Episodes

Sunday Jul 10, 2022
Michael Ford on the Pracademic, Regional Schools, and MPAC
Sunday Jul 10, 2022
Sunday Jul 10, 2022
Josie talks with Dr. Michael Ford from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. In this episode, Dr. Ford talks about his path to academia and his experience as a locally elected leader. He also talks about the Midwest Public Affairs Conference, the opportunities of teaching and researching at a regional school, and the value of applied research.
Subscribe to Academics of PA today!
Follow the podcast on Facebook and Twitter: @AcademicsofPA
Follow the hosts on Twitter:
Bruce McDonald: @academicpiracy
Josie Schafer: @SchaferJosie

Thursday Jun 24, 2021
Thursday Jun 24, 2021
Bruce talks with Dr. Kendra Stewart from the College of Charleston. Dr. Stewart discusses her experience of finding public administration and succeeding in graduate school and on the tenure track. She also discusses the role that communication plays in effective public administration, the importance of the politics-administration dichotomy, and the future of public administration.
References from the Episode:
- Mordecai Lee, Grant Neeley, and Kendra Stewart (2021). The Practice of Government Public Relations.
Subscribe to Academics of PA today! New episodes drop every other Thursday.
Follow the podcast on Facebook and Twitter: @AcademicsofPA
Follow the hosts on Twitter:
Bruce McDonald: @academicpiracy
William Hatcher: @ProfHat
Josie Schafer: @SchaferJosie

Thursday May 06, 2021
Thursday May 06, 2021
On this episode, Josie talks with Drs. Ana-Maria Dimand from Boise State University and Juniper Katz from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Drs. Dimand and Katz discuss their experience as early career faculty in the field of public administration. They also discuss the experience of surviving the PhD process and succeeding on the job market during the pandemic.
Subscribe to Academics of PA today! New episodes drop every other Thursday.
Follow the podcast on Facebook and Twitter: @AcademicsofPA
Follow the hosts on Twitter:
Josie Schafer: @SchaferJosie
Bruce McDonald: @academicpiracy
William Hatcher: @ProfHat

Thursday Nov 14, 2019
Graham Allison on Community Scholarship, Conceptual Lenses, and Adding Something New
Thursday Nov 14, 2019
Thursday Nov 14, 2019
Join Bruce and Josie for an interview with Dr. Graham Allison from Harvard University. Dr. Allison talks about balancing his experience as an academic and as an assistant secretary of defense in the Clinton administration. He also talks about the challenge of working in practice compared to these and the need to add to the sum of knowledge rather.
References from the Show:
- Graham Allison. (1971). Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis.
- Graham Allison. (2018). Destined for War: Can American and China Escape Thucydides' Trap.
- Aristotle (1996). Introductory Readings.
- Belfer Center. (2019). Contest: Do You Have a Grand Strategy to Meet the China Challenge?
- Carl von Clausewitz. (1989). On War.
- Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. (2003). The Federalist Papers.
- Fredrik Logevall. (2012). Embers of War: The Fall of an Empire and the Making of America’s Vietnam.
- Edmund Morris. (2001). The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt.
- Gilbert Ryle. (2000). The Concept of Mind.
- Thucydides. (1954). History of the Peloponnesian War.
Subscribe to Academics of PA today! New episodes drop every other Thursday.
Follow the podcast on Facebook and Twitter: @AcademicsofPA
Follow the hosts on Twitter:
Bruce McDonald: @academicpiracy
William Hatcher: @ProfHat
Josie Schafer: @SchaferJosie

Thursday Oct 31, 2019
Hannah Lebovits and Donta Council on The PhD Experience
Thursday Oct 31, 2019
Thursday Oct 31, 2019
On this episode, join Josie and Will for a conversation with Hannah Lebovits from Cleveland State University and Donta Council from Old Dominion University and American University. Hannah and Donta will talk about their experience as Ph.D. students in public administration, their efforts to engage the field, and the needs that Ph.D. students in today's society face.
Subscribe to Academics of PA today! New episodes drop every other Thursday.
Follow the podcast on Facebook and Twitter: @AcademicsofPA
Follow the hosts on Twitter:
Bruce McDonald: @academicpiracy
William Hatcher: @ProfHat
Josie Schafer: @SchaferJosie

