The Texas Legislative Fellowship Program is led by dedicated professionals who are passionate about student development and public service.
Texas Legislative Fellowship Program Staff
Dr. Patrick Muenks currently serves as the Associate Director of the UT System Texas Legislative Fellowship Program. Prior to this role, he served as the inaugural Director of the Initiative for Civic Leadership and an Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Department of Political Science at The University of Texas at Dallas. Founded through a grant at UT Dallas, the Initiative for Civic Leadership supports student experiential learning opportunities through internships in state and local government across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. He has also held multiple appointments at UT Dallas, including serving as an Adjunct Faculty and Honors Program Specialist in the Hobson Wildenthal Honors College.
Before joining UT Dallas, Dr. Muenks served in various roles at The University of Texas at Tyler, including Program Coordinator for the Honors Program and Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Communication. He has also served as an Assistant Debate Coach and instructor of public speaking.
Dr. Muenks earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from UT Dallas, where his research focused on the impact of election laws on voter participation. His academic and professional career reflects a commitment to civic engagement, experiential learning, and public service education.
Ayesha brings two years of experience working with higher education data through the University of Texas System’s Office of Talent and Innovation, where she contributed to analytics projects supporting institutional performance, student outcomes, and workforce development.
Program Advisors and Partners
Katie C. Romano
Executive Director of the Archer Center and Systemwide Programs and Partnerships
Previously, Katie served in the UT System’s Office of Federal Relations, where she identified federal grant opportunities and federal funding for each of the UT institutions, coordinated and facilitated congressional visits and federal agency meetings for the UT System administrators, researchers, and faculty, and tracked legislation and policies related to higher education. Katie also planned special events, conferences, and campus visits to aid the UT System’s federal initiatives.
Prior to working for the UT System, Katie worked for Mrs. Laura Bush on the Bush-Cheney ’04 Campaign, including the 2004 Republican National Convention and was a managing director of Bush Family Operations on the 55th Presidential Inaugural Committee, where she oversaw events and activities for the First Family. U.S. Senator John Cornyn initially brought Katie to Washington in 2003 to serve as his constituent relations coordinator after his successful U.S. Senate race, where she worked in communications.
A native Texan, Katie is a third-generation Longhorn and a graduate of UT Austin with a Bachelor of Science with honors in communication studies and a major in political communication. She completed graduate coursework at Johns Hopkins University and has a nonprofit management certification from UT Austin. She has also participated in the Life Design Studio at Stanford University. Katie served as a volunteer advance representative for the White House, the U.S. Department of State, and the George W. Bush Presidential Library for more than a decade, where she traveled domestically and abroad to set up events for Mrs. Laura Bush prior to her arrival. She is an active leader in a variety of nonprofit, philanthropic, and educational organizations, including the Seton Development Board, Casis Elementary PTA, O. Henry Middle School PTA, the West Austin Youth Association (WAYA), the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health Community Advisory Board, and her church parish. Katie is a former Frank McBee Fellow in Civic Entrepreneurship through the Austin Area Research Organization (AARO) and is a current director of the Texas Lyceum.
Laura Samala Hartmann
Deputy Vice Chancellor for Governmental Relations & Academic Affairs
Laura Samala Hartmann serves as Deputy Vice Chancellor for Governmental Relations and Academic Affairs. She brings more than two decades of legislative and academic policy expertise in Texas and Florida. She joined the University of Texas System in 2004 after working in the private sector and serving in multiple state agency roles. Earlier in her career, she was a parliamentary assistant to the Texas House Parliamentarian, where she gained deep experience in legislative drafting, point of order research, and House Rules analysis, skills that shaped her expertise in legislative process and parliamentary procedure.
Her career began at Florida State University’s Office of Governmental Relations, where she served as a key liaison between the university and governmental entities, advocating for FSU’s higher education priorities and advancing the institution’s role in public policy.
In her role at U.T. System, Laura collaborates with the Office of Academic Affairs and the nine academic institutions to foster effective engagement with the state legislature and state agencies. She provides leadership on systemwide initiatives and academic policy in higher education, consistently demonstrating bipartisan collaboration and effective policy development.
Over her tenure, Laura has been instrumental in advancing major legislative initiatives that strengthen higher education in Texas. Her work has spanned Title IX legislation, higher education governance, and educator preparation programs, where she has helped shape policies with lasting impact on students and institutions alike. She also played a key role in the historic integration of Stephen F. Austin State University into the U.T. System, as well as in legislative efforts supporting mergers and collaborations across U.T. institutions to expand opportunities and resources for Texas students.
Laura is a native Floridian and alumna of Florida State University’s College of Social Sciences and Public Policy.
