Patrick Wildes Brings Albany Law Faculty and Students to the Capitol Pressroom

This fall, Albany Law School has taken center stage on The Capitol Pressroom, using the public radio platform to bridge the gap between academic theory and the daily grind of New York state governance.

Through a guest hosting residency by Patrick Wildes ’16, the director of the school’s Government Law Center, the program has featured a rotating cast of faculty, alumni, and students to discuss the legislative and regulatory challenges currently facing the state.

The collaboration offers a rare look at the ecosystem of New York’s public service pipeline. By bringing current practitioners and students into the same conversation, the series highlights how academic research and real-world policy implementation intersect. The initiative coincides with the school’s 175th anniversary, a milestone President and Dean Cinnamon Carlarne used to describe the institution’s mission of preparing the next generation of public servants.

During her appearance on the program, Carlarne discussed her cutting-edge research concerning the intersection of extreme heat and environmental injustice. Her work highlights the disproportionate impact of rising temperatures on vulnerable populations, emphasizing the urgent need for policymakers to integrate environmental equity into urban planning and public health mandates.

The program also tackled the mechanics of state government. Assemblymember Mary Beth Walsh ’90 appeared to weigh in on proposed limits for outside income among state lawmakers. The discussion centered on the potential unintended consequences of such restrictions and the debate over how to balance transparency in public office with the need for a diverse, experienced legislature.

The bridge between the classroom and the capitol is perhaps most visible in the journey of Assemblymember Amanda Septimo. Septimo, a student in the school’s Flex JD program, shared her experience of managing law school academic demands while a public health crisis occurred in her district.

Her recent work has focused on the community response to a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak, illustrating the practical application of legal training in a high-stakes, real-time crisis.

Other guests provided a look at the operational backbone of New York’s state agencies. Laura Darman ’03, who serves as the Executive Deputy Commissioner at the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, discussed the complexities of managing one of the state’s largest agencies. Her perspective, as the second highest-ranked staffer in the organization, offered listeners a rare view of the administrative machinery that supports state-level social services.

The series also drew on the expertise of guests with deep experience in the executive branch. Wildes, who previously served as an Assistant Secretary to the Governor for Human Services and Mental Hygiene, moderated discussions that focused on the sheer scale of state operations.

Jihoon Kim, the President and CEO of InUnity Alliance and former Deputy Secretary to the Governor for Human Services and Mental Hygiene, detailed the challenges of overseeing more than 10 different state agencies simultaneously.

Greg Anderson, the commissioner of the New York City Department of Sanitation, provided a look at the transition from high-level state operations to local municipal leadership. Reflecting on his time as Deputy Director of State Operations under Governor Kathy Hochul, Anderson noted how that role prepared him to lead the city’s massive sanitation infrastructure, often colloquially referred to as “New York’s Strongest.”

These conversations reflect a growing effort to demystify the roles of those who shape New York’s laws and services. By showcasing the paths of students and alumni, the series suggests that the next wave of policy leaders is already working within the state's current legal and administrative systems.