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GPPR Podcast Editor, Brennan Gallagher (MPP '27) chats with Zack Skow, founder of the nonprofit animal rescue Marley's Mutts, to discuss their inmate-canine training program, Pawsitive Change, and the impact it is having on prison culture, reentry, and recidivism.
GPPR Podcast Editor Mitchell Zupko (MPP'25) chats with Devin Gerzof, the Executive Director of Executive Branch Relations and Federal Relations at the American Hospital Association. They discuss the No Surprises Act, site neutral payments, reimbursements, the 340B Program, and more.
GPPR Podcast Editor, Brennan Gallagher (MPP '27) chats with Cassandra Stubbs about her work as Director of the ACLU's Capital Punishment Project and President Trumps Executive Order "Restoring The Death Penalty And Protecting Public Safety."
Join GPPR Podcast Editors Britney Cheung (MPP'26) and Daija Yisrael (MIDP'26) as they sit down with Dr. Francis Johnson, Senior Research Fellow at the Stockholm Environment Institute, to explore the state of clean energy across household, national, and global levels.
GPPR Editor Mike Saunders (MPM '24) sits down with Danniel Belay to discuss his recent political run for Rockville City Council as the youngest candidate in the race. They talk about forming his policy suite, getting and staying engaged in the local process and beyond, and what it takes to stage a formidable campaign at the local level and beyond.
In this episode, Junior Podcast Editor Ioana Zanchi (MS in Addiction Policy and Practice ‘25) interviews Dr. Vijeth Iyengar, Director of Global Aging at AARP International and nationally recognized neuroscientist and aging health policy expert, to discuss aging as a global mega trend, the concept of the longevity economy, and its local, national, and international policy implications.
GPPR Podcast Editor Amelie D'Hers (MS-DSPP '25) joins Ilana Beller, Organizing Manager at Public Citizen, to discuss the government's role in regulating deepfakes: realistic images, videos, or audio which are generated using artificial intelligence.
GPPR podcast editors cover a variety of stories following the US Presidential election, including an analysis of statements made by presumptive Secretary of Health and Human services on water fluoridation, what drug and addiction policy may look like under a second Trump term, and a look at the Department of Government Efficiency.
GPPR podcast editors cover a variety of pertinent elections-related topics, including the shifting landscape of U.S. party politics, election officials' efforts to counter public misinformation using social media, and the U.S. presidential candidates' economic policy platforms.
GPPR Senior Podcast Editor Bela Walkin (MPP '25) speaks with Dominic Mancini, the Deputy Administrator of OMB's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), about OIRA's role in the federal regulatory process, the differences between career and political civil service, and his own career path through federal government.
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) talks with GPPR Podcast Editor Mike Saunders (MPM'24) about the growing complexities in the U.S-China relationship. The Congressman discusses investing in the American workforce to maintain global competitiveness, combating unfair trade practices, and avoiding economic pitfalls that have stunted Chinese growth.
GPPR Podcast Editor Joe Lustig follows up on his conversation with Harry Holzer, McCourt Professor and former Chief Economist at the Department of Labor under the Clinton administration, about inflation.
GPPR Health Policy Senior Podcast Editor Jazlyn Gallego (MPM '24) speaks with Rob Lawrence, Executive Director of the California Ambulance Association and Director of Strategic Implementation for PRO EMS. In this podcast, Lawrence reflects on the existence of ambulance deserts that have been recently exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a conversation on U.S. climate policy, Junior Podcast Editor Moritz Ludwig (MPP '25) and Trevor Higgins, Senior Vice President of the Energy and Environment Department at the Center for American Progress and Adjunct Professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy, talk about the Biden administration's efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Centering around the Inflation Reduction Act, the new approach of incentives and investments is portrayed as a promising path towards decarbonization. The interview covers both domestic and international aspects of the climate legislation while also acknowledging uncertainties about the future of the ambitious programs.
In this episode, GPPR Podcast Editor Mike Saunders (MPM' 24) spoke with Melvin Foote, the Founder and President of the Constituency For Africa (CFA), about The United States' policy towards Africa. In this podcast, Mr Foote highlights the dynamics behind shaping foreign policy and the importance of the youth for building a brighter future.
In this insightful episode, Senior Editor, Eleazar Weissman (MPP' 24) engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Randy Erwin, the National President of the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE). Listen and learn about the intricate landscape of federal employment, with a special focus on the challenges encountered by wildland firefighters.
