The Rural Impact

In part one of the second episode of the new series, 2025 & The Impact of Policy Shifts, Michelle sat down with Mark Lieberman reporter for Education Week covering K-12 school finance nationwide. He previously covered technology for EdWeek, digital learning and online education in the postsecondary world for Inside Higher Ed, and local news and culture in the D.C. area for a va

In part one of the first episode of the new series 2025 & The Impact of Policy Shifts, Michelle sat down with Larry Levitt, Vice President for Health Policy at KFF. Levitt oversees policy work on Medicare, Medicaid, the health care marketplace, the Affordable Care Act, racial equity, women’s health, and global health. He previously was editor-in-chief of kaisernetwork.org, wh

In our first episode of 2025, Michelle offers a recap of several of our 2024 series and special episodes, including conversations with authors Elizabeth Carpenter-Song and Sarah Smarsh, researchers from New American, Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, as well as conversations with leaders from several fe

In this special What's Your Impact? Episode, Michelle begins with a review of the multi-episode series "Pathways and Policies to Ensure Rural Learners Succeed in Place and Why it's Essential for America's Future" and "The Impact of Postsecondary Education on Jobs and Rural Economic Vitality" made possible by Ascendium. Michelle shares the key takeaways from each episode, including

Today's show focuses on disinformation and its connection to public health and policy. With the recent news that President-elect Trump has tapped Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., known not only for his family ties but primarily for his strong opposition to vaccinations and commitment to debunked conspiracy theories, and controversial views on supplements and food preparation practices, to t

The Rural Impact Podcast went on the road again!  This time, we headed out west – the Pacific Northwest, to be exact, where we sought to amplify the Power of Rural and the importance of federal partnerships to address social drivers of health.  Welcome to our "Impact on the Road OREGON - The Power of Rural and Investments in Health" special National Rural Health Day episod

Michelle begins part one of the extra episode with Dr. Bill Hathaway of Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC). Dr. Hathaway and the MAHEC staff of more than 1,000 are committed to transforming rural health and wellness through education, the delivery of patient care, and a focus on community and public health. Before joining MAHEC in early 2022, Dr. Hathaway spent more than

In part one of the final episode of this series, Michelle met with Dakota Pawlicki, Director of Talent Hubs with CivicLab. In this role, he serves exemplary cross-sector partnerships focused on postsecondary attainment that have met rigorous standards for partnership health, equity, and systems change. He brings his expertise in postsecondary education, collective impact, stakehold

In part one of the second episode of this series, Michelle met with Senior Policy Analyst Ivy Love and Senior Program Associate Tiffany Thai from the Center on Education & Labor at New America. Ivy Love's work focuses on community colleges, their students, and federal and state policies that support them. Before New America, Love worked as a policy analyst for the Association o

In the first episode of this new series, Michelle had a compelling conversation with Jeff Strohl, Ph.D., who serves as Research Professor and Director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW). Dr. Strohl was one of the Center's founding staff and served as CEW's Director of Research since 2008. In this position, he led the Center's research agenda. I