User:Iupraut/sandbox

Institute for Urban Policy Research & Analysis
The Institute for Urban Policy Research & Analysis (IUPRA) is a non-partisan urban applied policy research institute committed to informing legislation affecting conditions in communities of color as it relates to social justice, education, health and human services, housing, and labor. The Institute for Urban Policy Research & Analysis (IUPRA) was developed in 2011 through the collaborative efforts of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, the John L. Warfield Center for African and African-American Studies, and the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin. Development of IUPRA was seen as an important method for understanding the impact of public policies on African Americans, Africans, and other communities of color throughout the Americas. Conducting scholarly policy analysis of both existing and proposed legislation was seen as a means of developing relevant data about the causes, content, and consequences of public policy by race, ethnicity, class, language, and culture. The diverse products IUPRA generates are designed to meet the needs of local, national, and international audiences including organizations, communities of color, legislative bodies, scholars, and the general public.

Mission
The mission of The Institute for Urban Policy Research & Analysis is to conduct and promote the production of policy relevant research with the aim of enhancing the lives of African Americans, Africans, and other communities of color throughout the Americas.

History
The Institute for Urban Policy Research & Analysis (IUPRA) exists to critically examine the leading issues facing urban areas, specifically in Central Texas. Officially developed in 2011, the Institute is a result of collaborative efforts between the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, the African and African Diaspora Studies Department (AADS), and the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin (UT). In 1969, former UT President Dr. Norman Hackerman, appointed a special committee to study the demands released by a group of students with concerns regarding the relationship between the university and minority communities. It was from this study that the idea for a research institute on Afro-American studies was first created. The committee released the recommendations on June 3, 1969. When the African and African Diaspora Studies Department (AADS) was created in 2011, there was a unique opportunity to development an policy research unit. This research unit would focus on the leading policy issues regarding urban areas while building on the recommendations made in 1969. Now, the Institute for Urban Policy & Research and Analysis is an operating academic research institute of faculty, staff, and fellows. The development is attributed to the myriad of academics, community members, and university affiliates, particularly Congresswoman Helen Giddings, Congressman Sylvester Turner, and Dean Randy Diehl of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin.

African and African Diaspora Studies Department (AADS), University of Texas at Austin
The African and African Diaspora Studies (AADS) Department is located within the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin. AADS is dedicated to the study of the intellectual, political, artistic, and social experiences of people of African descent throughout Africa and the African Diaspora, including the United States. AADS is committed to exploring questions of social justice for Black people globally through interdisciplinary scholarship and creative production. AADS bases their pedagogy on the premise that classrooms are powerful sites for social change.

Texas Legislative Black Caucus
The Texas Legislative Black Caucus is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-partisan organization composed of 17 members of the Texas House of Representatives committed to addressing the issues African Americans face across the state of Texas. Formed in 1973, the Texas Legislative Black Caucus consisted of eight members: Anthony Hall, Mickey Leland, Senfronia Thompson, Craig Washington, Sam Hudson, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Paul Ragsdale, and G. J. Sutton. The current Chairman of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus for the 82nd Session is Rep. Sylvester Turner.

John L. Warfield Center
The John L. Warfield Center for African and African American Studies is the research and programming division of the larger Black Studies community at the University of Texas at Austin. Since its inception at The University of Texas at Austin in June 1969, the John L. Warfield Center for African and African American Studies (WCAAAS) has been a focal point for campus and community life around the cultural, sociopolitical, artistic, economic, and historical experiences of Africans and their descendents. Through its focus on research, programming, and community engagement, the Center supports scholarship and creative work that seek to foster social justice for people of African descent around the world.

Staff
The staff is comprised of policy researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate students analyzing ways in which local, state, and national policies affect African Americans, Africans, and other communities of color throughout the Americas.


 * King Davis, PhD - Director: Dr. Davis was the former Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services serving from 1990 to 1994. In Texas, he was the executive director of the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health. His research interests focus on mental health finance, organizational cultural competence, archival preservation of mental health records, integrated healthcare, and the impact of mental health policy as a vehicle for change in public mental health systems.


 * Jemel Aguilar, PhD - Research Associate
 * Shetal Vohra-Gupta, PhD - Research Associate
 * Albert Thompkins, PhD - Postdoctoral Fellow
 * Celeste Henery, PhD - Postdoctoral Fellow
 * Jodie Cardoso Berger, PhD – Postdoctoral Fellow
 * Christine Moline - Policy and Program Liaison

Projects

 * 1) Development of a permanent database on the demographic characteristics of the African American and other populations of color in Texas from 1950-2010
 * 2) Comparative study of HIV/AIDS policy in Texas and US prisons
 * 3) Study of minimum wage policy and implications for women of color in Texas
 * 4) The State of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Policies in Texas
 * 5) Implications of national health insurance policy on communities of color
 * 6) National housing policy for the mentally ill

Fellowship Projects

 * 1) Paul von Hippel, LBJ School, School and Non-School Sources of Racial and Ethnic Achievement Gaps:  A Longitudinal Analysis of 250,000 Children
 * 2) Eliot Tretter, Geography Department, Private deed restrictions are among the greatest barriers to affordable housing in Texas
 * 3) Julian Vasquez Heilig, College of Education, Texas-style Educational Policy and a Decade Student Outcomes
 * 4) Dnika Travis, School of Social Work, Workforce Diversity and Inclusion in Texas Health and Human Services Agencies
 * 5) Helen Gaebler, Law School, Policy Analysis of Texas Criminal Records Practices
 * 6) Dorie Gilbert, School of Social Work, Prevention Matters: Influencing the Minority AIDS Initiative Funding Priorities