Julie Olberding
Dr. Julie Olberding is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice, and she is currently serving as director of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) and Nonprofit Management graduate certificate programs.
Julie has taught a number of courses in the MPA program, including Foundations of Public Administration, Organizational Behavior and Theory, Resource Acquisition and Management, Volunteer Management, Nonprofit Strategic Planning, Nonprofit Program Evaluation, Administrative Ethics, and the Public Administration Capstone. She also has taught a few undergraduate courses, including Introduction to Public Administration, State and Local Government, and Race, Gender and Politics.
In order to "bring to life" theories and concepts in her MPA classes, Julie utilizes alternative teaching methods, such as service learning and student philanthropy. Her students have developed fundraising proposals and volunteer management plans for a number of local nonprofit organizations, such as the Foundation for Ohio River Education (FORE), the Ulster Project Cincinnati, Pones Inc. Laboratory of Movement, Frank Duveneck Arts and Cultural Center, Exhale Dance Tribe, WNKU, Cinderella’s Closet, the Inner City Tennis Project, St. Francis/St. Joseph Catholic Worker House, Kennedy Heights Arts Center, Ohio Alleycat Resource (formerly O’Bryonville Animal Rescue), St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy and the Arthritis Foundation.
Prior to serving as MPA director, Julie was faculty director of the Mayerson Student Philanthropy Project at NKU. In this role, she recruited and supported professors from various colleges and disciplines across the university who incorporated student philanthropy into their classes. In addition, she evaluated the short-term and long-term impacts of this teaching strategy.
Her academic research has focused on student philanthropy as well as collaboration in the public and nonprofit sectors and evaluation of various programs and policies. It has been published in scholarly journals, including Public Administration Review, Economic Development Quarterly, the International Journal of Public Administration, International Studies Perspectives, Innovative Higher Education, Academic Exchange Quarterly and the Journal of Public Affairs Education.
Julie enjoys research and teaching that is grounded in theory yet applicable to the “real world,” largely due to the fact that she worked in the public and nonprofit sectors for 10 years. During this time, she served as executive director of Citizens for Civic Renewal in Cincinnati and as editor and program manager at the Council of State Governments in Lexington, Ky.
Her educational background includes a bachelor's degree from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University and an MPA and Ph.D. from the Martin School of Public Policy and Administration at the University of Kentucky.