Academical

Host Gary Christensen interviews Professor Daniel Player of UVA, who dives into his time in the private sector working on research projects for government contracts and discusses how public-private partnerships influence policy creation. 

Host Aidan Doud interviews CNN Pentagon correspondent Ellie Kaufman about National Security reporting and her road to becoming a journalist.

Host Gary Christensen interviews Professor Ben Castleman, founder and director of the Nudge4Solutions lab at UVA about college enrollment, student loans, and the future of higher education. 

Host Aidan Doud interviews Miller Center Communications Lecturer Mary Kate Cary as the White House speechwriter for former President George HW Bush. They discuss the politics of speechwriting in the Oval Office.

Academical hosts Connor Eads and Gary Christensen interview Director Jacob Kurtzer of the Center of Strategic and International Studies about the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. They discuss the conditions that led to the crisis, and the difficult relationship between state and non state actors.

Host Aidan Doud discusses the USMCA trade agreement with former trade ambassador CJ Mahoney. Their discussion tracks the differences between NAFTA and USMCA, the challenges of negotiating a multilateral international trade agreement, and its potential future impact on foreign affairs.

Hosts Connor Eads and Gary Christensen interview Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Elections Chris Piper to discuss election security, ballot access, and the upcoming Gubernatorial election.

To check your registration status and find your polling place, go to: https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation/

Our first episode of the academic year with Dean of the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, Dean Ian Solomon.

VPR Director of Operations Sean Bielawski talks with co-host Erin Melly (MPP '22) about her interest in environmental policy (1:47). Sean and Erin then speak with David Paylor, Director of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, about his career in state government and how he operates in a role the requires managing stakeholders with diverse interests (10:30).

Related Reading

Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (link)

Acknowledgments

Music: Blue Dot Sessions

Voiceover: Zach Mendez

Editing: Ben Feldman, Ben Teese & Sean Bielawski

Disclaimer

Although this organization has members who are University of Virginia students and may have University employees associated or engaged in its activities and affairs, the organization is not a part of or an agency of the University. It is a separate and independent organization which is responsible for and manages its own activities and affairs. The University does not direct, supervise, or control the organization and is not responsible for the organization's contracts, acts, or omissions.

VPR Director of Operations Sean Bielawski talks with co-host Ben Feldman (MPP '21) about what brought him to Batten and his internship at the Syrian Archive (2:09). Sean and Ben then speak with Dia Kayyali, Associate Director for Advocacy at Mnemonic, about the ongoing discussions around accountability in content moderation and how to responsibly regulate the internet and big tech (14:57).

Related Reading

Mnemonic (link)

Dia Kayyali in Vice: If Trump Can Be Banned, What About Other World Leaders Who Incite Violence? (link)

Hadi El Khatib and Dia Kayyali in the New York Times: YouTube is Erasing History (link)

Acknowledgments

Music: Blue Dot Sessions

Voiceover: Zach Mendez

Editing: Ben Feldman, Ben Teese & Sean Bielawski

Disclaimer

Although this organization has members who are University of Virginia students and may have University employees associated or engaged in its activities and affairs, the organization is not a part of or an agency of the University. It is a separate and independent organization which is responsible for and manages its own activities and affairs. The University does not direct, supervise, or control the organization and is not responsible for the organization's contracts, acts, or omissions.