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Conferences & Events

Policy on the Rocks

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About this Series

Connect with fellow researchers and practitioners and get to know our community over drinks and hors d'oeuvres while hearing leading experts discuss the most pressing public policy and management issues. Policy on the Rocks is a new event series hosted at our institutional members' Washington, D.C. locations. 

Policy on the Rocks events are free, open to all, and won't be recorded.

 

 

Check back soon for our next Policy on the Rocks event!

 

 

 

Previous Events

 

September 2025

AI in Public Policy

At our second Policy on the Rocks event, we'll explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the way research is conducted and public policy decisions are made. The event will bring together policymakers, technology leaders, and academics to discuss the opportunities and challenges of integrating AI into public governance. From ethical frameworks and algorithmic transparency to smart infrastructure and data-driven decision-making, discover how AI is reshaping the public sector — and what it means for democracy, equity, and accountability. Stick around for a Q&A with our panel and a networking reception afterwards.
 

Featured Speakers: 

  • Zachary Arnold, Senior Director for Programs and General Counsel, Horizon Institute for Public Service

  • Denise L. Baer, President and Founder of Strategic Research Concepts, Adjunct Faculty, George Washington University

  • Justine Gluck, AI Legislation Fellow, US Legislation Team at the Future of Privacy Forum

  • Caroline Jeanmarie, Interim Director of U.S. AI Governance, The Future Society

Moderated by: 

  • Erdal Tekin, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management (JPAM) and Fotis Family Distinguished Professor of Health Policy, School of Public Affairs, American University. 

 

May 2025

Where Are We Now? Policy Analysis and Management Under a Trump Administration 

Seismic shifts have occurred half a year after the plenary at our Fall Research Conference, where panelists offered their thoughts on the incoming administration's effect on policy, management, and research. For Policy on the Rocks, we've brought back several panelists from our initial discussion and invited new scholars from various backgrounds to share their thoughts on how these changes have reshaped the policy landscape–and what is still yet to come.

Featured Speakers: 

  • Joan Alker, Executive Director of the Center for Children and Families, Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy

  • Don Moynihan, Professor of Public Policy, University of Michigan, Former APPAM President

  • Michael Strain, Director of Economic Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute

  • Christina Yancey, Vice President, Workforce Development, American Institutes for Research

Moderated by:

  • Ingrid Gould Ellen, Professor of Urban Policy and Planning and Director for Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, New York University, APPAM President

 

 

 

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