Julie Olberding
Dr. Julie Olberding is an assistant professor who teaches classes primarily in the Master of Public Administration (MPA) and Non Profit Management (NPM) graduate certificate programs. Her classes include Foundations of Public Administration, Resource Acquisition and Management, Volunteer Management and Nonprofit Program Evaluation.
"I like our students because most of them care very deeply about their communities and the world," Julie notes. "They see people with problems and places in need, and they want to make them better. So they pursue a degree in public administration or political science in order to make a difference."
Julie utilizes alternative teaching methods, such as service learning and student philanthropy, to "bring to life" theories and concepts in her MPA and NPM courses. For example, her students have worked on service-learning projects for a number of local nonprofit organizations, including the Frank Duveneck Arts and Cultural Center, Exhale Dance Tribe, WNKU, Cinderella’s Closet, the Center for Great Neighborhoods, the Inner City Tennis Project, St. Francis/St. Joseph Worker House, O’Bryonville Animal Rescue, Kennedy Heights Arts Center and the Arthritis Foundation.
Currently, Julie is serving as the faculty director of the Mayerson project. In this role, she recruits and supports faculty from various disciplines across the university who are using student philanthropy as a teaching method in their classes.
Her research has focused on student philanthropy as well as regional partnerships for economic development. It has been accepted and published in scholarly journals, including Public Administration Review, Economic Development Quarterly, International Journal of Public Administration, Journal of Public Affairs Education and International Studies Perspectives.
Prior to NKU, Julie worked for 10 years in public and nonprofit organizations, including Citizens for Civic Renewal (CCR) and the Council of State Governments (CSG). She has a bachelor's degree from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University as well as an MPA and Ph.D. from the Martin School of Public Policy and Administration at the University of Kentucky.