{"id":235770,"date":"2025-09-25T07:15:52","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T11:15:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=235770"},"modified":"2025-12-02T12:29:56","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T17:29:56","slug":"from-classroom-to-commission-public-policy-fast-track-masters-program-helps-launch-clas-alums-career","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2025\/09\/from-classroom-to-commission-public-policy-fast-track-masters-program-helps-launch-clas-alums-career\/","title":{"rendered":"From Classroom to Commission: Public Policy Degree Fast-Tracks CLAS Alum’s Career"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it came time to choose a college, Tommy Dowd \u201922 (CLAS), \u201923 MPP\u00a0knew exactly where he would go. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI come from a UConn through-and-through family,\u201d he explains. \u201cOne of my brothers went to UConn. My parents met at UConn. My aunt was the one who introduced them.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What he was less certain about was his path after graduation.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Wethersfield native, a double-major in political science and economics, considered law school until a chance encounter with a fellow student opened an unexpected door.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was studying for an exam in the library on a floor I\u2019d never been to,\u201d he explains. \u201cThis kid came up to me and said, \u2018We\u2019re in the same class.\u2019 We studied together, and he told me about the 4+1 program.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Tommy
Tommy Dowd \u201922 (CLAS), \u201923 MPP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cAs a sophomore I didn\u2019t really know what I wanted to do with my life, but this seemed like a really good opportunity to explore interests I already had,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s a slightly heavier course load since you\u2019re working on your master\u2019s degree while still an undergrad, but instead of two additional years of study, you only add one. And in that final year, you complete an internship in your field that you\u2019re getting paid for. You gain an advantage by having an advanced degree just one year out of college \u2014 it gives you so much flexibility.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He applied and began the School of Public Policy\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>4+1 MPP Fast-Track program<\/span><\/a> in his junior year.\u00a0The additional coursework didn\u2019t deter him despite his busy extracurricular schedule. As an undergrad, Tommy spent three years working at UConn\u2019s Visitors Center, giving tours to prospective students. He was also a member of A Minor, one of UConn\u2019s a cappella groups, and spent spring breaks with Honors Across State Borders, working with Habitat for Humanity chapters in other states to build affordable housing.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re taking graduate-level classes in undergrad, so you get exposure to what a postgraduate course load is like,\u201d he says. He also found his classmates more engaged in graduate-level classes.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Gaining Hands-On Experience<\/span><\/h2>\n

Another chance encounter in the spring of 2023, during his final semester of grad school, introduced Dowd to the <\/span>Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy (IMRP)<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI needed to round out my schedule with an elective, so I decided to take Justice Reinvestment with professor Bob Wilson,” he says. “It sounded interesting to learn about real-world applications of public policy.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Students were tasked with creating a history of two IMRP initiatives: the <\/span>Connecticut Sentencing Commission (CTSC)<\/span><\/a> and the <\/span>Connecticut Racial Profiling Prohibition Project (CTRP3)<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI hadn\u2019t previously heard of the IMRP,\u201d he admits. \u201cThe Institute at the School focuses on\u00a0evidence-based research and evaluation of state criminal justice policies. Director <\/span>Andrew Clark<\/span><\/a> and associate director <\/span>Ken Barone<\/span><\/a> came to the class to explain the type of written history they were looking for.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The course was transformative for Dowd, who has always been passionate about politics and civic engagement.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis was one of my first experiences doing legislative research and seeing the evolution of a policy program \u2014 how you turn something from an idea into a law,\u201d he explains. \u201cThese aren\u2019t just words in a textbook; these are policies that impact peoples\u2019 lives.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To complete the work, Dowd and his classmates conducted interviews with stakeholders including members of the Sentencing Commission, legislative leaders like former Rep. Bill Dyson, and Connecticut police chiefs. The project wasn\u2019t finished before the end of the semester and graduation, so Wilson hired Tommy as a graduate assistant that summer to complete the project\u2019s edits and revisions.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You never know how these things will evolve, so always bring your best self to the table.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Through that experience, Tommy stayed in contact with Alex Tsarkov, then executive director of the CTSC, who needed student workers for various research projects. Tommy began working part-time with Tsarkov, about 25-30 hours per week, until a full-time position opened in March 2024, once again placing himself in the right spot for the next step in his career.\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t sign up for the class thinking \u2018This is what I\u2019m going to do for my first job,\u2019\u201d he reflects. \u201cYou never know how these things will evolve, so always bring your best self to the table.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Though initially interested in economic policy, his classroom experiences introduced him to criminal justice policy, which he finds more complex.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a very different way of thinking about public policy,\u201d he says. \u201cIn economic policy, people will argue about details of tax rates or healthcare plans, but everyone basically shares the same goals. In criminal justice policy, you encounter deep, philosophical questions: What is justice? How do we balance public safety with giving people who have committed offenses a chance to turn their lives around? We aim for evidence-based, cost-effective decision-making, yet many of those choices are shaped by normative, moral-based questions that center on how we treat people as a society.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Exploring Criminal Justice Policy<\/span><\/h2>\n

In his role as program assistant, he handles all administrative functions for the CTSC, including scheduling meetings, recording minutes, updating the website, and responding to inquiries. Dowd also contributes to legislative research, drafting sections of reports or editing sections of reports received from external partners.\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Last fall, he assisted Tsarkov with the Commission\u2019s sixth symposium:<\/span> Pretrial Justice in Connecticut<\/span><\/i><\/a>, a full-day event at the UConn School of Law with more than 150 attendees. Dowd helped manage all aspects of planning including venue coordination, arranging presenters and panelists, compiling the program, and overseeing stakeholder communication.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He now works with Rich Sparaco, <\/span>recently appointed interim executive director<\/span><\/a> of the Sentencing Commission following Tsarkov\u2019s departure for Connecticut\u2019s Board of Pardons and Paroles. Along with other IMRP staff and CTSC members, he <\/span>attended the National Association of Sentencing Commissions annual conference<\/span><\/a> in Madison, Wisconsin in August.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a niche community around the country of people who do the same job I do. It was great to meet them, hear how their commissions function, and bring back ideas about processes that can make a greater impact in our justice system,\u201d Dowd says. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very thankful,\u201d he says of his transition to a full-time role as a program assistant for the Connecticut Sentencing Commission and staff member of the IMRP. \u201cI came into SPP not knowing much about what an MPP was or what it can do for me, and here I am five years later in an established field. It really has taken me on a journey, giving me the skills, experiences, and connections to turn my broad interests into a career path.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To current students, he offers advice:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBe willing to always put your best foot forward, work hard, make connections with classmates and professors, and be a good team player. You never know when that door is going to open for you.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Interested in learning more about Dowd’s story? Hear about his journey<\/a> and explore the <\/span><\/i>School of Public Policy\u2019s 4+1 Fast-Track program.<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tommy Dowd \u201922 (CLAS), \u201923 MPP explores criminal justice policy, lands full-time role with the Connecticut Sentencing Commission<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":235776,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2226,2649],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[117],"class_list":["post-235770","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-clas","category-blue-pride"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-30 07:59:29","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235770","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/58"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=235770"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235770\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":238615,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235770\/revisions\/238615"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/235776"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=235770"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=235770"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=235770"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=235770"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=235770"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}