My first five years as a member of the faculties of Political Science and Public Administration have been quite fruitful as well as intellectually rewarding. Since joining the University, I have published one book, with another due to be published in very early 2001. In addition, I have published seven articles, written one chapter for an edited volume, authored two encyclopedia entries, and generated or helped to generate over $250,000 in grant funding. I have given seven invited presentations, delivered eleven papers at professional meetings, written book reviews, assembled a syllabus collection for the American Political Science Association, and advised at least twenty graduate students at the MPA, MPP, and PhD levels.

To me, however, the volume of work is less important than the privilege of being part of a fascinating and rewarding discipline. The study of public policy, while often centered in political science, also draws upon sociology, economics, public administration, and, depending on the field, public health, social work, and even ecology, biology, and engineering. I am fortunate to have been able to draw upon all these resources, and while I consider myself primarily a political scientist, in the past five years I have come to appreciate the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to the study of policy. My teaching and research reflects this approach; in particular, my choices of publishing outlets reflect both my interdisciplinary interests and the applied and academic nature of my research. I have published in respected political science journals in the policy subfield as well as specialized journals and other outlets that are read by the audience I seek to reach: those who are concerned with both the scientific and the applied aspects of public policy.

I chose to study public policy because it requires that one draw from across political science and look at research on interest groups, political institutions, public opinion, and the news media, among other fields. Thus, my teaching and research history—courses ranging from The Supreme Court to Environmental Politics, and articles on topics ranging from the social construction of problems to sustainable development—is diverse. But the courses I have taught all share a common thread: the importance of problem definition, group mobilization, and agenda setting in politics, whether politics is practiced in the courts, the bureaucracy, the news media, or any of the venues available to the advocate and activist.

In this statement, I will focus on my research and service activities at the University at Albany. I begin with my current and published research and then discuss my research plans for the next five years or so. Admittedly, my research agenda is ambitious, and it is likely that some of the projects may not come to fruition, for various reasons. But I have chosen to outline this ambitious program because I believe I can undertake these projects and make substantial contributions to our understanding of policy making while providing useful guidance for practitioners and others who want to be involved in policy making.