Fels Institute of Government students welcomed Marty Baron to the Public Policy in Practice speaker series on Friday, September 10, 2021. Baron is the former Executive Editor of The Washington Post (2012-2021), and former editor of The Boston Globe (2002-2012). Under his leadership, his newsrooms won 17 Pulitzers for groundbreaking reporting, including the Post’s uncovering of the large-scale surveillance of civilians by the National Security Agency, and the Globe’s investigation into the Catholic Church’s concealing of sex abuse by clergy.

Fels Institute of Government is pleased to announce that our keynote speaker for the Fels Class of 2021 graduation will be Dr. Lisa Cook.

Fels Institute of Government students welcomed Susan Urahn to the Public Policy in Practice speaker series on Thursday, April 23, 2021. Ms. Urahn is President and CEO of The Pew Charitable Trusts, an organization she has been with for over 25 years. Her background also includes work with the Minnesota House of Representatives on education legislation.

The Free Library of Philadelphia Board of Trustees has elected Folasade (Sade) Olanipekun-Lewis to serve as its new chair starting in June 2021. “The 21st century library is more than a place where you go to check out books,” says Olanipekun-Lewis, who has served as treasurer for the library’s board since 2016, as well as the co-chair of the board’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. “It’s become our neighborhood cultural center. It’s become our neighborhood job placement center.

The Fels Institute of Government is proud to announce the appointment of Matthew Stitt (MPA ’12) as a Distinguished Fellow. The appointment is a recognition of Mr. Stitt’s work and multiple contributions to Fels and the broader University of Pennsylvania community.

Fels Institute of Government students welcomed David Gergen to the Public Policy in Practice speaker series on Thursday, March 18, 2021. Mr. Gergen is a former presidential adviser who served during the administrations of Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton. He is currently a senior political analyst for CNN and a professor of public service and the founding director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Fels Institute of Government students welcomed Karen Richardson, president of KRB Strategies, to the Public Policy in Practice speaker series on Thursday, February 18, 2021. Ms. Richardson served as associate director and senior advisor in the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs in the White House under the Obama Administration. In 2014, she was appointed deputy assistant secretary for the US Department of State where she worked on The Paris Agreement on climate change.

"Why there's hope Joe Biden's quest to unify America will work"

Our research underscores the importance of genuinely listening to one another. So often, we only partially hear what others are truly saying.

By Matthew Levendusky and Dominik Stecula

American democracy is seemingly stretched to the breaking point. Even setting aside the rancor in Washington, D.C., ordinary voters do not just disagree on the issues, they deeply dislike and distrust those from the opposing political party.

Fels’ Public Policy in Practice speaker series started the fall 2020 semester by welcoming Paul Monteiro, Chief of Staff and Assistant Vice President of External Affairs at Howard University. Monteiro previously worked at the White House as an associate director of the Office of Public Engagement and coordinator of the White House Mentorship Program. He also served as the national director of AmeriCorps VISTA and is currently a member of Biden-Harris transition team working with the Department of Education and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Congratulations to Fels Professor Lauren Russell and Chuxuan Sun on their recently published research paper, The Effect of Mandatory Child Care Center Closures on Women's Labor Market Outcomes During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Full paper can be read here (PDF) >