We proudly welcome Jessie Harney, assistant professor of public policy and administration, as our newest MPPA faculty. Harney has a background in well-being at the intersection of the public management and justice sectors. With a background in higher-education public policy research and pedagogy, Harney brings a wide range of expertise in the field.
What inspired your interest in public policy and administration?
There was always this push and pull for me between people-centric work and data analysis. When I completed my undergraduate degree in psychology at Truman State University, my goal was to be a clinical psychologist. I loved my coursework, but I also wanted to learn more about quantitative methods, so I minored in statistical methods. When I did not get into clinical psychology PhD programs, I went into biostatistics. Again, I really enjoyed what I was learning, but it felt too far-removed from people, so I started volunteering.
During the biostatistics program I stumbled upon what public policy really was, and it clicked that this was the middle ground that I was looking for. The one constant for me was always focusing on improving the well-being of people around me. In particular, I had an interest in supporting individuals recovering from trauma. It was the volunteering experiences that fundamentally shaped my focus on supporting the well-being of those impacted by the justice system.
What is your favorite class to teach and why?
I love teaching each class for different reasons. For example, one course that I teach is Program Evaluation & Quantitative Methods, which I deeply enjoy (and it’s not just because I get the chance to nerd out about statistics). It’s such an immense privilege to have the opportunity to learn from students about their areas of interest in policy and administration and to be able to be one of the people who can – and has the responsibility to – foster students’ self-efficacy. It’s overwhelming how many of my students have been told explicitly or otherwise that statistics, math, or other quantitative material wasn’t “for them.”
What did you want to be when you were little? When did you know you wanted to work in higher education?
Depends on how little! I think my earliest career aspiration was to become an actor. Then life happened and that changed to teacher, then therapist, until that changed too. During my public policy program, I focused on getting experience teaching and doing research related to justice system reform. When it comes down to it, I was incredibly fortunate to have had some wonderful mentors who played an immense role in helping me foster a sense of self-efficacy. They really cemented the fact that teaching was a feasible career goal, so I take my responsibility of paying it forward for others in this space seriously.
Why is Public Policy and Administration important?
Public Policy and Administration is always important, but especially so now. It would be a really long list if I were to name all the reasons why we are currently at such an important moment for policy and administration. So, I’ll just say understanding the impacts of guaranteeing access to necessities (e.g., sustenance, housing, justice, safety, financial security, health care, etc.), delivering public services equitably and effectively, and eliminating barriers that prevent communities from thriving are at the heart of public policy and administration. If we want to see better outcomes for all, we need to invest in the inherent capacity of people and communities, both inside the government and out.
CSU’s Master of Public Policy and Administration Program in the College of Liberal Arts prepares students to be innovative, visionary leaders with a passion for serving the public good in international organizations, government agencies, and nonprofit industries.
