About Tommy Wan, Program Director

Tommy Wan (he/him) is a senior at the University of Texas at Austin studying Civil Engineering, Government, and Plan II Honors. A native of Alief, Texas—where he attended Mahanay Elementary, Outley Elementary, and Youngblood Intermediate—he focuses on infrastructure systems, urban policy, and community resilience through engineering analysis, local government experience, and youth civic engagement. Most importantly, he finds the deep intentional mentorship of youth in Alief ISD to be most gratifying.

 

As a founder and Program Director of AliefVotes, Tommy oversees youth civic engagement, environmental resilience, and policy education programs across Southwest Houston. Under his leadership, AliefVotes has raised over $400,000 in grants, secured $390,000 for tree-planting and green infrastructure projects, and engaged 8,549 students and stakeholders from Alief ISD. He has managed over 95 events and mentored students who have gone on to Stanford, Harvard, MIT, UT Austin, Houston City College, the workforce, the Marines, and more. He leads strategic partnerships with the Resilient Cities Network, the National Wildlife Federation, and the Alief Super Neighborhood Council on disaster preparedness, urban heat mitigation, and environmental education, collectively mobilizing 315,330 volunteer hours. He also initatied a partnership with the University of Georgia on plastic pollution research.

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Tommy's policy experience spans all levels of government. As a Legislative Aide in the Texas Senate for Senator Nathan Johnson during the 89th Legislative Session, he contributed to bill drafting, policy research, and constituent services. He pitched SB 2373, addressing AI-powered financial exploitation, and managed stakeholder outreach from drafting through the Governor's signature. He previously served as an Energy Policy Intern at PowerHouse Texas, supporting the Energy Policy Advisory Council with briefs on nuclear energy, grid modernization, and water–energy interdependencies. Additional experience includes roles as a Legislative Fellow with the UT System, Congressional Bill Archer Fellow for U.S. Representative Lizzie Fletcher, Legislative Aide for State Representative Ray Lopez, and Council Aide to Houston Councilwoman Tiffany D. Thomas in District F for five summers, where he supported the Alief community, hurricane response, and constituent engagement for over 300 residents.

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At the Cockrell School of Engineering, Tommy is a Research Aide and Academy of Distinguished Alumni Research Scholar under Dr. Kasey Faust, Dr. Kerry Kinney, and Dr. Michaela LaPatin. His research applies mixed-methods analysis and spatial modeling to study air quality perception and sociotechnical infrastructure interdependencies. He is the first author of a paper on permafrost-dependent drinking water in Western Alaska, published at the 2025 World Environmental and Water Resources Congress. His senior thesis examines public perceptions of industrial air quality and policy interventions in the Beaumont-Port Arthur petrochemical corridor. He is also investigating cascading infrastructure failures during the Kerrville floods.

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Tommy is a Teach for America Fellow, Policy Fellow with the Institute for Youth in Policy, Future Leaders in Law Fellow at Harvard Law School, and Community-Based Mentor with the Institute for Citizens & Scholars. He was previously a Federal Policy Associate with Students Engaged in Advancing Texas, Civic Influencer Fellow, Bill Archer Fellow, Truman Scholar Finalist, Environmental Justice Fellow with Mi Familia Vota, E Pluribus Unum Youth Fellow, and Youth Organizing Fellow with OCA-Greater Houston. On campus, he served as Forum Editor for The Daily Texan, Treasurer and competitor with Texas Mock Trial, and Director of Access, Engagement, and Advisory for Texas Rocket Engineering Lab. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, is CITI Research Certified, and holds a Private Pilot License from the FAA.

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Tommy has served on the Houston Mayor's Youth Council, the CFCI Youth Council, the Youth Police Advisory Committee, and as a Houston Climate Action Plan Facilitator. He volunteers with the WOW Project, Alief Super Neighborhood Council, Keep Houston Beautiful, and Alief ISD. He has performed as a saxophonist with the National Youth Wind Ensemble, Houston Symphonic Band, and TMEA All-State Band. 

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Tommy's technical interests include infrastructure resilience, capital improvement planning, water and wastewater rehabilitation, transportation and aviation systems, and Texas energy and climate policy. He hopes to pursue a Master's in Public Policy and Juris Doctorate after completing his undergraduate studies. In his free time, he enjoys running, playing classical and jazz saxophone, flying single-engine planes, competing in mock trials, and mentoring students in Alief ISD. He can be reached at tommy.wan@aliefvotes.org or 832-209-6616.