Listen Now

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.

VPR Director of Operations Sean Bielawski talks with Liliana Segura, who is an award-winning investigative journalist at The Intercept covering the U.S. criminal justice system with a focus on the death penalty, about Virginia being on the verge of abolishing capital punishment. Related Reading Liliana Segura at The Intercept (link) Liliana Segura: Trump's Execution Spree is Not About Him. It's About Us. (link) Bielawski and Frost: Time to End Virginia's Death Penalty (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 Teese (MPP '21) about his time at Batten (2:00). Sean and Ben then speak with Chelsea Higgs Wise, Executive Director at Marijuana Justice, about Virginia's efforts to legalize marijuana and the equity implications around legalization (13:58). Related Reading Marijuana Justice (link) Chelsea Higgs Wise and Ashna Khanna in Richmond Times-Dispatch: Virginia should legalize marijuana (link) Race Capitol (link) JLARC Study (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 Morgan Bedford (MPP '21) about her interest in foreign policy and he work with the U.S. Embassy in Yemen (2:08). Sean and Morgan then speak with Nadwa Al-Dawsari, non-resident fellow at the Middle East Institute, about the war in Yemen as well as how the Biden Administration should craft U.S. policy to substantively address the conflict (22:00). Related Reading Council on Foreign Relations: How Severe is Yemen's Humanitarian Crisis? (link) Yemen Matrix: Allies & Adversaries (link) Up for Debate: U.S. Yemen Policy (link) Nadwa Al-Dawsari on Twitter (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 Teka Lenahan (MPP '21) about UVA student organization Black Student Leaders in Policy, or BSLIP, and what drives his interest in education policy (2:05). Sean and Teka then speak with Dr. Lisa D. Cook, Professor of Economics and International Relations at Michigan State University, about her work on the Biden-Harris transition team and her role in mentoring young people of color within the field of economics (11:30). Related Reading Dr. Cook in the NY Times: Racism Impoverishes the Whole Economy (link) Dr. Cook's Research (link) BSLIP on Instagram (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 Maureen Coffey (MPP '21) about her role as president of the Virginia Young Democrats (2:08). Sean and Maureen then speak with Delegate Sam Rasoul about his campaign for Lieutenant Governor and being a progressive in a more rural part of Virginia (19:15). Related Reading Roanoke Del. Sam Rasoul formally announces run for lieutenant governor (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 Marisa Lemma (MPP '22) about her book The Marching Women (2:40). Sean and Marisa then speak with Penny Abernathy, Knight Chair in Journalism and Digital Media Economics at UNC-Chapel Hill, about the decline of local news sources and what that means for our society (11:35). Related Reading The Expanding News Desert (link) Saving Community Journalism (link) The Marching Women (link) VPR Blog (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 Audrey McClurg (MPP '21) about how she became interested in health policy and her experience with the Institute for Medicaid Innovation (2:00). Sean and Audrey then speak with Batten Professor Adam Leive (10:45) about his research around the impact of work requirements on SNAP participation and labor supply, healthcare, and COVID's potential impact on social welfare programs. Related Reading Employed in a SNAP? The Impact of Work Requirements on Program Participation and Labor Supply (link) Medicaid Work Requirements – Results from the First Year in Arkansas (link) Is the Social Safety Net a Long-Term Investment? Large Scale Evidence from the Food Stamps Program (link) How Racism has Shaped Welfare Policy in America since 1935 (link) Does One Medicare Fit All? The Economics of Uniform health Insurance Benefits (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 Robert Grier (MPP '21) about his experience as a fundraiser on political campaigns (2:30). Sean and Robert then speak with Thomas Bowman, a political consultant and co-host of the podcast Transition Virginia (15:40), about Virginia Democrats heading into the November election. Related Reading Transition Virginia Podcast (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 Jordan Sicklick (MPP '21) about his summer experience interning at the Department of Justice (5:05). Sean and Jordan then speak with Henrico County Commonwealth's Attorney Shannon Taylor (18:30) about criminal justice reform at the local level. Related Reading Richmond Times-Dispatch Column on Henrico County Police Accountability (link) Acknowledgments Music: Blue Dot Sessions Voiceover: Zach Mendez Editing: 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 speaks with Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato's Crystal Ball at UVA's Center for Politics, about the state of the Presidential, Senate, and House elections now that we are less than a month from Election Day. Related Reading Sabato's Crystal Ball (link) Acknowledgments Music: Blue Dot Sessions Voiceover: Zach Mendez Editing: 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.