Regional media: UC celebrates opening of the Portman Center for Policy Solutions
Speakers call for bipartisan dialogue, collaboration
The University of Cincinnati celebrated the opening of the Portman Center for Policy Solutions on Monday, Oct. 23. The new center, housed within UC’s School of Public and International Affairs, will make its physical home in the new Clifton Court Hall.
The theme of the morning’s event, with politicians, university leaders and students in attendance, was bipartisanship, civility, and open and inclusive dialogue.
“For the young people here, thinking about a political career, keeping your head down and actually forcing the compromises between other people to get to a result is also a lost art,” said Senator Rob Portman, the center’s namesake. “It's not just about you being civil and you showing respect for others and you being bipartisan. It's about being willing to go out of your comfort zone and help bring people together to solve problems.”
Senator Rob Portman and Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema with Portman's Rio Grande kayak. The kayak, symbolic of his career journey, will hang in the Portman Center for Policy Solutions.
Senator Portman engaged in a bipartisan Q&A with Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema. They discussed their joint work on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and its results for their constituents.
Senator Sinema echoed Portman’s thoughts on how crucial collaboration is to the nation.
“Unfortunately, we're in a place in our country right now where our willingness to compromise is perceived as weakness,” she said. “But a willingness to compromise is the strongest position that you can go into a situation with, because it means that you are dedicated to an outcome and that outcome will return results for the people that you serve much, much greater than giving a self-righteous speech on TikTok or Instagram.”
The opening applications for the inaugural Portman Fellows were announced. The fellows will have access to opportunities and learning experiences that will engage them as citizen-leaders committed to the democratic process.
The goal of the Center’s programming and the support for its Portman Fellows will lead to the development of practical and effective policy solutions.
News coverage of the event includes:
Featured image at top: Ribbon cutting celebrating the Portman Center for Policy Solutions. Photo/Joe Fuqua for the UC Foundation.
Related Stories
UC doctoral student shares his journey with Spectrum News
July 27, 2026
UC doctoral student Amota Ataneka spoke with Spectrum News about his educational journey. Ataneka, a native of the Pacific island nation of Kiribati, is one of 35 emerging scholars across the United States to win the National Academy of Education/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship.
How scammers can persuade you with AI
July 27, 2026
Spectrum News recently dove into how cloning voices with artificial intelligence is making it easier to scam people over the phone. The news outlet spoke with Kimberly Hyun, assistant professor of marketing at UC’s Lindner College of Business, to examine why AI is making it so much easier to trick people.
Decade of discovery
July 27, 2026
Every summer, UHP Discover has connected undergraduate students in the University Honors Program (UHP) to a unique array of opportunities in original interdisciplinary research. This year, the program celebrates its 10th anniversary.