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Filip Hrůza speaks with Troy Mix, Associate Director of the University of Delaware's Institute for Public Administration (IPA), about the thirteen-year partnership between their institutions, the adaptation of the "Delaware Model" of public service education (https://www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/biden-school/) to the Czech context, and the creation of "MuniLab" to engage students with practice. They also discuss the unique characteristics of Brno and the South Moravian region and the vital role universities play as a bridge between academic research and public administration practice. Filip Hrůza is the Director of the Institute for Public Administration and a member of the Department of Public Economics at the Faculty of Economics and Administration at Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic (https://www.econ.muni.cz/en). He focuses on connecting academic theory with public sector practice through initiatives like organizing conferences on inter-municipal cooperation and MuniLab, which engages students with public administration practitioners. He has worked for over a decade to adapt the University of Delaware's Legislative Fellows program and other public service models to strengthen local governance and public administration education in the Czech Republic. This episode was recorded on November 24, 2025, for First State Insights, a podcast presented by the Institute for Public Administration (IPA). For more First State Insights episodes, visit https://soundcloud.com/first-state-insights or search for "First State Insights" wherever you listen to podcasts. IPA is a research and public service center within the University of Delaware's Biden School of Public Policy & Administration. For more on IPA, visit https://www.bidenschool.udel.edu/ipa. Opening and closing music: "I Dunno" by Grapes, used under Creative Commons 3.0 License.

Professors Calin Hintea and Maria Aristigueta speak with Troy Mix, Associate Director of the University of Delaware's Institute for Public Administration (IPA), about challenges facing democracy in Central and Eastern Europe and the United States, the importance and evolution of relationships among countries in this region and the U.S., and potential roles for engaged universities and public administration programs to strengthen these relationships while bolstering democracy. Professor Hintea is the Dean of the College of Political, Administrative, and Communication Sciences at Babes Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania (https://www.ubbcluj.ro/en/facultati/stiinte_politice_administrative_si_ale_comunicarii). He teaches strategy and management courses and has extensive experience working with public and private organizations on strategy development topics. He is the chair of the Accreditation Committee of the European Association for Public Administration Accreditation, senior editor of the Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences, and former president of The Network of Institutes and Schools of Public Administration in Central and Eastern Europe (https://www.nispa.org/). Maria Aristigueta, Emerita, was the Founding Dean of the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration and Charles P. Messick Chair of Public Administration at the University of Delaware. She was a Fulbright Scholar at Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj, Romania and at the University of Salerno, Italy. She is a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) and a past-president of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), and a past-member of the Executive Council of Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA). To learn more about the interplay of universities, communities, and democracy, review articles from a 2024 special issue of the Transylvanian Review of Administrative Sciences (https://doi.org/10.24193/tras.SI2024). This episode was recorded on February 26, 2025, for First State Insights, a podcast presented by the Institute for Public Administration (IPA). For more First State Insights episodes, visit https://soundcloud.com/first-state-insights or search for "First State Insights" wherever you listen to podcasts. IPA is a research and public service center within the University of Delaware's Biden School of Public Policy & Administration. For more on IPA, visit https://www.bidenschool.udel.edu/ipa. Opening and closing music: "I Dunno" by Grapes, used under Creative Commons 3.0 License.

Talla Cissé and Dr. Saloum Cissé, co-founders of the Foundation for a Healthier Senegal (FOHSEN), speak with Troy Mix, Associate Director of the University of Delaware's Institute for Public Administration (IPA), about their efforts to enhance maternal and child health outcomes in rural Senegal through local health initiatives and fundraising. This interview covers their motives for founding FOHSEN, the challenges they’ve faced as a father-son team, and their hopes for the future of FOHSEN and improved health in rural Senegal. Talla Cissé is a mixed-methods researcher focused on ending inequities in communities across West and Central Africa. He holds a master’s in International Policy from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and a Master’s of Public Administration from the University of Delaware’s Biden School of Public Policy and Administration. Dr. Cissé is a family physician who completed residencies in family medicine and preventive medicine at the Morehouse School of Medicine. He also earned a Master of Public Health from the Morehouse School at Emory University. To track their work through the Foundation for a Healthier Senegal, visit FOHSEN’s website (https://fohsen.org/) and follow them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/FoundationForHealthierSenegal/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fohsen_/), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/healthiersenegal/), and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7pOnkPqrC_Oh4O6vWkcg9g). This episode was recorded on July 10, 2024, for First State Insights, a podcast presented by the Institute for Public Administration (IPA). For more First State Insights episodes, visit https://soundcloud.com/first-state-insights or search for "First State Insights" wherever you listen to podcasts. IPA is a research and public service center within the University of Delaware's Biden School of Public Policy & Administration. For more on IPA, visit https://www.bidenschool.udel.edu/ipa. Opening and closing music: "I Dunno" by Grapes, used under Creative Commons 3.0 License.

