Mark Strama

Mark Strama is Director of the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life, and a Professor of Practice in the Department of Communication and Media Studies in the Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas.  

Previously, Mark spent ten years at Google Fiber working to upgrade the speed and quality of internet service in the United States.  Prior to that he served five terms in the Texas House of Representatives, where he focused on renewable energy, public education, and electoral reform. Mark received Honorable Mentions on Texas Monthly's Ten Best Legislators list in three of his five sessions in the House; Texas Monthly said "Strama cares as much about others' success as his own."  

Prior to running for public office, Mark founded the first company to enable Americans to fill out a voter registration form on the Internet - 700,000 people used this technology to register to vote in the 2000 election cycle.  During the 1996 election cycle, Mark was Director of Programs at Rock the Vote, a non-partisan organization that works with MTV and the music industry to engage young people in the political process.  He previously worked for former Texas Governor Ann Richards and Texas State Senator Rodney Ellis.

Mark graduated from Brown University with degrees in philosophy and political science. He is married to Crystal Cotti, a former Austin City Hall reporter and a graduate of the Moody College of Communication.  They have three industrious daughters and one very lazy dog.