August 26, 2011

Institute speakers will explore variety of topics

by Pete Rosenbery

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Women in politics, higher education policy issues, and continuing concerns with Illinois’ fiscal situation highlight the fall schedule for Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute.

Speakers this fall include Christine Todd Whitman, former New Jersey governor and former Environmental Protection Agency administrator; John P. Andrews, an SIUC alumnus and director of counterintelligence for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; and Dan Long, executive director of the Illinois Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability.

One of the Institute’s emphases this fall is bringing in a series of guests who will talk about helping women pursue political careers, said David Yepsen, Institute director.  The lectures will focus on challenges women face, how to overcome the challenges, and other topics that range from dealing with the media and networking to raising money for political campaigns.

“The numbers of women serving in public office is still lower than it should be.  Even with all the gains that have been made, there are still impediments to women getting elected,” Yepsen said.

The fall series also includes five of the Institute’s popular “Pizza and Politics” series, where leading political figures, educators, journalists, government officials and others discuss their careers with students and the community.  Speakers include Andrews; Illinois Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon, a former assistant clinical professor at the SIU School of Law; Stephen Katsinas, an SIUC alumnus and director of the Education Policy Center and professor of higher education at the University of Alabama; former WSIL-TV news anchor and political reporter Dana Jay; and David Yepsen, Institute director.

The events are free and Institute officials encourage SIUC students and the general public to take advantage of these opportunities.

For each of the “Pizza and Politics” sessions, contact Institute project coordinator Christina Rich at 618/453-4078 or by email at clrich@siu.edu.

The current schedule is:

  • Tuesday, Sept. 13 -- 7 p.m., Student Center Ballroom D.  Christine Todd Whitman, former governor of New Jersey and former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.  Her appearance is part of the Morton-Kenney Pubic Affairs Lecture Series, sponsored by the Institute and the Department of Political Science.

  • Monday, Sept. 19 -- 11:30 a.m., Institute lobby.  John P. Andrews, director of counterintelligence for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  Andrews will discuss his experiences in the intelligence community as part of the Institute’s “Pizza and Politics” program.

  • Monday, Sept. 19 -- 5 p.m., Institute lobby.  Sheila Simon, Illinois lieutenant governor, and former assistant clinical professor at the SIU School of Law.  Simon will be part of a “Pizza and Politics” session focused on challenges facing Women in Politics.

  • Wednesday, Sept. 21 -- 5:30 p.m., Institute lobby. Stephen Katsinas, visiting professor, Paul Simon Public Policy Institute.  Katsinas is also director of the Education Policy Center and professor of higher education at the University of Alabama.  He will cover access to and funding of higher education in Illinois as part of the Institute’s “Pizza and Politics” session.

  • Thursday, Sept. 29 -- 5 p.m., Institute lobby. Terri Bryant, Illinois Republican coalition leader and vice chair, Jackson County Republican Central Committee.  Bryant will present “Why Women Should Think about Running for Office,” as part of the Women in Politics series during a “Pizza and Politics” session.

  • Monday, Oct. 3 -- 11:30 a.m., Institute lobby.  Dana Jay, former WSIL-TV news anchor and political reporter.  Jay will present as part of the Institute’s Women in Politics series, providing insider’s tips on dealing with the media.  It is one of the Institute’s “Pizza and Politics” sessions.

  • Tuesday, Oct. 4 -- 11:30 a.m., Student Center Ballroom B.  Stephen Katsinas will present “Delyte W. Morris -- An Educational Visionary.”

  • Thursday, Oct. 13 -- 11:30 a.m., Student Center Ballroom B.  Dan Long, executive director, Illinois Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability. Long will address Illinois’ short-term and long-term fiscal outlook.  His appearance is part of the John White Lecture Series.  White, who passed away in July, was a member of the Institute’s board of counselors, a major benefactor to the Institute and a close friend to Institute founder, the late U.S. Sen. Paul Simon.  RSVP required to participate in the lunch portion of the event.

  • Wednesday, Oct. 26 -- 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Student Center Ballroom D.  Civics Education Conference, featuring Gery Chico, chairman, Illinois State Board of Education; Shawn Healy, resident scholar and director of professional development, Robert R. McCormick Foundation Civics Program; and Jill Bass, director of curriculum and teacher development, Mikva Challenge Program.  RSVP required.

  •  Thursday, Nov. 3 -- 10 a.m., Student Center Ballroom B.  Stephen Katsinas will present his in-depth research on “The Future of Rural Community Colleges.” RSVP required to participate in the lunch portion of the event.

  • Monday, Nov. 14 -- 5 p.m., Institute lobby.  “What the Survey Says: A Briefing on the 2011 Statewide Polling.”  Institute polling director Charlie Leonard, visiting professor John Jackson and Institute director David Yepsen will provide in-depth an analysis of the Institute’s fourth annual statewide poll of Illinois registered voters.

  • Monday, Dec. 1 -- 5 p.m., Institute lobby.  David Yepsen, Institute director. Yepsen will provide a briefing about the upcoming Iowa Caucuses as part of the Institute’s “Pizza and Politics” program.

Here is a closer look at the Institute’s events this semester.

Whitman’s appearance on Sept. 13 will kick off the Institute’s “Women in Politics” series.  Whitman was the first female governor in New Jersey history, serving from 1994 to 2001.  She was a member of President George W. Bush’s cabinet, serving as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency from January 2001 to June 2003.  Whitman will discuss her political career in additional to environmental issues the nation faces, Yepsen said.

Whitman, a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow, is president of The Whitman Strategy Group, an energy and environmental-based consulting firm.  She is also author of the 2005 New York Times’ best-seller, “It’s My Party Too,” which looked at the future of the Republican Party.  Whitman’s appearance is being funded by proceeds from the Morton-Kenney Public Affairs Lecture Series endowment.

