LBJ School Launches Virtual Series, ‘LBJ In the Arena’

AUSTIN, Texas, March 26 — In recent weeks, COVID-19 has reshaped the way Americans live, work, learn and govern. In response, the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin will convene LBJ In the Arena, an eight-week virtual event series exploring the impact of COVID-19 on our communities, starting April 1, 2020.

“In the Arena,” a phrase made famous by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1910 and the overarching theme of the LBJ’s School 50^th anniversary this year, will feature policymakers, practitioners, scholars, business leaders and creative thinkers leading the response to and recovery from the coronavirus. Speakers will explore the issues of emergency response, urban policy and cities, national security, food and supply chains, public finance and equity – all affected by COVID-19.

“In launching LBJ In the Arena, we will bring participants to the frontline of public policy and governance to better serve and inform our citizenry during this unprecedented global crisis,“ explained LBJ School Dean Angela M. Evans. “The LBJ School has always been at the forefront of the policy issues impacting our country, and COVID-19 offers a real-time opportunity for not only our students but the public to see how policy is shaped, implemented and evaluated.”

LBJ In the Arena will meet virtually on Wednesdays from noon to 1 p.m. CT via Zoom. Registration for these virtual sessions can be found on the LBJ School Eventbrite page. All session content, including associated videos, readings and summaries, is free and will be made available every Friday on the LBJ School website and YouTube page. Initial sessions:

April 1: LBJ In the Arena: On the Frontline: Restarting Our Cities

LBJ Urban Lab Director Steven Pedigo will sit down for a one-on-one conversation with Professor Richard Florida, one of the world’s leading thinkers in urban studies. Florida is the University Professor at the University of Toronto and co-founder of City Lab.

April 8: LBJ In the Arena: FEMA: Leading in the COVID-19 Crisis

Renowned public management scholar and LBJ Professor Don Kettl leads a conversation with Adm. Thad Allen, who was the lead federal official for the responses to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and who served as national incident commander for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Allen brings his expertise on addressing large-scale, complex disasters and operational challenges that require unity of effort among diverse stakeholders to our current context.

April 15: LBJ In the Arena: Managing the Fiscal Meltdown

LBJ Professors James Galbraith, a world-renowned economist, and Michael Lind, one of the nation’s foremost public intellectuals, unpack the human impact of the economic crisis set off by the current public health crisis. Galbraith and Lind bring a set of perspectives that bridges history, economic theory and practical experience in the international and national policymaking arenas.