R. Patrick Bixler is an Assistant Professor of Practice at the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service in the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. His fields of interest include public policy, public administration, governance, organizational theory, nonprofit and philanthropy studies, network science and sustainability science. His current research focuses on the collaboration of public, private and nonprofit institutions to solve complex social and environmental problems and promote social innovation. He has an ongoing interest in sustainability and environmental policy and leads the Austin Area Sustainability Indicators project. He is also a faculty team member of Planet Texas 2050, a campus-wide research initiative.