Tom DeWire, Founder and Principal Consultant of EdScale, speaks with Troy Mix, Associate Director of the University of Delaware's Institute for Public Administration (IPA), about his 2023 book, "How To Implement (just about) Anything: Lessons from 25 years in public education." This interview covers Tom's perspectives on the importance of and challenges associated with implementation, along with his lessons for driving and sustaining change in complex systems. Through his work at EdScale, LLC (https://edscalellc.com/), Tom helps educators get better results through a relentless focus on implementation. Tom earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Delaware's Biden School of Public Policy and Administration. Before founding EdScale in 2016, Tom worked on systems change efforts in Baltimore City Public Schools and led consulting engagements at the U.S. Education Delivery Institute. Tom is the author of "How To Implement (just about) Anything: Lessons from 25 years in public education," which is available for purchase on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/How-Implement-just-about-Anything/dp/B0CKLW6C14). To complete the implementation health quiz referenced in the book and this episode, visit https://edscale.scoreapp.com/. This episode was recorded on January 23, 2024, for First State Insights, a podcast presented by the Institute for Public Administration (IPA). For more First State Insights episodes, visit https://soundcloud.com/first-state-insights or search for "First State Insights" wherever you listen to podcasts. IPA is a research and public service center within the University of Delaware's Biden School of Public Policy & Administration. For more on IPA, visit https://www.bidenschool.udel.edu/ipa. Opening and closing music: "I Dunno" by Grapes, used under Creative Commons 3.0 License.

Alison Cusack, Founder and Principal Lawyer of Cusack & Co, speaks with Troy Mix, Associate Director of the University of Delaware's Institute for Public Administration (IPA), about everything from maritime law and how she started in the industry to her new book, A Short History of Maritime, and her firm's digital comic book series, Container Jack, which mixes a dose of entertainment with education about the shipping industry. Alison Cusack is the Founder and Principal Lawyer of Cusack & Co Pty Ltd (https://www.cusackandco.com.au/), an innovative and forward-thinking maritime law firm based in Melbourne, Australia. In addition to her career as a maritime lawyer, Alison is the immediate past President of the Australian chapter of the Women's International Shipping & Trading Association. She was recently ranked #58 on AllAboutShipping's Top 100 Women in Shipping List for 2023. She's a former Lecturer at Victoria University and the mastermind behind Propel Forward, a shipping 101 course she runs through Cusack & Co Academy. In 2023, Alison authored A Short History of Maritime: A cheat's guide for landlubbers and the landlocked, which is available for purchase on Amazon ( https://www.amazon.com/Short-History-Maritime-landlubbers-landlocked-ebook/dp/B0CK4NWY2M). Connect with Alison and Cusack & Co via LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-cusack/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/cusack_and_co/), and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@theshippinglawyer). This episode was recorded on November 7, 2023, as a special #FreightFriday edition of First State Insights made possible by the Delmarva Freight Working Group—an ongoing transportation planning and economic development partnership coordinated by IPA, the Delaware Department of Transportation, and Delaware's three Metropolitan Planning Organizations: the Dover/Kent County MPO, the Salisbury/Wicomico MPO, and WILMAPCO. To learn more about the Delmarva Freight Working Group, visit http://www.wilmapco.org/goodsmovement/. For more First State Insights episodes, visit https://soundcloud.com/first-state-insights or search for "First State Insights" wherever you listen to podcasts. IPA is a research and public service center within the University of Delaware's Biden School of Public Policy & Administration. For more on IPA, visit https://www.bidenschool.udel.edu/ipa. Opening and closing music: "I Dunno" by Grapes, used under Creative Commons 3.0 License.

