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.

Ellie Kaufman, CNN Producer

Mar 19th, 2022 19m 17s

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

Professor Ben Castleman, Nudge4Solutions Lab, University of Virginia

Feb 25th, 2022 27m 33s

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.

Mary Kate Cary, Former White House Speechwriter

Feb 4th, 2022 31m 18s

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.

Director Jacob Kurtzer, Center for Strategic and International Studies

Dec 3rd, 2021 22m 47s

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 di

Ambassador CJ Mahoney

Nov 12th, 2021 14m 35s

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 po

Commissioner Chris Piper, Virginia Department of Elections

Nov 1st, 2021 19m 20s

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 y

Dean Ian Solomon, Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy

Oct 29th, 2021 21m 8s

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

Director David Paylor, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality

Mar 9th, 2021 45m 43s

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

Dia Kayyali, Associate Director for Advocacy at Mnemonic

Mar 2nd, 2021 55m 53s

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 Mn

Liliana Segura, The Intercept

Feb 23rd, 2021 52m 29s

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 verg

Chelsea Higgs Wise, Marijuana Justice

Feb 16th, 2021 57m 55s

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 mar

Nadwa Al-Dawsari, Middle East Institute

Feb 9th, 2021 1h 3m

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

Dr. Lisa D. Cook, Professor of Economics and International Relations at Michigan State University

Feb 1st, 2021 36m 16s

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

Delegate Sam Rasoul, Virginia House of Delegates

Nov 17th, 2020 54m 28s

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 Gov

Penny Abernathy, Knight Chair in Journalism and Digital Media Economics at UNC-Chapel Hill

Nov 10th, 2020 59m 56s

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

Adam Leive, UVA Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Economics

Nov 3rd, 2020 52m 59s

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

Thomas Bowman, Transition Virginia

Oct 27th, 2020 56m 47s

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 pod

Shannon Taylor, Henrico County Commonwealth's Attorney

Oct 13th, 2020 1h 14m

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 Tay

Kyle Kondik, UVA Center for Politics

Oct 5th, 2020 29m 18s

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 El

Irene Cruz, Summer Search

Sep 29th, 2020 1h 6m

VPR Director of Operations Sean Bielawski speaks with Batten Latinx Network president Jasmine Rangel (MPP '21) and one of the Batten Latinx Network's founders Brian Zuluaga (BA '20) about the first generation college student experience (2:55).

Brian Cannon, Fair Maps Virginia

Sep 21st, 2020 47m 22s

VPR Director of Operations Sean Bielawski and VPR Managing Editor Morgan Smith (MPP '21) talk about the latest at VPR (2:30) and then speak with Brian Cannon of Fair Maps Virginia (10:05) about the history and substance of the redistricting con

Luis Oyola, Legal Aid Justice Center

Sep 14th, 2020 1h 9m

VPR Director of Operations Sean Bielawski and Batten Latinx Network President Jasmine Rangel (MPP '21) talk about Jasmine's vision for BLN (3:44) and then speak with Luis Oyola of the Legal Aid Justice Center (18:45) on his background and his w

Secretary Atif Qarni, Virginia Secretary of Education

Sep 9th, 2020 1h 11m

VPR Director of Operations Sean Bielawski and Meghan Clancy (MPP '21) talk about how Meghan came to Batten (3:50) and then speak with Virginia Secretary of Education Atif Qarni (11:28) on the morning that many public schools in Virginia began t

Ian H. Solomon, Dean of the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at UVA

Aug 31st, 2020 1h

In the relaunch of Academical, VPR Director of Operations Sean Bielawski and VPR Editor-in-Chief Geoff Paul talk about the upcoming year for VPR (2:10) and then speak with Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy Dean Ian Solomon (6: