Today, Senator Tobin welcomes Diane Hirshberg back to The Empty Office Podcast. Hirshberg is the Director of the Institute of Social and Economic Research, which is commonly known as ISER. Hirshberg is a Professor of Education Policy at the University of Alaska Anchorage and is well known for her work studying the boarding school experience of Alaska Native students.

In 2023, Diane Hirshberg co-edited the book “Education, Equity and Inclusion: Teaching and Learning for a Sustainable North.” She co-authored the chapter, “Adaptation isn’t just for the tundra: Rethinking teaching and learning in Alaska’s Arctic.”

Diane Hirshberg currently teaches in the Master of Public Policy Program at the UAA College of Business and Public Policy. She has a Ph.D. in Education from UCLA and a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University.

In this episode, Senator Tobin and Diane Hirshberg discuss the interplay between politics and public policy. They also delve into the history of ISER, which was created by the Alaska State Legislature in 1961 as a true research organization.

During the conversation, Hirshberg noted that ISER has partnered with the Alaska Energy Authority and the Alaska Center for Energy and Power on the Alaska Energy Data Gateway, which combines community, socio-economic, and energy data into dashboards, tools, and new datasets to meet Alaska’s energy data needs. The Alaska Energy Data Gateway was discussed at length during a Lunch and Learn presentation for lawmakers and staff on Friday, March 27. ISER was also spotlighted during a Lunch and Learn on March 24, honoring the organization’s 65th anniversary this year.

During Friday’s event, Senator Bill Wielechowski presented Diane Hirshberg with a citation from the Alaska Legislature for her 23 years of service at ISER and for her dedication to academic excellence and teaching.

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