James Pethokoukis, senior fellow and DeWitt Wallace Chair at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), speaks with Troy Mix, associate director at the University of Delaware's Institute for Public Administration, about his 2023 book, The Conservative Futurist: How to Create the Sci-Fi World We Were Promised (https://www.aei.org/research-products/book/the-conservative-futurist/). In this book, Mr. Pethokoukis advocates for embracing an “upwing” mindset to public policy that spurs innovation while ensuring economic security and broad quality of life improvements. This interview explores the importance of technological progress, the perils of downwing thinking, and the possibilities for public policy reform to chart a more upwing future. As a Senior Fellow at AEI (https://www.aei.org/), Mr. Pethokoukis analyzes US economic policy, writes and edits the AEIdeas blog (https://www.aei.org/aeideas/), and hosts AEI’s Political Economy podcast (https://www.aei.org/tag/political-economy-podcast/). He is also a contributor to CNBC and writes the Faster, Please! ( https://fasterplease.substack.com/) newsletter on Substack. This episode was recorded on November 6, 2023, for First State Insights, a podcast presented by the Institute for Public Administration (IPA). For more First State Insights episodes, visit https://soundcloud.com/first-state-insights or search for "First State Insights" wherever you listen to podcasts. IPA is a research and public service center within the University of Delaware's Biden School of Public Policy & Administration. For more on IPA, visit https://www.bidenschool.udel.edu/ipa. Opening and closing music: "I Dunno" by Grapes, used under Creative Commons 3.0 License.

Doug Motley, Managing Principal at Jack Lingo Asset Management and current Vice Chair of the State of Delaware's Council on Housing, speaks with Sean O'Neill, Policy Scientist at the University of Delaware's Institute for Public Administration, about developing housing in Delaware. Topics covered during this interview include Doug's background, the development work he has been involved with over the past two decades, and some of the recent changes he has observed in the housing industry. Visit https://www.jlamre.com/ for more about Jack Lingo Asset Management. To learn more about the Council on Housing, visit http://www.destatehousing.com/DirectorsOffice/council.php. This episode was recorded on September 19, 2023, for First State Insights, a podcast presented by the Institute for Public Administration (IPA). For more First State Insights episodes, visit https://soundcloud.com/first-state-insights/ or search for "First State Insights" wherever you listen to podcasts. IPA is a research and public service center within the University of Delaware's Biden School of Public Policy & Administration. For more on IPA, visit www.bidenschool.udel.edu/ipa. Opening and closing music: "I Dunno" by Grapes, used under Creative Commons 3.0 License.

Scott Schuster, Delaware's Farm to School Coordinator, speaks with Julia O’Hanlon, policy scientist at the University of Delaware's Institute for Public Administration, about his role in supporting community access to local foods and Delaware's agricultural providers. Topics covered during this interview include Delaware's Farm to School program and the Farm to Community pilot program, the role of the Delaware Council on Farm and Food Policy, and the health, quality of life, and economic benefits associated with local food procurement partnerships. This episode was recorded on September 12, 2023, for First State Insights, a podcast presented by the Institute for Public Administration (IPA). For more First State Insights episodes, visit https://soundcloud.com/first-state-insights or search for "First State Insights" wherever you listen to podcasts. IPA is a research and public service center within the University of Delaware's Biden School of Public Policy & Administration. For more on IPA, visit www.bidenschool.udel.edu/ipa. Opening and closing music: "I Dunno" by Grapes, used under Creative Commons 3.0 License.

Ed O'Donnell, Senior Fellow at the University of Delaware's Institute for Public Administration (IPA), joins his IPA colleague Julia O'Hanlon to share insights on changes to Delaware's landscapes and demographics observed over a decades-long career focused on land use and infrastructure issues. As a retired, part-time staff member with IPA, Ed offers his perspectives on what makes Delaware an attractive place to live, work, play, and age. This interview covers Ed's professional background and his reflections on Delaware's demographic and development trends, with a focus on the connections between land use planning and aging in place. This episode was recorded on June 5, 2023, for First State Insights, a podcast presented by the Institute for Public Administration (IPA). For more First State Insights episodes, visit https://soundcloud.com/first-state-insights or search for "First State Insights" wherever you listen to podcasts. IPA is a research and public service center within the University of Delaware's Biden School of Public Policy & Administration. For more on IPA, visit https://www.bidenschool.udel.edu/ipa. Opening and closing music: "I Dunno" by Grapes, used under Creative Commons 3.0 License.