GPPR Junior Editor Amelie D'Hers (MS-DSPP ‘25) delves into the intricacies of navigating misinformation and its policy implications with Emily Horne, the founder and CEO of Allegro Public Affairs. Emily, formerly the Special Assistant to the President, Spokesperson, and Senior Director for Press at the National Security Council (NSC) in the Biden Administration, and the former Vice President of Communications at the Brookings Institution, engages in a comprehensive discussion. This conversation spans various aspects of the misinformation landscape, from the day-to-day media literacy to National Security.
GPPR Junior Editor Bela Walkin (MPP ‘25) discusses urban and transportation policy with Jeff Speck, a city planner and international advocate for walkable urbanism. His 2012 book "Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time," is the best-selling city-planning title of the past decade. Jeff and Bela discuss the benefits of walkability, the political challenges associated with its implementation, and its implications for urban and transportation policy on all levels of government.
Junior Podcast Editor Moritz Ludwig (MPP '25) talks with the executive director of the Aspen Institute Germany, Stormy-Annika Mildner, about current challenges and opportunities of trade policy between the U.S. and Europe. The transatlanticist and trade expert talks about the importance of a resilient transatlantic partnership, initiatives to strengthen economic and political ties, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the role of China.
Junior Podcast Editor Joe Lustig (MPP '24) sits down with Dustin Wahl, Deputy Executive Director of "Fix Our House", an organization that advocates for significant changes to how the United States conducts elections, to discuss the upcoming 2024 presidential election, as well as the two party conundrum.
Junior Podcast Editor, Gabriel Taylor (MPP ‘24) chats with Richard Kahlenberg, Author of “Excluded: How Snob Zoning, NIMBYism, and Class Bias Build the Walls We Don't See” to discuss the US housing crisis, it's causes, and what we might do to solve it.
Senior Podcast Editor Sneha Choudhary (MPP ‘24) interviews Herbie Ziskend, Special Assistant to the President of the United States and White House Deputy Communications Director, to discuss his experiences as a young staffer in the Obama Administration, his current role in the Biden Administration, and trends in political communication.
Senior Podcast Editor Sneha Choudhary (MPP ‘24) sits down with Jennifer Molina, Special Assistant to the President of the United States and White House Deputy Communications Director, to discuss her experiences as a Day One appointee of the Biden Administration, authentically engaging constituencies through media outreach, and the critical importance of self care.
In this episode, Senior Podcast Editor Sneha Choudhary (MPP ‘24) interviews Judith Feder, Georgetown Professor of Public Policy, former Dean of the Georgetown McCourt School, and nationally recognized health policy expert, to discuss Judy's illustrious career, her experiences in the Senate and the Clinton Administration, and the backstory of how the Georgetown McCourt School became what it is today.
GPPR Senior Podcast Editor Sneha Choudhary (MPP '24) speaks with Dr. Robert Traynham - a highly accomplished communications and public relations expert, and Emmy®-nominated media commentator with nearly two decades' experience. In this episode, Dr. Traynham discusses the pride and the burden that comes with being “The First”, the importance of titles, his work with trying to change the system from within, and the role that service plays in his life.
GPPR Senior Podcast Editor Eleazar Weissman (MPP' 24) speaks with Riva Duncan, Vice-President Of Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, about the most pressing issues impacting the wildland firefighting community. In this podcast, Riva shares her perspective on the policy issues that matter to wildland firefighters and what can be done to ensure they can accomplish their mission.
GPPR Podcast Editor Joe Lustig (MPP-EP '24) speaks with Dr. Richard Frank – a distinguished health economist, Brookings Institution fellow, and Director of the Schaeffer Initiative for Health Policy – to talk about why drug prices are so high, the steps Congress has taken to bring them down, and what they might do next.
GPPR Editor, Bryna Antonia Cortes (MPM/NUF ‘23), spoke with Councilmember Robert White from the D.C. Council covering a range of topics from his path and lessons as a public administrator, the importance of being a vulnerable leader, to how to engage with the D.C. community in a meaningful way.
American Psychological Association Deputy Chief of Public Policy and Engagement, Advocacy Directorate, Stefanie Reeves discusses mental health trends occurring in the 118th congress with Podcast Editor Jazlyn Gallego (MPM '24). The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States, with over 146,000 members, including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students.
