In this episode 1050 Bascom, we are grateful to have the opportunity to interview Gavin Luter, Managing Director of UniverCity Alliance at UW-Madison. UniverCity Alliance connects education, service and research activities across UW-Madison with cities across Wisconsin with a focus on furthering sustainability. We asked Gavin about his own research and mission to provide more participatory research opportunities for UW students interested in urban affairs, through UnivCity Alliance. Gavin shared his advice on how students can get involved in on-the ground research and policy change at the local and state level. We enjoyed our conversation with Gavin, and hope you will too.

In this episode of 1050 Bascom, we were grateful to have the opportunity to talk with Aili Mari Tripp, Professor of Political Science and Gender and Women’s studies at UW-Madison. Professor Tripp’s research focuses on women and politics in Africa, women and peacebuilding, transnational feminism and African politics more generally. We found Prof. Tripp’s discussion of her pathway to UW-Madison fascinating, and enjoyed hearing about her childhood experiences growing up on several continents and learning multiple languages. In addition to teaching many widely regarded classes on campus, Prof. Tripp is the author of several award-winning books including Women and Power in Post Conflict and Seeking Legitimacy: Why Arab Autocracies Adopt Women’s Rights. We thoroughly enjoyed our conversation with Prof. Tripp and learned a lot. We hope you will too.

As the global pandemic continues to raise questions about the future and stability of the job and internship market,1050 Bascom is reaching out to successful Political Science graduates to help us navigate these uncertain times. In this episode, we were grateful to have the opportunity to interview Angela Maramba, Political Science Badger alumni and Director of State Board Relations at the Colorado Department of Education. Before rising to her current position, Angela worked as a Legislative and Research Assistant for the State of Wisconsin and a Research Analyst for the National Conference of State Legislatures. We asked Angela about her time on campus, and she offered helpful advice to students about how to make the most of experiences inside and outside the classroom. We appreciated Angela’s insights into career pathways in public service and state government, and valued her take on seeking jobs, communicating, and networking in our current professional environment. We hope you will too.

In this episode of 1050 Bascom, we were grateful to have the opportunity to talk to Kacie Lucchini Butcher, a public historian and award-winning museum curator who is the director of UW-Madison’s Public History Project. With the rise of a renewed civil rights movement this summer, we thought now would be a perfect time to talk about the mission of the project to acknowledge and recover “the stories of those who experienced prejudice and bigotry on the UW-Madison campus.” Bringing us into the contemporary moment, we asked Kacie to share with us her research and insights about how students, staff and faculty feel about the campus climate not only based on what happens on university grounds but in Madison more generally. We found her advice as an oral historian to listen to people’s stories and lived experiences with an empathetic mindset and willingness for open dialogue helpful in thinking through so much of what is happening in our world today. We learned a lot from Kacie, and hope you will too.

In this episode of 1050 Bascom, we were grateful to have the opportunity to interview Kevin Allexon, a PS Badger alumni who worked as a Senior Policy Advisor for the George W. Bush Presidential Administration. Kevin, who is now the Senior Manager of Government Relations at Ocean Conservancy in Washington, DC, offered his insights into how he built a professional portfolio beginning in college that helped him advance to policy advising at the highest level of federal government. He also offered his advice to people considering private sector paths in government relations, suggesting that finding meaningful work that aligns with your personal and professional values is key at every stage of the career-building process. We enjoyed our conversation with Kevin and learned a lot -- and hope you will too.

In this episode of 1050 Bascom, we were grateful to have the opportunity to speak with Todd Newman, Professor of Life Sciences Communication at UW-Madison, about the research in his recently published article, “Science Elicits Hope in Americans – It’s Private Brand Doesn’t Need to Be Partisan”. In Covid-19, partisan disputes over the seriousness of the virus, the efficacy of masks, and the science of reopening business and schools is at the forefront of American politics and life. Prof. Newman’s research and teaching on science communication speaks to this crucial defining moment in American history.

In this episode of 1050 Bascom, we were grateful to have the opportunity to talk with Barry Burden, Political Science Professor and Director of the Elections Research Center, to discuss this week’s the Democratic National Convention, Kamala Harris, and a summer of pandemic, protest, and campaign politics. We enjoyed our conversation with Prof. Burden and appreciated his suggestions on how all citizens might help to ensure a secure and fair election.

In this episode of 1050 Bascom, we were grateful to have the opportunity again to interview Prof. Ken Mayer, UW-Madison’s renowned presidential scholar to talk about President Trump and a summer of pandemic, protest, and campaign politics.

In this episode of 1050 Bascom, we were grateful to have the opportunity to speak with UW-Madison’s Keisha Lindsay, Associate Professor in the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies and Political Science. Professor Lindsay’s research and teaching interests include feminist political theory, black feminism, black masculinity, and gender-based politics in the African diaspora. Prof. Lindsay shared her insights into how her research and teaching speak directly to issues of race and police brutality, the Black Lives Matter movement and race and racism in the United States more generally. We learned so much from our conversation with Prof. Lindsay and hope you will too.

In this episode of 1050 Bascom, we talk to 2016 Badger grad, Phoenix Rice-Johnson. Phoenix, who majored in PS and International Relations, was awarded both the prestigious Marshall and Truman Scholarships, and received her MA in Public Policy at King’s College in London. Phoenix, who is interning this summer at the Office of the Public Defender in San Diego, will start her second year at Yale Law School in the fall. Phoenix offered her insights on applying to top law schools and prominent scholarships. We appreciated Phoenix’s down-to-earth honesty and insights into why she thinks top law schools like Yale are increasingly looking for students with nontraditional pathways as well as those who have taken gap years to grow personally and professionally and reflect on their motivation for pursuing post-graduate education. We thoroughly enjoyed our conversation with Phoenix, and hope you will too. Listen here.