Jonathan Knopf, Executive Director for Programs at Housing Forward Virginia, speaks with Sean O'Neill, Policy Scientist at the University of Delaware's Institute for Public Administration (IPA), about developing and leading affordable housing efforts in Virginia. This conversation covers the motivation for and history behind the founding of Housing Forward Virginia and the steps the organization has taken to address the challenge of promoting and developing affordable housing in Virginia. To learn more about Housing Forward Virginia visit https://housingforwardva.org/. Housing Forward Virginia’s 2022 housing study is available for review at https://housingforwardva.org/focused-initiatives/hb854-statewide-housing-study/. To review the FrameWorks Institute’s work on framing conversations about affordable housing, visit https://www.frameworksinstitute.org/issues/housing/. This episode was recorded on March 29, 2023, for First State Insights, a podcast presented by the Institute for Public Administration (IPA). For more First State Insights episodes, visit https://soundcloud.com/first-state-insights or search for "First State Insights" wherever you listen to podcasts. IPA is a research and public service center within the University of Delaware's Biden School of Public Policy & Administration. For more on IPA, visit https://www.bidenschool.udel.edu/ipa. Opening and closing music: "I Dunno" by Grapes, used under Creative Commons 3.0 License.

Archie Campbell, Mayor of the City of Milford, Delaware, speaks with Julia O’Hanlon, policy scientist at the University of Delaware's Institute for Public Administration, about the challenges and opportunities that led to his Delaware residency, a public service calling, and plans to retire in Milford. This interview covers Mayor Campbell’s personal and professional background and his perspectives on Milford’s changing population. This episode was recorded on May 12, 2023, for First State Insights, a podcast presented by the Institute for Public Administration (IPA). For more First State Insights episodes, visit https://soundcloud.com/first-state-insights or search for "First State Insights" wherever you listen to podcasts. IPA is a research and public service center within the University of Delaware's Biden School of Public Policy & Administration. For more on IPA, visit https://www.bidenschool.udel.edu/ipa. Opening and closing music: "I Dunno" by Grapes, used under Creative Commons 3.0 License.

Andy Molanes, founder and CEO of Argentek, LLC, speaks with Troy Mix, Associate Director of the University of Delaware's Institute for Public Administration (IPA), about his journey as an entrepreneur, including the challenges and rewards of operating an export business, the small business support services Argentek has benefited from, and the positive impacts Andy and Argentek have made and hope to make in Delaware. Founded in 2010, Argentek is a consumer electronics wholesaler that exports from its base in Wilmington, Delaware, to over 70 countries worldwide. In May 2023, the U.S. Small Business Administration recognized Argentek as Delaware’s Exporter of the Year. To learn more about Andy and Argentek, visit https://argentek.org/. This episode was recorded on May 26, 2023, as a special #FreightFriday edition of First State Insights made possible by the Delmarva Freight Working Group—an ongoing transportation planning and economic development partnership coordinated by IPA, the Delaware Department of Transportation, and Delaware's three Metropolitan Planning Organizations: the Dover/Kent County MPO, the Salisbury/Wicomico MPO, and WILMAPCO. To learn more about the Delmarva Freight Working Group, visit http://www.wilmapco.org/goodsmovement/. For more First State Insights episodes, visit https://soundcloud.com/first-state-insights or search for "First State Insights" wherever you listen to podcasts. IPA is a research and public service center within the University of Delaware's Biden School of Public Policy & Administration. For more on IPA, visit https://www.bidenschool.udel.edu/ipa. Opening and closing music: "I Dunno" by Grapes, used under Creative Commons 3.0 License.