Georgetown School of Foreign Service graduate and Executive Director of Vot-ER, Aliya Bhatia discusses the link between public health and successful democracies with Podcast Editor Jazlyn Gallego (MPM '23). Vot-ER, a national nonprofit 501(C)3 organization, develops nonpartisan civic engagement tools and programs for every corner of the healthcare system—from private practitioners to medical schools to hospitals to help thousands of Americans register to vote.
GPPR Editor, Bryna Antonia Cortes (MPM '23), spoke with Khalil Cumberbatch, national leader and advocate on criminal justice policy, and Vikki Wachino, health care policy champion and former deputy administrator at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), on the convening of their multi-sector coalition, the Health and Reentry Project (HARP); forthcoming CMS approval for states seeking to offer pre-release services; and the intersection of health and criminal justice systems.
GPPR Junior Podcast Editor Jazlyn Gallego (MPM '24) speaks with Michael Wallace, founder of Mint Project, a Washington D.C. based nonprofit organization that serves the local homeless population. In this podcast, Wallace shares thoughts on public health policy solutions through his experience creating health clinics for the homeless in Washington D.C.
GPPR Podcast Editor Nhi Nguyen (MPM '23) speaks to Don Han, the Director of Operations at Orange County Human Relations, and Norma Lopez, the Executive Director of the Human Relations Commissions. In this episode, Don and Norma discuss hate crime prevention and reporting, how they got into the work of hate prevention, and the county's current prevention work.
GPPR Podcast Editor Sneha Choudhary (MPP '24) speaks with Rohini Kosoglu, former Deputy Assistant to the President and Domestic Policy Advisor to the Vice President in the Biden-Harris White House, and the first Asian American woman to hold this role. In this episode, Kosoglu shares her experience in working her way up in the government, the importance of diverse perspectives in leadership, and the lessons learned from prepping a female candidate for president.
GPPR Podcast Editor Joe Lustig (MPP-EP '24) speaks with McCourt Professor and esteemed economist Dr. Harry Holzer to talk about one of the most salient topics in US policy today, inflation. In this podcast, Dr. Holzer walks through what inflation is, what causes it, who it affects, and what policymakers can do about it.
GPPR Podcast Editor Kharl Reynado (MPP'23) spoke to Margaret Kuzma from the Veterans Legal Clinic at Harvard Law School and Alden Pinkham from the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center (CVLC) about the military discharge process and discharge upgrade law. Based on experience with veteran clients, they explain how an other-than-honorable discharge can negatively affect a veteran's life, and how advocates can use the military discharge upgrade process to open doors for veterans benefits and return honor to those who served.
Podcast Editor Kharl Reynado (MPP '23) spoke with Amy Antioho, the widow of Peter Antioho, an Army Officer who passed away after exposure to burn pits during his military service, and their VA benefits attorney, Cindy Johnson, Deputy Director of the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center (CVLC), about what the PACT Act is and what it means for veterans and their families. Amy walks listeners through her nearly year-long experience applying for initial disability benefits for Peter after he was diagnosed with brain cancer. After multiple denials and stacks of VA forms and medical papers, she reached out to Cindy at the CVLC for help. Cindy discusses the challenges veterans can face when they submit a VA disability benefit claim and the features in the PACT Act that hope to ease those burdens for veterans exposed to toxics during their military service.
GPPR Podcast Editor Brian Marroquín (MPM '22) speaks with Cecilia Muñoz, former Director of the Domestic Policy Council in the Obama administration – the first Latina to serve in that role. In this podcast, Muñoz shares lessons from her decades of experience in immigration policy and her current work in public interest technology.
In this episode, podcast editor Eleazar Weissman (MPP '23) speaks with Connecticut State Senator and Georgetown alum, William Haskell. As Connecticut's youngest state senator, Senator Haskell offers insight into how he decided to run for state office after graduating from Georgetown University in 2018. He offers a rich perspective on what shaped his legislative agenda on issues such as criminal justice reform and the importance of state and local political involvement.
GPPR Podcast Editor Kharl Reynado (MPP '23) spoke with Amy O'Hara, Research Professor in the Massive Data Institute at Georgetown's McCourt School of Public Policy. Professor O'Hara addresses data disaggregation, where data originates, the balance between privacy and accuracy, and how data disaggregation can better inform policy analysis and improve visibility for underserved populations.
GPPR Podcast Editor Brian Marroquín (MPM '22) spoke with Sol Anderson, the President & CEO of the Evanston Community Foundation, about the role of community foundations in public policy and dynamic approaches to community building. In this podcast, Mr. Anderson emphasizes the importance of relationships and listening to the community to bring positive change and build meaningful paths to opportunity. Moreover, “It can't just be policy change or bust.” Sol describes how we can all take steps on the way to dynamic solutions.
