8FP Bardach Introduction

Introduction to Gene Bardach and His Work

Background of Gene Bardach

• Gene Bardach introduces himself, mentioning his extensive experience in public policy spanning over 40 years as a professor at the University of California.

• He shares that he was born in Baltimore and pursued his undergraduate studies at Columbia University before earning a PhD in political science from Berkeley.

• Bardach's first teaching position was at Brandeis University, where he taught political science for three years.

Transition to Public Policy

• He recounts being invited by Aaron Madosky, the founding dean of the Goldman School of Public Policy, to teach at a new school focused on public policy.

• The faculty size was small when he joined, consisting of about 10 or 11 full-time members who were still figuring out how to approach this emerging field.

Challenges Faced

• Bardach discusses the challenge of applying traditional social science methods to practical public policy training for students entering the workforce.

• He notes that while many faculty members were intelligent, they often lacked clear direction on how to effectively train students for real-world applications.