Allison Taylor Levine, president and founder of the Local Journalism Initiative of Delaware and vice president for marketing and communications at the Delaware Community Foundation, speaks with Troy Mix, associate director at the University of Delaware's Institute for Public Administration, about the importance of local news and information for our communities and efforts Allison is orchestrating to reinvigorate local journalism in Delaware. This interview covers the state of local journalism in Delaware, the types of local news and information that Delawareans need, and current programs and plans for the Local Journalism Initiative of Delaware. Allison is passionate about democracy, journalism, and community – especially in Delaware. After starting her career as a reporter at several newspapers, including The News Journal, Allison has spent the past 20 years in various communications and community leadership roles in Delaware. In 2021, Allison founded the Local Journalism Initiative of Delaware (https://ljidelaware.org/). LJI currently operates an internship program to deepen the pipeline of local reporters from historically underrepresented communities; leads the Delaware Journalism Collaborative; and is working to launch Spotlight Delaware, a new collaborative nonprofit newsroom to empower Delawareans with information about the impact of public policy issues and strengthen our overall news and information ecosystem. This episode was recorded on March 20, 2023, for First State Insights, a podcast presented by the Institute for Public Administration (IPA). For more First State Insights episodes, visit https://soundcloud.com/first-state-insights or search for "First State Insights" wherever you listen to podcasts. IPA is a research and public service center within the University of Delaware's Biden School of Public Policy & Administration. For more on IPA, visit https://www.bidenschool.udel.edu/ipa. Opening and closing music: "I Dunno" by Grapes, used under Creative Commons 3.0 License.

Tim Shaffer, Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Chair of Civil Discourse at the University of Delaware’s Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration, speaks with Troy Mix, associate director at the University of Delaware’s Institute for Public Administration, about the history, dimensions, and future of engaged universities in the United States. Topics covered in this interview include the development of the land-grant university system in the United States; the need for universities to foster democratic citizenship; and the efforts Tim and colleagues at the Biden School are leading to make students engaged and effective citizens. In March 2022, Dr. Shaffer was named the inaugural SNF Chair of Civil Discourse for the SNF Ithaca Initiative at the University of Delaware’s Biden School. In leading the Biden School’s SNF Ithaca Initiative (https://www.bidenschool.udel.edu/research-public-service/stavros-niarchos-foundation-ithaca-initiative), Shaffer guides the delivery of the SNF Ithaca Initiative’s academic curricula and experiential learning programs. Established in the fall of 2021 with a generous grant from SNF, the Biden School’s SNF Ithaca Initiative seeks to increase the quality and quantity of civil discourse and civic engagement by instilling core democratic values on UD’s campus and beyond. Shaffer is also director of Civic Engagement and Deliberative Democracy with the National Institute for Civil Discourse at the University of Arizona. As an interdisciplinary scholar and practitioner of civil discourse, deliberative democracy, and civic engagement, Shaffer focuses on the role of civic professionals in institutional settings such as government, higher education, and non-governmental organizations ((https://www.bidenschool.udel.edu/people/tshaffer). This episode was recorded on January 25, 2023, for First State Insights, a podcast presented by the Institute for Public Administration (IPA). For more First State Insights episodes, visit https://soundcloud.com/first-state-insights or search for “First State Insights” wherever you listen to podcasts. IPA is a research and public service center within the University of Delaware’s Biden School of Public Policy & Administration. For more on IPA, visit https://www.bidenschool.udel.edu/ipa. Opening and closing music: "I Dunno" by Grapes, used under Creative Commons 3.0 License.

Dan Shortridge, the author of DIY Public Relations, speaks with Troy Mix, Associate Director at the University of Delaware's Institute for Public Administration, about how communications professionals and organizations should tell their stories and generate publicity for their work. Dan Shortridge is a communications and marketing consultant and author with more than 20 years of experience in local public relations and daily journalism. He's led communications for state and local government agencies and helped support small businesses and nonprofits. Before moving into public service, he worked for 11 years as a reporter, editor, and designer at newspapers in Delaware, Maryland, and Ohio. In addition to authoring DIY Public Relations, he's the co-author of three local-interest books about Delaware and Delmarva. To learn more about Dan and his work, visit http://danshortridge.com/. This episode was recorded on October 6, 2022 for First State Insights, a podcast presented by the Institute for Public Administration (IPA). For more First State Insights episodes, visit https://soundcloud.com/first-state-insights or search for "First State Insights" wherever you listen to podcasts. IPA is a research and public service center within the University of Delaware's Biden School of Public Policy & Administration. For more on IPA, visit https://www.bidenschool.udel.edu/ipa. Opening and closing music: "I Dunno" by Grapes, used under Creative Commons 3.0 License.