GPPR Podcast Editor Kyra Brown (MPP '23) spoke with McCourt Professor Pamela Herd about some of the bureaucratic obstacles people encounter when trying to access government benefits, services, and rights. In this podcast, Dr. Herd talks about implementation of the CARES Act and how administrative setbacks can exacerbate inequitable and inefficient distribution of health aid packages to vulnerable populations.
GPPR Podcast Editor Kharl Reynado spoke with Senator Ghazala Hashmi about her thoughts on diversity and representation in government. In this podcast episode, Senator Hashmi addresses the underrepresentation of women and minority groups in government and politics, the importance of adequate and accurate representation of the identities that have shaped America, and the notion of moral leadership.
In the second episode of his "Leadership in Public Policy" podcast series, GPPR Podcast Editor William "Ryan" Brown sat down with Anatole Jenkins. Anatole Jenkins is a current GU Politics fellow who most recently worked as the National Director of States Organizing on the Joe Biden for President campaign. Previously, he has worked as the National Organizing Director on the Kamala Harris for President campaign, as well as in leadership positions on Barack Obama's 2012 campaign and Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign. Ryan and Anatole discussed how to be an effective leader in public policy and how to effectively organize people into making a change. Follow Anatole on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnatoleJenkins Check out more from the Georgetown Public Policy Review: @gppolicyreview Theme Music by Russell Lawrence
GPPR Podcast editor William “Ryan” Brown premieres his podcast segment titled, “Leadership in Public Policy” as he takes the time to interview experienced public leaders and discuss their leadership styles, influences and leadership philosophies for leading in today's complex world. For this segment, he discusses with Sara Sendek, a Spring 2021 GU Politics Fellow. She most recently served as the Director of Public Affairs at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (also known as CISA) – the newest agency in the federal government charged with defending the country's critical infrastructure from threats both cyber and physical. Follow Sara on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/SaraSendek Check out more from the Georgetown Public Policy Review: https://soundcloud.com/gppolicyreview Theme Music by Russell Lawrence
Podcast Team Member Dia Porter spoke with Maritza Perez, the Director of the Office of National Affairs at the Drug Policy Alliance in Washington, DC. They discussed the current and previous administrations, how to keep public momentum and engagement for policy initiatives after milestone wins, and navigating how to get people to understand the policy issues you are advocating for. Tune in to learn about policy advocacy and how to effectively make an impact within public policy. Theme Music by Russell Lawrence
Last November, Senior Podcast Editor Will Fotter spoke with GU Politics Fellow and political communications strategist Lis Smith about how political campaigns interact with the media. The conversation covered her own experiences working in political communications on a number of prominent campaigns, as well as general insights about how campaigns should conduct their media strategy. Most recently, Lis Smith served as the senior communications advisor to Pete Buttigieg's 2020 presidential campaign. Theme Music by Russell Lawrence
Last semester, editor in chief Nicole Dan discussed broadband policy with Lukas Pietrzak, a second year MPP student and policy associate at Next Century Cities. Follow Lukas on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ltpietrzak New America's Cost of Connectivity Report: https://www.newamerica.org/oti/reports/cost-connectivity-2020/ Check out more from the Georgetown Public Policy Review: http://gppreview.com/ Theme Music by Russell Lawrence
In collaboration with GU Politics, GU Politics Fellow and DC Bureau Chief for Buzzfeed Kate Nocera joins Senior Podcast Editor Lucy Schmitz to discuss reporting on coronavirus, the election news cycle, and prioritizing stories in DC. Music by Russell Lawrence @cspanfam
DC Councilmember David Grosso joins Senior Podcast Editor Lucy Schmitz to talk about Power in the 21st Century, the theme of Georgetown Public Policy Review's Spring Edition. Music by Russell Lawrence @cspanfam
Interview Editor Nicole Dan spoke with Georgetown Students who observed the Iowa Caucus through the GU Politics trip to Iowa. They discussed the state of the race, campaign organizing, speaking with voters, and journalism during the election cycle. The Georgetown students interviewed were Kira Macauley, Grace Shevchenko, MacKenzie Grimm, Kelvin Doe, Grace Xu, and Jack Ryan. Theme music by Russell Lawrence @taikunlofi
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