MPP Faculty Erin Hart
"I love seeing students react the moment they understand they can make a career of standing up for what they believe in and making the world a better place for everyone."
~Erin Hart
What is your current research/professional interest? Public interest communication
In the course(s) that you teach, what are the typical aspects of the student’s coursework you evaluate and what weighting do you give each aspect? In the campaign class we encourage and look for focused strategic thinking – the ability to define a clear win and a path to get there – and expressions of that strategic thinking via strong writing and effective presentation skills.
What drove you to teaching? For public interest communication to be effective, we must grow and diversify the sector to include people with a variety of lived experiences and insights from multiple fields: journalism, neurology, sociology, economics and more. Teaching brings new people, along with their perspectives and insights to the field. And I love seeing students react the moment they understand they can make a career of standing up for what they believe in and making the world a better place for everyone.
What or who inspires you? Activists, students, colleagues, family members and friends who embrace learning and speak out for what they believe in every day.
When you were a student, what is one thing you wish you had known? I now embrace – and strive to grow and diversify – the field of public interest communication. When I was a student, this field was just developing, and I didn't know it existed.
What advice do you have for your students? Ask questions and be open to learning and insight from everyone and every field.
What is the most recent book you read? The Art of Noticing by Rob Walker
How do you spend your free time? Reading, traveling, exploring places close to home in Northern California, listening to music (hopefully live, soon), enjoying time with family and friends.
What is your greatest passion – professional or personal? I've devoted my career to a combination of communication and social change, and that's most recently manifested in efforts to grow and diversify the field and identify ways we can be even more effective.
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