Empowering Fort Worth

Michelle Swindle never envisioned herself earning a graduate degree, not to mention one in which her classes would be right across the street from where she works in downtown Fort Worth.

But this past May, she and 28 of her fellow city employees were the first to graduate from UTA’s Master of Public Administration cohort program, which launched about three years ago.

“This cohort program has not only been convenient for me to advance my career, but I’ve been able to connect with a variety of city employees, fostering cross-department collaboration that will benefit our residents,” says Swindle, who works in the city’s IT Department.

Swindle’s classmates say collaboration and innovation have been hallmarks of the program. Evan Roberts, development services assistant director and building official with the city of Fort Worth Planning and Development Department, says the experience was “transformative.”

“I am better able to serve the communities of Fort Worth because of my time and training in the cohort,” says Roberts.

David Coursey, associate professor and chair of the Public Affairs and Planning Department, says the program is the model forward for higher education institutions.

“This program highlights how UTA is innovative in how we provide our educational services to our community,” he says. “There are opportunities to take this model into other disciplines.”