Muskie Fellow Expands Skills and Network Through Conference Presentation

Professional development opportunities during the academic year give Muskie fellows an opportunity to gain new skills and broaden their networks of professional contacts.  2009 fellow Maksym Klyuchar of Ukraine has taken advantage of these opportunities as a student and graduate research assistant in the Master of Public Administration program at the University of Texas in Brownsville.

As part of an on-going research project, Maksym collaborated with professors and other graduate students on a paper titled “The Development of the Knowledge Analytic through Value Heuristics: On the Border Decision-Making in Health Care Services in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.”  Maksym was recently honored with the opportunity to present this paper at the Public Administration Theory Network’s Annual Conference in Omaha, Nebraska.   The Public Administration Theory Network and The University of Texas in Brownsville sponsored his participation in the conference.  As one of 124 public administration professionals in attendance, Maksym was able to make additional professional connections while also improving his presentation skills.

Maksym’s on-campus research assistantship has provided him with valuable experience in data collection and analysis.  The primary focus of these research efforts has been on the empirical study of decision-making.  In addition to improving his research skills, Maksym also drafted materials for submission and approval of the University of Texas in Brownsville’s Institutional Review Board.   These experiences have helped prepare Maksym to promote mutual understanding and to better understand democratic processes upon his return to Ukraine.