The Ray Marshall Center hired a new Social Science Research Associate (SSRA V), David McCoy, on September 6, 2022.  Mr. McCoy comes to the RMC from the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Political Science, where he earned a master’s in political science before pursuing a PhD (currently ABD).  He will work on a range of projects with the RMC, including research on education policy and the development of panel data sets that extract insights from individual- and firm-level unemployment insurance data.

Prior to joining the Center, David has focused on the impacts of social assistance policy innovations in local Brazilian government, using mixed methods research design.  He has experience generating useful insights from complex, observational data in a range of settings.  Recent projects include: the automated coding of 150,000 transcribed statements by legislators to identify the salience of subject matter form a custom dictionary of terms; using quasi-experimental methods, such as matching and difference-in-differences, to identify the short- and medium-term economic shocks to local economies following an unexpected mass migration event in Brazil; and modeling the workplace network density of public sector employees to test differing network structures are associated with greater job satisfaction.

Read more about David here.

The LBJ School’s Dean JR DeShazo recently selected Dr. Greg Cumpton to serve as Co-Director of the Ray Marshall Center along with Dr. Heath Prince.

Dr. Greg Cumpton joined the Ray Marshall Center in 2004 as a Graduate Research Assistant. During his time at the Center, he served as a Systems Analyst, a Social Science Research Associate V, a Research Associate, and Associate Director, prior to being named Co-Director. Greg received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and his Master of Public Affairs and his Doctorate in Public Policy from the LBJ School of Public Affairs.

Greg’s research focuses on finding solutions to poverty. He says, “Poverty is a trap that once individuals and their families fall into may take many decades and even generations to escape. Poverty collectively cascades its effects across entire regions, producing lower educational attainment, poorer long-term health consequences, and reduced economic output. All of which hamper the ability of individuals and their families to reach their full potential. We must acknowledge and address the personal and societal barriers faced by those trapped by poverty.” Much of his work concentrates on the evaluation of education and training programs, ensuring that program completers find high quality jobs which improve initial and long-term income.

Greg contributes to local activities intended to provide a greater voice for workers. Greg has served for six years as the Leadership Development Committee lead on the Board of Black Star Co-op, a member-owned worker-run brewpub. BSCO’s Workers’ Assembly enacts and advocates for worker-focused policies, including paying a living wage, providing healthcare, paid time off, and paid sick leave. Greg is serving his third year as the UT Staff Council representative for District 302, which represents the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the School of Information. He currently serves as chair of the Health and Wellness Committee, which “supports and advocates for initiative and projects that increase staff access to, and awareness of, health and wellness programs and benefits.” Greg also volunteers his time as the Community Advancement Network (CAN) Dashboard Steering Committee Chair. The CAN dashboard contains numerous socio-economic indicators measuring the health, safety, and well being of those living in the Austin area.

As Co-Director, Greg’s additional duties include serving as the outreach and dissemination leader of the Center, leading construction and dissemination of our newsletter, social media, and website, and representing the Center in local, state, and national contexts. This year his efforts will include developing and utilizing existing standardized research training modules for new staff and graduate research assistants. By January 2023, he will revise the Center’s strategic plan to align more closely with both the LBJ School and The University of Texas.

Please congratulate Greg on his new position.