Who We Are

Our values and the people who uphold them

Our Values

We were founded on three main premises. Good public policy is best achieved when policy makers have access to high quality information, political processes are open and well-understood, and citizens are informed and active participants.

We also believe that good public policy requires communication, collaboration and courtesy from everyone involved. This belief underlies The Harkin Institute’s five core values of inclusion, education, respect, accessibility and opportunity.

We strive to include people from the widest possible range of backgrounds and beliefs. The Harkin Institute is a non-partisan organization that believes the best solutions come from creating dialogue among highly diverse speakers, special guests, and community audiences.

We develop new and innovative educational opportunities for both Drake University students and members of the local, state, and national communities. We facilitate collaboration between students and faculty in specific areas of research, enhance curriculum with internships, and offer programing on a wide variety of relevant socio-political topics.

We encourage respectful conversation among people from diverse backgrounds about important policy issues. Not only does respectful discussion focused on ideas and issues improve the outcome of the discussion, it improves the overall tenor of public dialogue.

We strive to ensure institute programs and contents of The Tom Harkin Collection are open to all who seek to use them to help advance public policy in the United States. Guided by our founder’s work in creating the Americans with Disabilities Act, we understand that solutions are best achieved when problems can be addressed by people from every ability level. Thus, we work to ensure all resources and opportunities presented by The Harkin Institute are inclusive and accessible.

We create opportunities for people of all backgrounds to learn from and interact with each other, along with nationally known policy experts and other national and international figures who have improved the quality of life for Americans and our global peers.

Our Staff

Craig Owens

Executive Director

craig.owens@drake.edu
515-271-3876

Daniel Van Sant

Director of Disability Policy

daniel.vansant@drake.edu
515-271-3223

Rayna Stoycheva

Director of Retirement Security Policy

rayna.stoycheva@drake.edu
515-271-3222

Adam Shriver

Director of Wellness and Nutrition Policy

adam.shriver@drake.edu
515-271-3623

Mindy Jones

Chief of Staff

mindy.jones@drake.edu
515-271-1805

Mandy McClure

Director of Communications

mandy.mcclure@drake.edu

Ashley Ezzio

UpLift Project Coordinator

ashley.ezzio@drake.edu
515-271-1813

Michael Berger

UpLift Project Coordinator

michael.berger@drake.edu
515-249-4497

Stephanie Sinovic

Senior Advancement Officer, Drake University Advancement

Our Student Staff

Hope Bibens

Director of Archives & Special Collections, Drake University Cowles Library

hope.bibens@drake.edu
515-271-2088

Our Student Staff

Morgan Ryan

Student Chief of Staff

Chloe Lepak

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Mara Schell

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Stasia Conerty

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Allie Raines

Undergraduate Communications Assistant

Cheddar

Chief Morale Officer Emeritus

Our Fellows

The fellows program assembles diverse, insightful professionals to facilitate cooperative, high-quality, nonpartisan research, analysis, and education.

This work is in two areas, engagement and original use of archival materials from the Tom Harkin Collection and our four public policy focus areas paramount in Senator Tom Harkin’s career.

Josh Pearson

Retirement Security Focus

Elise Pohl

Wellness and Nutrition Focus