On Sept. 19, Andrews will discuss his nearly 25-year federal government career during the Institute’s initial “Pizza and Politics” for the semester. 

Andrews came to his current post in August 2010, and is responsible for providing direction and guidance to the Department of Homeland Security’s counterintelligence effort.  Prior to that, he was on the staff of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and has extensive experience in counterintelligence, national defense, law enforcement, and international security.  A former intelligence officer with the U.S. Department of Defense, Andrews began his career in 1987 as a special agent with the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Bureau.

Andrews earned his bachelor’s degree from SIUC in 1986 in International Studies, and later a master’s degree in political science from Norwich University.  He is also a graduate of the Army Management Staff College and Air War College.

Also on Sept. 19, Simon will discuss her career in politics in another “Women in Politics” installment.  Simon is the daughter of the late Sen. Paul Simon and the late Jeanne Simon. In November 2010, she became the first female Democrat elected Illinois lieutenant governor, a position also once held by her father. Simon began her work at the law school in November 1998 as a staff attorney in the clinical law program, directing the domestic violence clinic.  She taught in the SIU law school’s lawyering skills program from 2000 to 2010.  Simon also served on the Carbondale City Council.

Katsinas’ appearance on Sept. 21 will focus on access and funding issues in public higher education, with an emphasis on Illinois.  A two-degree SIUC graduate, Katsinas is spending the fall at the Institute where he is serving as a guest speaker and lecturer across campus.  He is on sabbatical from the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa and is volunteering his time at the Institute this semester.  Katsinas earned a master’s degree in history in 1981, and a doctorate in higher education in 1986, both from SIUC.  He has been director of the Educational Policy Center and professor of Higher Education Administration, both at the University of Alabama, since 2005. 

On Sept. 29, Bryant will focus on why women should consider running for office during her presentation.  Bryant, the vice chair of the Jackson County Republican Central Committee, will share lessons she has learned while running for a Jackson County Board seat.  She is also the Illinois Republican Coalition leader.

On Oct. 3, Jay returns to Southern Illinois to discuss tips for dealing with the media and how to best prepare for on-camera television interviews.  She is a reporter for WSYX ABC6 and WTTE FOX 28 in Columbus, Ohio.  She was an anchor and reporter at WSIL, the ABC affiliate for Southern Illinois, from November 2008 until earlier this summer.  She earned a master’s degree in journalism while studying public affairs reporting at Columbia College in Chicago.

The luncheon prior to Katsinas’ lecture on Oct. 4 is free and open to the public but registration is required and space is limited.  The lunch is being provided by proceeds from the Institute’s endowment.  Katsinas will present a reflective presentation on the legacy and impact of former SIU President Delyte W. Morris. Katsinas relies upon Morris’ 22-year tenure as University president in teaching students about creating and fulfilling a vision for higher education institutions.  Morris died in April 1982.  The SIUC president from 1948 to 1970, Morris is largely credited with transforming SIU from a small teachers college into a modern university.  Open seating will be available for those who wish to only listen to the speech and not be included in the meal. Contact Christina Rich at 618/453-4078 or by email at clrich@siu.edu to register.

On Oct. 13, Long will look at the current fiscal issues that face Illinois.  As executive director of the Illinois Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, Long provides members of the Illinois General Assembly with non-partisan reports on economic conditions, outlooks, taxes and revenues, government operations, public pension systems, employee group insurance programs and state debt, along with other topics. A free luncheon will be available to those who pre-register, and open seating will also be available for those who wish to only listen to the speech and not be included in the meal.  The lunch is provided by funds from the John White Lecture Series endowment.  Contact Christina Rich at 618/453-4078 or by email at clrich@siu.edu to register.

A daylong symposium on Civics Education is set for Oct. 26, and will feature Gery Chico, chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education; Shawn Healy, resident scholar and director of professional development, Robert R. McCormick Foundation Civics Program; and Jill Bass, director of curriculum of curriculum and teacher development, Mikva Challenge Program.  The program centers on “action civics,” and is for social studies teachers, principals, school board members, superintendents and regional superintendents throughout Southern Illinois.  Teachers and administrators will have the opportunity to learn new and successful strategies for bringing focus to civics education in junior high and high school. Registration information for this free event will be announced at a later date.

In his final public program, Katsinas will look at the future of rural community colleges on Nov. 3.  Katsinas is the lead author of an annual survey of the National Council of State Directors of Community Colleges, and will share his 2011 findings with community college executive officers, board members, teachers, students and others.

On Nov. 14, Institute polling director Charlie Leonard, visiting professor John Jackson, and Yepsen will present the Institute’s fourth annual statewide poll of Illinois registered voters.

On Dec. 1, Yepsen will deliver the final “Pizza and Politics” session for the semester.  A nationally recognized political analyst and the chief political reporter for the Des Moines Register prior to his appointment as Institute director in April 2009, Yepsen will look at the upcoming Iowa caucuses and provide an inside guide to the event.  Yepsen covered every Iowa presidential caucus campaign since 1976.

The Institute will also conduct its annual fall poll of registered voters in Illinois.  The poll also serves as a “teaching tool,” and offers an opportunity for graduate students to submit questions, participate in drafting the poll, and then use the results for their dissertations and research papers, Yepsen said.  He anticipates results of the fall poll will be available in November.  The poll is paid for by non-state funds.

Yepsen said his goal with the fall and spring polls is to build an “excellent database of information” on public opinion in the state and in Southern Illinois.

For more information on any of these programs, contact the Institute at 618/453-4009 or visit paulsimoninstitute.org/.