enables post-separation abuse of ex-partners and children via coercive control with tragic results.

Melanie is in the beginning stage of founding a non-profit focused on raising awareness about this particular form of post-separation abuse and is working directly with legislators, policymakers, and other stakeholders to create the needed cross-sector framework for early intervention and treatment.

In her free time, Melanie enjoys downhill skiing, hiking, camping, gardening, DIY home improvement projects, decorating, fashion, movies, reading, napping - and talking with anyone who will listen to what the underlying issues in “high conflict” family court cases are, and what the pros/cons are for various proposed solutions.

06/13/2024

Two days left! Learn more and apply at http://mpp.unm.edu/index.html

05/22/2024

MPP Student Spotlight! ✨Katerina✨ is genuinely excited about using her MPP degree to drive significant changes in security and crime policy. She recently took a job as a Policy Analyst with the New Mexico Department of Justice. It’s a fantastic opportunity to apply what she has learned and truly make an impact. Katerina’s journey towards an MPP started with her time in Albuquerque, where she initially considered joining the police force. Experiencing the challenges our community faced, she was driven to advocate for systemic change through policy, rather than enforcement.
When she is not focused on policy work, you’ll likely find Katerina outdoors. Hiking and mountain biking are her favorite ways to unwind. She also travels to the east coast as much as possible to catch up with friends and enjoy some time on the beach or by the lake. Beyond that, spending quality time with family is a cornerstone of her life and she makes it a priority to plan fun activities with them often.

05/14/2024

Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury stopped by the Policy Seminar back in April. Check out what she shared with the class about her journey and career at: https://mpp.unm.edu/news/index.html

05/13/2024

Congrats to our MPP grads!

04/15/2024

MPP Student Spotlight! ✨Gary✨ is passionate about coming up with solutions to problems that affect Native American communities. He wants to use his MPP to start a non-profit that makes higher education more accessible to Native American students. In his free time, Gary likes to be outside and this spring he is looking forward to getting up to the mountains to spend time hiking and camping.
Gary is pictured with his fiance and stepdaughter.

04/09/2024

The Policy Seminar was thrilled to have Regis Pecos as a guest speaker! Find out what he shared with the students at http://mpp.unm.edu/news/index.html

04/01/2024

Aaron Sussman was a guest speaker in our Policy Seminar, find out what he had to say about Transportation Policy and Decreasing New Mexico’s Traffic Fatality Rate : http://mpp.unm.edu/news/item/aaron-sussman-on-transportation-policy-and-decreasing-new-mexicos-traffic-fatality-rate.html

03/26/2024

It's graduation season! Many of our MPP students are presenting their final portfolios for their MA Exam Committees and all are passing with flying colors! Demonstrated here by MPP student, Elsa Goossen with her exam committee - Political Science Professor and MPP Director, Mike Rocca; Economics Chair and former MPP Director, Melissa Binder; and former NM State Senator, Dede Feldman. Congratulations to Elsa and all our MPP students completing their MA Exam this semester!

03/05/2024

Registration for the 2024 Evaluation Lab Summer Institute is now open - don't miss this opportunity to learn all about program evaluation!
Plus, if you are an early childhood organization - we have a scholarship for you!
Check https://evallab.unm.edu/for-organizations/summer-institute--learning-community.html to learn more about the Institute, registration, and the scholarship for early childhood orgs!

02/19/2024

Jane Wishner was a guest speaker in the Policy Seminar and gave the students an overview of SB 15 and what it takes to get it passed. Read more at

Jane Wishner has had a diverse career. She has been a litigator, the founder and Executive Director of the Southwest Women’s Law Center, and a health policy expert - even serving as Governor Lujan Grisham’s Executive Policy Advisor for Health and Human Services for three years.

02/13/2024

MPP Student Spotlight! ✨Maggie✨ hopes to use her MPP to evaluate existing policies and help develop new informed legislation to create a better future for all. She chose to pursue an MPP because of its practical nature and how it will help her move towards her goal of unrooting inequalities embedded in our institutions.
In her free time, Maggie loves to go hiking, bake (cinnamon rolls are her specialty), and spend time with her two cats. This year she is looking forward to spending time with her new niece and getting involved in the policy world in new ways.

01/29/2024

Congratulations to MPP Advisory Board member, Marshall Martinez for being named Best Local Activist in this year's Best of ABQ from Albuquerque The Magazine !

01/22/2024

MPP Student Spotlight! ✨Isaiah✨ wants to use his MPP to help develop and create legislation that will benefit the people of New Mexico. He chose to pursue an MPP to gain more knowledge and develop relationships with his cohort.
During his free time, Isaiah enjoys being active and being outside, as well as watching sports and movies. He also enjoys cooking new recipes that he finds on Instagram. This year, he is looking forward to expanding his knowledge on certain policy topics.

