Carsey Policy Hour

Dr. Quixada Moore-Vissing is a faculty fellow at the Carsey School of Public Policy. She also directs a civic engagement consulting firm called Public Engagement Partners. She is a community engagement designer, civic researcher, and published author. She has led civic initiatives with a range of foundations, universities, think tanks, and nonprofit organizations. Moore-Vissing has co-written four civic health indexes, including the 2012, 2020, and 2024 New Hampshire Civic Health reports, as well as Maine’s first report, which launches this October. Moore-Vissing has worked organizations including Civic Commons and the Othering and Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley at creating communities of belonging. She also worked with UNICEF on their Child Friendly Cities Initiative. Moore-Vissing trained with U.S. Civic Rights Leaders and has studied with peace organizations including Corrymeela in Northern Ireland and the International Institute for Jain Studies in India. She earned her PhD in Education at the University of New Hampshire; MA in Communications at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; MA in Teaching at the University of New Hampshire; and BA in Literature and the Avant-Garde from Boston University’s University Professors program.

Dr. Carrie Portrie, M.Ed., PhD, is Research Assistant Professor and Program Manager for NH Listens at the University of New Hampshire Carsey School of Public Policy. Carrie holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and sociology from Roger Williams University, a master’s degree from the University of New Hampshire in early childhood special education, and a PhD from UNH in education with a focus on children and youth in communities. Her work with New Hampshire Listens focuses on designing local conversations and learning exchanges (e.g., childhood lead poisoning, substance misuse and harm reduction, school funding, early childhood education and care), program evaluation, community-engaged research and practice, and coalition building. She is committed to collaborative work that connects policy to people’s diverse needs and lives. She grew up in New Hampshire and lives over the border in South Berwick, Maine.