Thursday Aug 29, 2019
Craig Maher on Political Office, Choosing an Academic Career, and...Cats
Thursday Aug 29, 2019
Thursday Aug 29, 2019
On this episode, join Will and Bruce for an interview with Dr. Craig Maher from the University of Nebraska Omaha. Dr. Maher talks about his experience as a public administration scholar while also serving on a local city council and the practicality of the politics-administration dichotomy for local officials and the challenge that has for public administration educators. He also discusses his path into a PhD, public administration as a discipline, and becoming a public budgeting and finance scholar despite having taken no coursework in the area.
Subscribe to Academics of PA today! New episodes drop every other Thursday.
Follow the podcast on Facebook and Twitter: @AcademicsofPA
Follow the hosts on Twitter:
Bruce McDonald: @academicpiracy
William Hatcher: @ProfHat
Josie Schafer: @SchaferJosie

Thursday Jun 27, 2019
Ethel Williams on Supporting Your Students, Work-Life Balance, and the Cha-Cha
Thursday Jun 27, 2019
Thursday Jun 27, 2019
On this episode, join Bruce and Josie for an interview with Dr. Ethel Williams from the University of Nebraska Omaha. Dr. Williams talks about the importance of providing support to PhD students, her experience as university administrator, and failing to maintain a work-life balance but still doing something for yourself. She also talks about the status of research on social equity and diversity and how both the field and the academy is living up to the need to be inclusive.
Subscribe to Academics of PA today! New episodes drop every other Thursday.
Follow the podcast on Facebook and Twitter: @AcademicsofPA
Follow the hosts on Twitter:
Bruce McDonald: @academicpiracy
William Hatcher: @ProfHat
Josie Schafer: @SchaferJosie

Thursday May 30, 2019
Mary Guy on Knowing Who You Are, Having a Balance, and Showing Dogs
Thursday May 30, 2019
Thursday May 30, 2019
On this episode, join Bruce and Josie for an interview with Dr. Mary Guy from the University of Colorado Denver. Dr. Guy talks about the importance of work experience as a way of understanding the pressures faced in public service and how, in the absence of new ideas, we need to take the ideas that we have and package them for today and tomorrows problems. She also talks about the importance of work-life balance and the necessity to maintain hobbies in order to have an escape and to keep active from burning out.
References from the Show:
- Richard C. Kearney and Jerrell Coggburn (2015). Public Human Resource Management: Problems and Prospects.
Subscribe to Academics of PA today! New episodes drop every other Thursday.
Follow the podcast on Facebook and Twitter: @AcademicsofPA
Follow the hosts on Twitter:
Bruce McDonald: @academicpiracy
William Hatcher: @ProfHat
Josie Schafer: @SchaferJosie

Wednesday Apr 03, 2019
Rosemary O'Leary on the Creative Urge, Appreciation, and Doing Your Own Thing
Wednesday Apr 03, 2019
Wednesday Apr 03, 2019
On this episode, join Bruce and Josie for an interview with Dr. Rosemary O'Leary from the University of Kansas. Dr. O'Leary talks about her experience as a public manager and how she decided to pursue a career in public administration. She also talks about the need to appreciate other areas and methodologies of research and the importance of asking questions before committing to a project.
References from the Show:
- Rosemary O'Leary. (2019). The Ethics of Dissent: Managing Guerilla Government
Subscribe to Academics of PA today! New episodes drop every other Thursday.
Follow the podcast on Facebook and Twitter: @AcademicsofPA
Follow the hosts on Twitter:
Bruce McDonald: @academicpiracy
William Hatcher: @ProfHat
Josie Schafer: @SchaferJosie

Wednesday Mar 20, 2019
Donald Kettl on Trust in Government, Lice, and Having No Plan
Wednesday Mar 20, 2019
Wednesday Mar 20, 2019
Join Bruce and Will in this episode as they talk with Dr. Donald Kettl from the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Kettl talks about his writing process and having no academic career plan, instead choosing projects that are both fun for him and useful for practitioners. He also talks about issues of trust in government and how the issue of trust may be one of perspective.
References from the Show:
- Donald Kettl (2013). System Under Stress: The Challenge to the 21st Century Governance.
- Donald Kettl (1986). Leadership at the Fed.
Subscribe to Academics of PA today! New episodes drop every other Thursday.
Follow the podcast on Twitter: @AcademicsofPA
Follow the hosts on Twitter:
Bruce McDonald: @academicpiracy
William Hatcher: @ProfHat
Josie Schafer: @SchaferJosie