Research in Public Policy Leadership
Find out more about the Department of Public Policy Leadership's faculty research specializations.
A Top Research University
The University of Mississippi is designated as a R-1 Highest Research Activity University by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. We are in an elite group of 2.5% of universities nationwide for world class research faculty, spending on research, and production of graduate students.
The Department of Public Policy Leadership has faculty and students working in diverse areas of the field of public policy leadership. Here are examples of our faculty expertise:
New Book Release!
Dr. Vereb’s book, The Green Kant and Environmental Philosophy, now under contract with Cambridge University Press, places the philosophy of Immanuel Kant into conversation with pressing environmental issues. To do so, it offers a close analysis of Kant’s ethical, legal, political, and aesthetic texts, situated against the backdrop of debates among pro-Kant and anti-Kant experts, environmental ethicists, and political theorists.
In exploring the relevance of Kant’s philosophy for our environmental crisis, Vereb argues that a “green” Kant offers new perspectives on global and long-term sustainability. These perspectives provoke deep questions regarding the value of biodiversity and future generations, the meaning of humanity in the Anthropocene, and the role of technology today.
Geopolitical Perspectives from the Italian Border
This book by History Professor Christian Sellar presents the work of Gianfranco Battisti, on Geopolitics and Border Geographies in north-eastern Italy, Europeanization, and Globalization, contributing to debates on the inclusion of non-English speaking scholars in international geography. It highlights the institutions and cultures that shaped more than fifty years of his writing, as they emerged through his biography, theoretical contributions, and methods. Battisti uses historical geographies as tools to explain contemporary geopolitics while maintaining a high attentiveness to data-driven research. He applies these tools to investigate ‘geographical facts’ at the local, regional and global scale, viewed from the distinctive viewpoint of the city of Trieste, a laboratory of geopolitical change for more than two centuries.
The Overweighted Integrity Problem: Conscience, Complicity, and Moral Standing
Even if someone is guilty of wrongdoing, not just anyone is entitled to blame them. For instance, if someone is themselves involved in that wrongdoing and therefore complicit, or if the wrongdoing is none of one’s business and therefore meddlesome, or if someone is guilty of similar wrongdoing and therefore hypocritical, it seems reasonable to reply to their blame, “Who are you to blame me for that?" Philosophers typically refer to this entitlement to blame as moral standing to blame, and we see claims that blamers lack moral standing in our interpersonal social interactions, in arguments among political leaders, and even in international relations, as when other countries dismiss the United States’ condemnation of human rights abuses as hypocritical. Yet it is philosophically contentious why (if at all) hypocrisy, complicity, or meddlesomeness might undermine someone’s right to blame others, especially if the wrongdoer is blameworthy. This book will offer explanations for these questions and explore the implications for how we hold each other responsible in everyday interactions, in the workplace, and in the political realm.
A Valorization of Cultural Heritage Sites in Caserta, Italy
Clark Etzel conducted fieldwork, consisting of interviews and participatory observations with stakeholders in the preservation and dissemination of knowledge about cultural heritage, in Caserta and its surroundings, Italy, in May-June 2023. His findings resulted in a series of policy recommendations to better promote cultural heritage tourism. Moreover, his research contributed to strengthening the relationship between the University of Mississippi and University Vanvitelli in Italy, resulting in a formal agreement between the two universities to exchange faculty and students, as well as a study abroad program for PPL students in Italy in June 2024, which the recently graduated Clark led.
Clark Etzel
Public Policy Leadership '24
Undergraduate Student Research
Your Money Or Your Life: A Study Of Medical Debt in The Southeastern United States
Medical debt often cripples those who received healthcare services, but are unable to pay the bill. The primary objective of this study is to better understand medical debt in America, with a concentration on the Southern U.S states. This research intends to shed light on the intricacies of healthcare affordability and access. The study examines the detriments of the current medical debt issue and ways to solve this complex problem.
We Get To Live Here?: Housing Insecurity and Assistance Availability in Oxford, MS
As Oxford continues to thrive as a university town and tourist destination, the rates of housing insecurity are rising for full-time residents in the community. This study seeks to determine the factors contributing to housing insecurity in Oxford, how this affects residents, and if the current resources are accessible and proportionate to the levels of need within the community.
Moral Arguments for Water Justice and The Jackson Water Crisis
Across the United States, residents of towns and cities find themselves increasingly concerned with their water supply. This study looks at the case study from Jackson, Mississippi, as well as cases in Baltimore, Maryland, Flint, Michigan, and Newark, New Jersey, finding that across these cities, there exist patterns of environmental racism and divestment in public resources
The Efficacy of Leadership Training: A Case Study of the Sullivan Foundation's INSPIRED Leadership Workshop
Although a variety of different leadership training methods have been implemented over the last few decades, the efficacy of these training methods are still in question. This thesis serves to examine the efficacy of leadership training programs by examining a leadership workshop, conducted by the Sullivan Foundation on two separate occasions, in order to understand if leadership training improves one’s leadership ability.
The Importance of Informal and Formal Spaces in the Development of Policy in Washington D.C.: How Actors in Policy Interact to Create Legislation
Drawing on data from a series of interviews with policy actors, as well as literature on the significance of spaces in policy development, this thesis investigates the relationships between formal and informal spaces in policymaking and their roles in creating laws, and highlights how spaces can have an outsized impact on the legislative process.
Hungry for Student Food Security: A Comparative Analysis of University Food Pantry Policies
The increasing rates of nontraditional students entering public universities correlate to an increasing population of students facing food insecurity, placing strain on institutional interventions, especially university food pantries. This thesis aims to explore the relationship between public institutions of higher education and the operational policies of their university food pantries.