Grades submitted, final scheduled meeting of the year done. Looks at to do list for first day of "break" tomorrow...3 peer reviews due. 🤦‍♀️Welcome to academia.

And fin....Grades submitted and another semester in the books. My favorite class is always the one I'm teaching, but a small seminar of graduate students studying housing policy is pretty special. I'm also looking forward to returning to teaching undergraduate data analysis in the spring.

In college I had a friend who put on a suit to study for finals. He said he studied better if he treated it like a job. After putting on a real sweater, some jewelry, and a little makeup (with my pj pants and fuzzy socks - let's not get crazy) before grading, I have to admit he was on to something.

Endorse 100%

About to field my first study. If you work on a housing or utility assistance program in Ohio and get the invitation, please fill it out!

Look what arrived today. Congratulations @sjccorn.bsky.social 🎉 I can’t wait to read it!

Manuscript Central can definitely read my mind. Every time I check my to do list to see what peer reviews I have to do and the answer is “none,” I get a review request within the next 24 hours. Every. Time.

I object to the number of Christmas commercials on Sunday Night Football. Please let us enjoy Halloween first.

Really important advice here. It is so easy to focus on the literature review and learning about what is already known about the topic to the detriment of actually doing your research.

I like doing the occasional book review because I get to prioritize reading new academic books. What I don't like about the process is the concern the author will read the review and think I totally misunderstood the book. I'm at that latter point right now.

📣🏆 Chicago colleagues: if you know people who work on behalf of and in partnership with urban communities, please encourage them to apply! The application asks for a current resume + a statement about their work. (application deadline=10/17/25) www.jotform.com/build/231305...

Thank you to @dcmajor.bsky.social for coming to my housing policy class last night and talking about mixed income housing. It's always helpful when students can translate the theory and readings to what is happening in our community.

I'm working on a book chapter for potential doctoral students and could use your help please. If you have a PhD in something public affairs related, or if you are in that type of doctoral program right now, why did you get/are getting a PhD? Does that reasoning still make sense to you now?

BlueSky crowd-source request: Can folks think of state laws (in effect) that have specifically targeted transit-oriented development as something to be funded or required through local zoning change? I know of CA SB79; CA AB2011; CO HB24-1313; CT HB5278; HI HB1409; MA MBTA Act; UT HB462; UT SB217.

Me: Oooh look, what a nice surprise! Someone made coffee. ... Readers, I am the one who made the coffee. 10 minutes ago. 🤦‍♀️

If you have a sudden urge to get an MPA in Cleveland, I‘m MPA Program Director.

First, join me in congratulating @meganehatch.bsky.social (Levin College of Public Affairs and Education) as the winner of the 2025 Outstanding Reviewer Award for Public Administration! Congratulations, Megan!

Just submitted my dossier for full!

The real question when I go back to the office tomorrow: will my plants be dead because I haven’t stopped in to water them in awhile?

*How do crises impact policy debate?* I'm thrilled to share my new article in @urbanaffairsreview.bsky.social w/ ‪@acomandon.bsky.social‬ (& Drew Messamore) that Andre & me began while at @uclaurbanplanning.bsky.social !

Back on contract. Goodbye summer...hello emails.

I'm updating my Housing Policy syllabus today, and it's really sad to see how many HUD reports are no longer online.

In my new article w/ Eric Stokan & Michael Overton in @urbanaffairsreview.bsky.social: "Towards racial housing equity: The role of CGBG grants", we distinguish between equal & equitable outcomes. This is part of our broader CDBG project & research agenda on spatial equity. doi.org/10.1177/1078...

I need more posts like this in my life.

I’m in the Book Incubator and highly recommend it to anyone who has an idea for a book but needs help with argument development and structure etc.

Why do I need a Service Statement, Internal Service Statement, and External Service Statement for my dossier? Couldn’t I just put all that information in one concise statement? It really feels like busywork.

I recommend this book, and even bought copies for family members. I loved reading about the authors who influenced Jane Austen and why they didn’t gain the notoriety she did.

I've had this happen a few times, enough that it warrants saying it out loud. If you're reviewing something and you like it/think it has enormous intellectual value, you should explain exactly why. Be verbose. Editors are reading and often take short (though glowing) reviews as not very helpful.

It's been online for awhile, but I'm excited that this article with @eloralee.bsky.social @drkatehowell.bsky.social and @benfteresa.bsky.social is now in a printed issue. "A data feminist approach to urban data practice: Tenant power through eviction data" www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

About to go spend the afternoon in the Western Reserve History Center archives learning about tenant organizing in Cleveland.

I've been listening to @janejoann.bsky.social's podcast in the car lately (definitely recommend it). The episode I'm on today was about adapting your dissertation literature review into your book. I almost skipped it because I want to write a new book, not one based on my dissertation. However (1/2)

I have a Ph.D. in public administration and I will never be able to spell practitioner or bureaucrat on the first try unless I'm really, really thinking about it.

✅ Save the date! ICUA 2026 will be held in Chicago (April 29-May 2, 2026) at the Marriott Marquis. #icua2026

Well worth the read. I assign this in a lot of my courses.

New Working Paper! I channel my inner Wally Oates to determine the situations where preemption is (gasp) and isn’t justified. tl;dr Many of the current high profile preemptions are never justified; however, more targeted preemptions can be justified under some specific conditions.

#felineTA wants to know: Have you read this book? Why not?

Grades submitted, started planning for a new project with @noellebroughton.bsky.social, invigorating Peloton workout...summer is off to a good start!

Look what arrived today. Congratulations @hopeharvey.bsky.social !

Final papers aren't due for 12 hours, and enough students turned them in early that I've already graded half the assignments. Thank you students for making finals week so much easier for me! This means I get a little lunch crochet break.

Watch out world, Noelle’s project is so cool. You’ll be hearing much more about it.

I'm looking forward to reading this!

This is a little too on the nose for me.

New from me: "...advocates should be prepared to make a compelling case against any cuts to housing programs. Unfortunately, merely arguing that there should be a right to affordable, decent, and stable housing will be insufficient to convince many to maintain federal funding for these programs."

Just cleaned my home office desk and half the linen closet. Feeling invincible. Writing? Not so much so.

Driving in Cleveland is all about knowing when signs like “Road Closed” and “No through traffic” actually mean what they say.

CALL FOR PAPERS Administrative Theory & Praxis (ATP) invites submissions for a special issue on "Critical Public Administration and the Environment" guest co-edited by Dr. @orisam.bsky.social and Dr. @raulpachecovega.bsky.social. Click here for more: think.taylorandfrancis.com/special_issu...

Sending out paper requests and writing down names of people who's work I want to follow. As always, UAA leaves me reinvigorated and excited about my research.

New from me: It's Not "Anti-DEI" --- It's Pro-Discrimination & Segregation: Rolling Back Six Decades of Antidiscrimination and Fair Housing Policy in the Name of “Anti-DEI” (with quotes from @victorerikray.bsky.social and @jamellebouie.net )

The only good thing about a flight at Stupid Early o’clock is watching the sun rise from the plane. See you soon UAA!