Academic Portfolio
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Hill, Michael, Jason Kokkat, and Eric Hansen. 2016. “Sincerity Trumps Strategy: Explaining the Youth Vote in the 2016 Presidential Primary.” Critique. Spring: 19-38.​
Conference Presentations
"Sincerity Trumps Strategy: Explaining the Youth Vote in the 2016 Presidential Primary." Illinois State University Conference for Students of Political Science. Normal, IL. April 2016.
"Sorry/Not Sorry: Public Responses to Questionable Candidate Statements." Midwest Psychological Association. Chicago, IL. May 2016.​​​
Master of Public Policy Portfolio
This section includes the assignments I selected for the portfolio for each of the core courses and two elective courses for the Master of Public Policy program at University of Illinois Springfield. These assignments demonstrate what I have accomplished in completing the program, including the skills I have developed, what I can contribute to an organization, and how these accomplishments help me achieve my ultimate career goals.
State and Local Community Development
Community Profile and Marketing Plan
This assignment enhanced my abilities to conduct research about a municipality, including its history, strengths and weaknesses, and economic drivers. This type of research will be useful when developing public policy, especially when looking into how other municipalities have approached a similar problem. It is important to be able to find this information to provide context for why a municipality may have implemented a particular policy, and it will help me perform public policy research in my career.
Analytical Tools
Exam Number 2
The exam for this class demonstrates that I can perform complex computations and data analysis in multiple areas, including solid waste, higher education, economic development, and human resources management, and explain the results in a clear and concise manner for policymakers and the public. This shows that I am able to apply what I have learned to analyze a variety of topics.
Budget And Finance
Financial Trend Monitoring System Financial Analysis
This assignment shows that I have the ability to pull information directly from annual comprehensive reports and turn it into a report using the Financial Trend Monitoring System, which is a research-based analysis method used across the nation. The report provides a quick glimpse into the economic and financial conditions of a city over the past ten years.
Public Policy for Managers
Policy Paper and Presentation
The policy analysis and presentation for this assignment demonstrate that I am able to analyze public policies involving facilities, which is a key area for public policy for people with disabilities, using literature review, evaluative criteria, and comparisons between policies to make a final recommendation. It also shows that I am able to use an academic writing style to write and provide citations for a research paper. The presentation demonstrates that I am able to summarize a complex policy analysis so that it is more accessible to policymakers and the public.
Information for Decision Making
Data Visualization Using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS)
The report I created for this assignment demonstrates that I am able to use SPSS to analyze survey data, produce charts and graphs to visualize the data, provide descriptions of the data so that readers can easily understand it, and produce a visually appealing report with all of these elements. These skills will be highly beneficial for any organization because the ability to translate data into a format that is easy to read and understand is necessary when communicating with multiple stakeholders.
Economics and Public Policy
Problem Set 9
This assignment demonstrates that I understand the concepts that drive the economics of a city, including the residential bid-rent function that explains the price of housing with relation to commuting technology, land and capital demands, building heights, and other factors as well as land use in a monocentric city model. Understanding how these concepts impact a city and its economy are important when analyzing public policy because they can help to explain the physical layout of a city and what might be able to be done to improve the status quo.
Informatics for Public Policy
Exercise 11
This programming assignment includes using artificial intelligence (AI) to predict handwritten numbers. The project demonstrates that I am able to code with R and Python to program AI using predictive modeling, machine learning, and deep learning to make accurate predictions. These programming languages and the use of AI are part of the future of public policy, and these skills will be highly beneficial as more governments adopt AI.
Public Policy Analysis
Policy Paper and Presentation
The skills I developed while working on these projects are similar to the skills I listed for Public Policy for Managers. However, this analysis focuses on user fees for publicly owned facilities, government failures and market failures, and how government and government failures may cause market failures. In addition to the other skills, being able to understand these economic concepts and having the ability to reference them in the context of a public policy problem is highly beneficial for my ultimate career goals.
Program Evaluation
Program Evaluation Plan
This project demonstrates that I can create a program evaluation plan by performing research, defining goals, mission, vision, and stakeholders, creating a logic model, designing evaluation, data collection, and analysis instruments (including survey and focus group questions), and developing a timeline. These skills are useful in program evaluation, but they can also help in other areas of planning in government. Since the project involved a sidewalk program, the skills also contribute to my goal to work on policy for people with disabilities.
Project Management in Public Procurement
Project Management Paper
This assignment is a group project that demonstrates that I am able to work collaboratively with a group, compare and contrast products that are available for public procurement, and make recommendations based on predefined criteria. I also made final edits to the paper to improve its flow, fix grammar and formatting errors, and ensure that it followed American Psychological Association citation style. These skills will be highly beneficial for my career because of my goal to lead a team of researchers. Organizations would benefit because they often need comparative recommendations, people who are able to edit other people’s writing, and people who can bring projects across the finish line.