The O’Neill Ph.D. Association (OPSA) held their 22nd Annual Student Conference last week showcasing research from current master’s and Ph.D. students. Nearly thirty students presented papers on topics of either governance and management or policy analysis and public finance.
Each of the eight paper sessions was chaired by a different O’Neill faculty member, which offered students a chance to receive meaningful feedback and valuable career preparation. In the afternoon, students participated in faculty-led workshops on topics like representation, grants, discrimination, and institutional policy.
“This annual conference has become a unique opportunity for students to receive feedback from peers and from the world-class O’Neill School faculty. We were particularly proud of our first- and second-year cohorts for producing strong research papers this year,” said conference organizer and Ph.D. candidate Breck Wightman.
One conference highlight was a virtual keynote delivered by Frances Berry of Florida State University on “The Art of Management Paradox: Reconciling Politics, Public Values, Service Delivery and Innovation.”
Another highlight was a meme competition, sponsored by the dean’s office, which provided students a chance to take a lighter look at both their research subjects and academic life in general. Students submitted original memes on topics like company culture and academic publishing.
The most popular meme was submitted by Ph.D. student and Fulbright scholar Felipe Bravo Peña, whose conference paper was on small-scale agriculture.:
However, the organizers left the survey link open here if you’d like to judge for yourself.
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