Presenter Bio - Dr. Windy Y. Lawrence

Dr. Windy Y. Lawrence serves as both Professor and as the founding director at the University of Houston – Downtown Center for Public Deliberation.

As Professor, Dr. Lawrence teaches a number of communication courses, including Facilitating Public Deliberation and Political Communication. In 2020, she was awarded the prestigious UHD University Faculty Award for her outstanding leadership in service. As CPD Director, since founding it in 2008, she leads and designs annual events and initiatives for the purposes of improving our civic capacity to deliberate across differences, build strong relationships, and bolster collaborative action. Dr. Lawrence is nationally recognized as a thought leader in deliberation and higher education. In 2018, the Chronicle of Higher Education recognized her directorship as pioneering and a critical contribution to advancements in democratic learning.