Rockefeller College Series Gets You Up to Speed on Election Issues

Rockefeller Election Series

Policy issues, constitution trivia and an election watch gathering are all part of the virtual and interactive discussion series.

ALBANY, N.Y. (Oct. 6, 2020) — The presidential election is in four weeks. Friday is the last day to register to vote in New York State. But there’s still time to learn more about this election and its policy implications, in the United States and in the world.

UAlbany’s Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy, in partnership with UAlbany Votes, is hosting a series of online, interactive discussions on a wide range of topics impacting the election.

“Your Vote Rocks: Rockefeller Election Series” includes pre-election discussions on social justice, the environment, international relations and the media, among other topics. On election day, there will be a watch party beginning at 7:30 p.m. Then, after the election there will be two more panel discussions, analyzing the results.

All the sessions, held via Zoom, will be led by faculty and alumni experts. You can participate in any or all of the Rockefeller sessions by registering in advance; Zoom links will be sent via email to registrants. For the two UAlbany Votes events (Oct. 23 and 29), see the registration links in the descriptions below.

Upcoming sessions

Wednesday, Oct. 7, noon
Demystifying Presidential Campaigns: True Stories from Former Campaign Staffers

  • Jasmine Clemons, MPA ’16, senior policy manager, office of Baltimore County Executive Johnny Oslewski
  • Joseph N. Garba ’02, MPA ’05, secretary to the Speaker for Intergovernmental Affairs, New York State Assembly
  • Peter Ragone ’93, president, PWR, LLC
  • Moderator: Matthew Kirk, fourth-year political science PhD student, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy

Thursday, Oct. 8, 6 p.m.
Ensuring All Voices are Heard: Social Justice and the 2020 Election

  • Jose Cruz, professor, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy
  • Shelia Healy, MSW ’99, government relations consultant, Public Strategies LLC
  • Jellisa Joseph, BA ’11, associate counsel at New York State Senate Democratic Conference & adjunct professor, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy
  • Stephan Stohler, associate professor, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy
  • Moderator: Matthew Kirk, fourth-year political science PhD student, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy

Wednesday, Oct. 14, noon
Shaping the Narrative: Media and the 2020 Election

  • Bruce Gyory, government and regulatory senior sdvisor, Manatt and instructor, Department of Political Science
  • Joey Jackson, MPA ’92, legalaAnalyst, CNN
  • Libby Post, MA ’84, adjunct professor, University at Albany
  • Moderator: Matthew Kirk, fourth-year political science PhD student, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy

Monday, Oct. 19, noon
The U.S. and the World: International Relations and Foreign Policy in the 2020 Election

  • Catherine Bertini ’71, distinguished fellow, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
  • Ryan Irwin, associate professor, Department of History
  • Niloufer Siddiqui, assistant professor, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy

Wednesday, Oct, 21, noon
The Impact of Environmental Policy on the 2020 Election: The Issues and Platforms

  • Brian Greenhill, associate professor, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy
  • Keith Kinch, general manager and co-founder, BlocPower
  • Mary Ellen Mallia, director, Office for Environmental Sustainability, University at Albany
  • Curt Spalding, MPA ’84, professor of practice, Environment and Society, Brown University
  • Moderator: Matthew Kirk, fourth-year political science PhD student, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy

Friday, Oct. 23, 7 p.m.
Constitution Trivia
Hosted by UAlbany Votes. Connect via Zoom.

Monday, Oct. 26, 12 noon
Health Policy and Politics: COVID-19 and the 2020 Presidential Election

  • Carl Bon Tempo, associate professor, History
  • Ashley Fox, associate professor, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy
  • Julia Hastings, associate professor, School of Public Health
  • Erika Martin, associate professor, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy
  • Moderator: Matthew Kirk, fourth-year political science PhD student, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy

Wednesday, Oct. 28, noon
The Final Countdown: The Major Issues of the 2020 Election and What You (Still) Need to Know
A discussion of battleground states, money, election tactics, voting rights, constitutional structure/electoral college, and/or implications of the election for the federal courts.

  • Michael Malbin, professor, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy
  • Julie Novkov, professor and Collins Fellow, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy
  • Moderator: Matthew Kirk, fourth-year political science PhD student, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy

Thursday, Oct. 29, 4 p.m.
100th Anniversary of 19th Amendment
Hosted by UAlbany Votes. Connect via Zoom.

Tuesday, Nov. 3, 7:30 p.m.
Election Day Watch Party
A discussion of election results as they come in and trivia!

Friday, Nov. 6, noon
Where has the Pandemic Election Finally Brought the Nation?

  • Bruce Miroff, professor and Collins Fellow, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy
  • Moderator: Matthew Kirk, fourth-year political science PhD student, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy

Tuesday, Nov. 10, noon
Unpacking the Results

  • Jose Cruz, professor, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy
  • Michael Malbin, professor, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy
  • Gwen Wright, former executive director, New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence
  • Moderator: Matthew Kirk, fourth-year political science PhD student, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy