College of Arts and Sciences

On this week’s episode of Segue, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s weekly radio program exploring the lives and work of the people on campus and beyond, College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Dean Kevin Leonard, PhD, interviews Nancy Huyck, DPA, associate professor and chair of the Department of Public Administration and Policy Analysis.

This episode of Segue airs at 9 a.m. on Sunday, July 25. Listeners can tune into WSIE 88.7 FM The Sound or siue.edu/wsie.

An SIUE alumna, Huyck earned a bachelor’s of speech communication in 2001. She later earned a master’s and doctorate in public administration from the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS). She has served on the SIUE Faculty Senate as the Master of Public Administration (MPA) internship director and is currently chair of the SIUE Committee for Higher Administrator Performance Appraisal.

“Welcome to Segue, Dr. Huyck,” begins Leonard. “How did you become interested in public administration?”

“I have been an educator for SIUE since 2006,” responds Huyck. “I have wanted to be involved in education in some capacity since I was a child. The U of I Springfield’s MPA program caught my eye as I was graduating with my bachelor’s at SIUE.”

While attending UIS, Huyck enjoyed participating in a paid internship with the Illinois Department of Transportation, where she served as a highway operations intern for two years.

“I assisted with projects that related to the maintenance and inspection of highways within Illinois,” explains Huyck. “I made lifelong friends while strengthening my skill sets and earning my master’s degree.”

Huyck’s internship led her to a full-time position as purchasing manager for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency in Springfield.

“At that point, were you interested in going back and earning your doctorate?” inquires Leonard.

“Yes,” answers Huyck. “I was pursuing my options to continue my education and found that there were resources as a full-time State of Illinois employee to pay for my tuition. I chose to return to UIS to continue pursuing public administration.”

“Was there a pivotal moment in which you decided to devote your career to public administration education?” asks Leonard.

“While in Springfield, I continued to gain experience working as a public administrator and began to embrace the applied practitioner side of the field,” says Huyck. “I enjoyed actively working for the government. As I was developing leadership skills, I became certain that I enjoyed the field both practically and academically.”

“Were there any important individuals who encouraged and supported you as you pursued your career both in public administration and higher education?” asks Leonard.

“One constant in my life has been the unwavering support of my family, especially my parents and grandparents,” responds Huyck. “Their sacrifices and contributions to my life continue to help me every day.”

While teaching graduate communications courses at SIUE, Huyck chose to direct her dissertation work in the communications field while narrowly focusing projects on applied public administration. Huyck’s professional research interests include radio interoperability, public HR management, and environmental and sustainable practices for public agencies. She has previously presented research at professional annual conferences such as the American Society for Public Administration, Teaching in Public Administration, and the Western Social Science Association.

“What are some of the questions you explore in your research?” asks Leonard.

“I have published articles in the area of interoperable radio communications, which seeks to understand how radios hold the ability to communicate emergency response messages across equipment. My primary research question examines the implementation of a federal grant and improving the interoperability of radio communications in certain public safety jurisdictions.

“My secondary research question examines the effectiveness of specific grant funding to improve radio communications for the purpose of mutual aid between neighboring districts. My interest in radio communications developed as I was looking for areas to explore which connected elements of public policy, government administration and communication.”

“What’s next on your research agenda?” inquires Leonard.

“This upcoming academic year will be my third year chairing SIUE’s Committee for Higher Administrator Performance Appraisal,” explains Huyck. “My current research focus is derived from this work. Specifically, I am developing an article which will focus on the process by which employee performance reviews are conducted in the public sector.”

Tune in at 9 a.m. on Sunday, July 25, to WSIE 88.7 The Sound to hear the entire conversation.