Testimonials from Past Panelists/Speakers
Upon receiving a description of the panels on which I was to participate, I was stunned. Of the three panels I was sitting on, only one seemed to even remotely relate to the focus of my research and teaching. Uneasy, but willing, I prepared my comments for all three sessions and headed to the conference. Upon arriving, I was comforted, but also concerned, to learn that my trepidation was shared by my other conference participants as well.
I thought, "If everyone felt this way, what sort of panel discussion could we possibly have?" My fears were laid to rest, however, as soon as my first panel began. I discovered that the beauty of this conference is, in fact, the very thing that unnerved me the most. Unlike most other academic conferences, the Public Affairs Conference offers an opportunity for panelists to actually listen to and interact with each other and the audience. I found it refreshing that that both academics and practitioners were asked to serve on panels together. The varied perspectives that panelists shared through their brief remarks allowed a fuller discussion of topics than usually comes from a roomful of academics practicing in the same disciplinary subfield. I was often challenged by my fellow presenters to clarify my thinking or strengthen my arguments. Just as often, I was moved by their remarks, learning a fresh way to look at problems and potential solutions. I hope that prospective panelists will not be scared away by the unfamiliar format. The rewards of participation are worth the uneasiness of the process.
Stacy Ulbig, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Political Science
Sam Houston State University
I am used to academic conferences with 20 minute-long presentations supported by power point. I suffered through most of them because keeping attention focused on someone reading an article for 20 minutes is impossible. The presentations in MSU Public Affairs conference were a very welcome change. Brief presentations delivered from the head or from notes allow for the avoidance of jargon and clarity of a focus; the main points everyone was making were easy to grasp. It is amazing how much content one can deliver in ten minutes, if one is well prepared. I found the conference amazingly rich with diverse content and, most importantly, accessible and enjoyable. Thank you for inviting me.
Elka Kazmierczak
Director, Art for Empowerment Program
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
You thanked me several times for my willingness to come and contribute to your Public Affairs Conference. I feel that I should have been thanking you as the opportunity that you presented to me, the chance to talk and think and learn from so many intelligent and involved people, has been one of the highlights of my career. The positive energy, willingness to engage and interact, and the level of "hands on" experience that was present, was truly educational, inspirational, and gratifying. I returned home ready to recommit to my work knowing that similar work was being done across the globe, from the perspective of so many different fields of intellect and endeavor. You made the world smaller, more connected, and more relevant for me. The diversity was amazing but the similarity was eye-opening. You generated an excitement in me that was similar to being 10 years old and standing in front of Willie Mays and asking for his autograph. Who knew that world affairs and issues could generate such excitement. I can't thank you enough for live you have breathed into me and my career.
Paul Von Essen
School Social Worker
Cherry Creek School District
Littleton, Colorado
I have now attended the conference twice, and I can say that it is unlike other experiences I have had with many other conferences. First, its agenda is ambitiously broad, encompassing the multiple and complex challenges that our common world faces early in the 21st Century. The conference asks the right questions. Second, it is an enterprise that involves not only the MSU community, especially the young and passionate minds and the faculty, but also the speakers and other participants, enhancing both the richness and reach of the conference. The underlying theme of the conference is that we are a diverse world with multiple challenges. Facing these challenges together, boldly, and sustainably is a tremendous opportunity for us and future generations. Third, the conference is not only about seeking to KNOW the world better and deeper. It is principally, also about ACTING to CHANGE our world, one step at a time, beginning with each one of us. MSU Public Affairs Conference is a noble and timely endeavor that needs to be supported, scaled up, and sustained.
Theogene Rudasingwa
Vice President, Global Affairs & Global Projects Specialist
Pangaea Global AIDS Foundation
The MSU Public Affairs Conference was a valuable experience for me. The subjects stretched my boundaries and challenged my thinking in ways that can only benefit my writing and speaking in the future. Better still, it was exhilarating and heartening to be around such a constellation of writers, thinkers, activists, scholars, and change agents from so many fields and so many parts of the world. I recommend the conference to any prospective panelists lucky enough to be invited.
Tom Krattenmaker
Associate VP for Public Relations & Communications
Lewis and Clark College
The MSU Public Affairs Conference is a wonderful opportunity to exchange ideas with leaders from throughout the United States and the world. The unique format allows for intellectual creativity that leads to unexpected insights, both for speakers and participants. As a speaker, you will exercise your mind in inventive ways as you apply your expertise to subjects that may appear only tangential to your professional world.
Bill Potts-Datema
Chief of Program Development
Centers for Disease Control
The conference format was very exciting and engaged the audience too much greater extent than other types of events I’ve participated in. Because the presenters participated in multiple panels, stayed at the same hotel, and often ate together, it felt more like I was participating in a think tank instead of just a conference. Instead of just presenting one small piece of the puzzle, the conversations and panels were more about putting the pieces of the puzzle together and looking at the big picture.
Christine E. Kaestle, MSPH, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Human Development
Virginia Tech
I have attended many political science/national security conferences throughout the United States, in Europe, and in South America. The audiences at these conferences have been academics, government servants, and military personnel as have fellow presenters. While each conference has had its special appeal, unique characteristics, and different rewards, I would rate the Missouri State Public Affairs Conference as the one that stands out most in my mind. The key reason for this, in my opinion, is the combination of its unique format, the selection of presenters/panelists from varied backgrounds, and the superb organization and support by dedicated staff. The format of short presentations by panelists followed by discussion and interaction with the audience, under the monitorship of a panel chairman, leads to a lively discussion of ideas and concepts to an extent I have not seen occur in other conferences. The mix of the panelists, academics, practitioners, and media personnel, permits the topics to be presented and discussed, from multiple viewpoints, which truly enriches the outcome.
Dorsey E. (Ed) Rowe
Colonel, US Army (Retired)
Office of the Secretary of Defense Staff (Retired)
In October 2007, I was approached about being a panelist for the MSU conference held in April 2008. I was honored to have been asked and said YES rather quickly as I had never done this before, thus an excitement formed within me. Upon arriving in Springfield, I was met by a staff member and two other panelists. It was at that point that I started feeling "out of my league" for this endeavor. I was among Ph. D's who had MUCH more education and experience than did I. I was a bit fearful going into the panel presentations, but in retrospect, realized that I did have something to offer and was able to contribute from my own training and experience in spite of the fact others had more prestigious letters behind their names. I greatly appreciated the opportunity to experience the culture of this conference and would be honored to participate in something similar in the future.
Kim Combes, Director
Combes Counseling & Consultation
Colo, Iowa