usfmccarthycenter | Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good

Meet Our 2017 McCarthy Fellows

In this summer program, McCarthy Fellows spend 12 weeks in full time internships at Sacramento institutions that contribute to the California policy-making process. Student engage in everything from conducting legislative research to responding to constituent concerns to drafting policy memos. Concurrently, they participate in a California Politics course focused on exposing and analyzing the structures…

USF in D.C. is Unlike Anything Else!

Gabbi McDaniel I left Washington, D.C. more than four months ago. Whenever anybody asks me about my experience, my first response continues to be, “it was the best experience I’ve had at USF.” Then I gush for five more minutes about the opportunities I had, the individuals I met, and the impact this program…

New MA in Urban and Public Affairs Program Combines for a Winning Formula

This spring the Leo T. McCarthy Center announced that it will be combining two former programs: the Master of Arts in Urban Affairs and the Master of Public Affairs into one robust program, the MA in Urban and Public Affairs (UPA). Professor Rachel Brahinsky, program director of UPA, has been apart of the process since its inception. …

OpEd: Should feminine hygiene products be subject to sales tax?

Bianca Rosen, MA Public Affairs ’17 In 40 states and the District of Columbia, women pay for having their periods. Literally. The sales tax in these states does not exempt feminine hygiene products as a necessity of life. Instead, these products are taxed like other luxury or non-essential items. In California, the sales tax…

Beginning a Literacy Partnership with Dr. William L. Cobb Elementary School

Dr. Mary Murray Autry, Associate Director Engage San Francisco Literacy Programs When first visiting Dr. William L. Cobb Elementary School (Cobb) in October 2016, with hopes of beginning a literacy partnership, I vividly remember entering the office area and being pleasantly surprised to see a wall covered with banners. These were not just any…

Traveling with the Esther Madriz Diversity Scholars to NYC

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX9Ei8AU0tw&w=560&h=315] Janelle Nunez (’19) is a participant of the Esther Madriz Diversity Scholars cohort that went to New York this January. Here she shares her reflections on this transformative trip. During the University of San Francisco’s winter intercession, the Esther Madriz Diversity Scholars (EMDS) got the incredible opportunity to spend a week in…

Contributing from D.C. and Common Sense Media

Ayah Mouhktar (’18) USF in D.C. Fellow Ayah Mouhktar is one of our not-so-secret weapons in D.C. As a Student Communications Assistant for the McCarthy Center, she took on the mission of serving the Winter semester as a participant in the USF in D.C. Fellows program. We are thrilled to report that she is…

The Worst that Could Happen with Betsy DeVos

David Donahue, Director and Professor, Urban Education Reform A recent article by Valerie Strauss in the Washington Post was headlined “What’s the worst that could happen with Betsy DeVos as education secretary?” Only in a Trump administration where knowledge and expertise are not considered assets would DeVos be nominated for secretary of education. DeVos has…