David W. Springer, Ph.D.
Director, RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service; University Distinguished Teaching Professor
Education
Ph.D., Florida State University
MSW, Florida State University
B.A., Florida State University
Research Areas
Nonprofit and Community Leadership
Criminal and Juvenile Justice
Positive Youth Development
Teaching Areas
Finance, Management and Leadership (including non-profits)
Development Policy
David W. Springer is the Director of the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service, a University Distinguished Teaching Professor, and a Fellow to the Sid Richardson Chair of Public Affairs in the LBJ School of Public Affairs. After receiving his Ph.D. in social work from Florida State University, he joined the faculty at UT Austin in 1997. Professor Springer began his professional career as a clinical social worker in community and school-based settings with adolescents and their families. Today, his research and teaching coalesce around effective leadership, nonprofits and systems to strengthen communities, especially at the intersection of juvenile and criminal justice. He and the RGK Center team are committed to preparing the next generation of nonprofit and philanthropic leaders. Spanning across direct practice, policy practice, community building, nonprofit management, system reform, research and leadership, Professor Springer and the RGK Center team work to find innovative solutions to some of today’s most pressing global social challenges. He is recognized as being among the 100 most influential social work journal authors by the British Journal of Social Work. He has received a number of university-wide teaching honors at UT including the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award, the Outstanding Graduate Adviser Award and selection into the Academy of Distinguished Teachers. In 2016, Professor Springer was selected to the Nonprofit Times Power & Influence Top 50, a national list of the top working executives in the nonprofit sector, and he was recognized as a Distinguished Alumni in Social Policy and Administration by the Florida State University, College of Social Work.
Recent Publications
Preventing youth gangs in Austin through positive youth development: City of Austin and Travis County Juvenile Justice Strategic Plan
Restoring Rundberg: A community-research partnership
Resident feedback on the Restore Rundberg community survey
Restore Rundberg: Implementation and research report
A systematic review of mindfulness interventions with adolescents: A potential fit for delinquency intervention
Current Courses
Fall 2017 - 60925 - PA 388L – Advanced Topics in Management
Fall 2016 - 60770 - PA388L - Advanced Topics in Management
Spring 2016 - 60405 - PA388L - Advanced Topics in Management
Fall 2015 - 59995 - PA388L - Advanced Topics in Management
Spring 2015 - 61265 - PA388L - Advanced Topics in Management
Newsworthy for Springer, David W.
News • January 19, 2017
INNOVATION BOUND: The Annual Celebration of LBJ School Policy Research
In an annual celebration, the LBJ School community will convene on February 8, 2017, to celebrate the published works of our distinguished faculty and impassioned students.
Media Mention • January 16, 2017
Researchers recommend Rundberg funding, improvements
Some University of Texas at Austin researchers are recommending the city take steps to continue investing in the Rundberg area after federal grant funding for the "Restore Rundberg" project ran out. LBJ Professor and RGK Center Director David Springer served as the principal investigator of Restore Rundberg, a three-year, $1 million grant from the Department of Justice to improve the quality of life, health, safety, education and well-being of individuals living and working in the Rundberg neighborhood.
Media Mention • November 18, 2016
Austin Police Department seeks to change perception of police
The RGK Center's Restore Rundberg Initiative is cited in Austin Police Department's efforts to improve community relations.
Media Mention • October 28, 2016
Watch as young kids celebrate Halloween in Austin's Rundberg neighborhood
The Restore Rundberg project has led to a 15 percent reduction in violent crime and 50 percent reduction in aggravated robberies.
News • October 20, 2016
David Springer Awarded NASPAA’s "Public Service Matters” Spotlight Honor
David Springer, LBJ School professor and Director of the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service, has been awarded the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) annual “Public Service Matters” Spotlight honor.
News • August 4, 2016
LBJ School leader named Top 50 Influencer in nonprofit sector
The LBJ School's David Springer lands a spot on the NonProfit Times' list of top influencers in the nonprofit sector.
Media Mention • April 29, 2016
Revitalizing Rundberg
Residents see a change, but what will happen when the $1 million grant program ends?
Media Mention • December 7, 2015
After 3-Year Restoration Program, Rundberg Looks to the Future
Three years ago, Austin was one of 15 cities to receive $1 million of federal funding for community policing programs to lower crime rates. The three-year program focused on the Rundberg area and, as the program wraps up, those involved with the Restore Rundberg initiative hope it becomes a template for crime-reduction throughout Austin.