His UTD advisor, Dr. Clint Peinhardt, professor of political science, public policy and political economy, described Noé as a self-starter. The Mercatus (Latin for “market”) Center is a nonprofit, university-based research center dedicated to bridging the gap between academic research and public policy problems. The center supports graduate students interested in understanding social change and in applying economics to solve problems in the world. GivingTuesday Data Commons FellowUniversity of Texas at Dallas public affairs doctoral student Tianyi Li has been awarded one of three inaugural GivingTuesday Data Commons Fellowships. Accolades is an occasional News Center feature that highlights recent accomplishments of The University of Texas at Dallas faculty, students and staff.