01/16/2024

Only a month left to get those applications in for our Fall 24 cohort!
To find out more about applying, visit http://mpp.unm.edu/prospective-students/how-to-apply.html

01/12/2024

MPP Student Spotlight! 🌟Cayley🌟wants to work with a non-profit organization to do policy advocacy to make some real changes in the world. They became interested in getting an MPP during their undergraduate study of criminology and learning about the flaws in the criminal justice system.
For fun, Cayley enjoys playing Magic the Gathering and video games like Hollow Knight and Stardew Valley. The photo is of Cayley is at MagicCon Vegas last year, which they attended along with several other members of their club.

11/13/2023

Finals are coming up, woof. We know you'll ace your tests but finals stress can leave you howling.

Join the departments of Economics, Political Science, and Sociology & Criminology on Tuesday 12/12 from 11:30a to 1:00p for therapy dog snuggles!

This visit is free of charge and all students, faculty, and staff are welcome. More details are available below, many thanks to High Desert Therapy Dogs for this much needed stress relief. 🐕🐩

11/06/2023

The MPP's Evaluation Lab alum and longtime staff member, Charla Orozco, won a data visualization competition for her visual on Global Youtube Statistics! You can catch Charla sharing her knowledge at our annual Eval Lab Summer Institute. Learn more and check out her award winning work at http://evallab.unm.edu/news/item/eval-lab-staff-member-wins-data-visualization-competition.html

11/03/2023

MPP Student Spotlight! ✨Natasha✨ chose the MPP to gain the tools to support tribal sovereignty in all realms of government (education, conservation, economy, infrastructure, health, federal politics, etc.) and low-income families. She turned toward Public Policy after seeing the inequities tribal communities and Indigenous Peoples encounter in Western societies and the struggles low-income families experience daily. Growing up in both communities, she saw massive misinterpretations and lack of understanding for Indigenous Peoples and low-income families.
When she is not working, Natasha is a thrill seeker. She finds excitement in rough terrain hiking, joyrides, and spontaneous adventures. Her peace is found in playing the guitar, bomb fires, and cruising around New Mexico's beautiful scenery. And it is all worth it, with her family by my side. Natasha truly takes "appreciating the small things" to heart and makes it a point to find laughter every day, as we all know laughter is medicine.

10/18/2023

Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez serves New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District in the US House of Representatives. Her District Director, Xochitl Campos Biggs stopped by the Policy Seminar to talk to the students about the challenge of getting rural New Mexican communities the government resources they need. Read about what she shared at http://mpp.unm.edu/news/item/new-mexicos-3rd-congressional-district-the-challenge-of-getting-rural-communities-what-they-need.html

10/12/2023

MPP Student Spotlight! ✨Julio✨ hopes to use his MPP degree to help spur economic growth in an equal and sustained way. He became interested in the MPP program because of the desire to cause a systemic change in a formal process, and he felt like the MPP is one of the few degrees where you are formally taught how to create change within the existing system of government. In his spare time, Julio likes to go on hikes, spend time with family and friends, and go to the gym. He is looking forward to the cool weather and holidays that fall brings, such as Halloween and Thanksgiving.

10/11/2023

Did you know that only 7% of the federal workforce is under the age of 30? Join us on October 23 at the Social Sciences Room 3030 with the Partnership for Public Service to learn about meaningful federal , federal open now, and how to apply to unique for any background. Sign up below! https://unm.joinhandshake.com/events/1396807/share_preview

09/29/2023

MPP Student Spotlight! ✨Darlene✨ is interested in public policy because everyone is affected by policies every day. She feels this is especially important for marginalized communities who are often most vulnerable to public policy changes. As a daughter of an immigrant single parent, Darlene is motivated to uplift her community’s voice and ensure policies reflect what they need. For fun, Darlene likes to spend time with her family and three dogs. She also likes to volunteer with her sorority Lambda Theta Alpha and serves as the chapter president for MANA de Albuquerque. This fall Darlene is looking forward to Balloon Fiesta and Dia De Los Mu***os festivities.

09/18/2023

Check out MPP Director, Mike Rocca's interview on KOB4!

We're more than a year away from the 2024 elections, but it's a certainty that the eyes of the nation will be on New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District.

09/13/2023

The MPP has a new director!
Dr. Rocca is a Political Science professor, learn more about him at http://mpp.unm.edu/news/item/meet-the-mpps-new-director.html

08/18/2023

Fall (semester) is in the air and the MPP is thrilled to welcome our 2023 cohort!

08/09/2023

Congratulations to Melissa Binder on her new journey as Chair of Econ, and welcome aboard to Mike Rocca as the new MPP Director! Read more about the transition here: http://mpp.unm.edu/news/item/dr-binder-sets-off-a-new-adventure-and-the-mpp-welcomes-a-new-director.html