Bio

Joe Oleksak is a second-year doctoral student at the Biden School of Public Policy & Administration at the University of Delaware. Joe’s research is focused on media and democracy, specifically how the media can influence the public agenda through its coverage of issues and how this affects policy decision making by elected officials and bureaucratic agencies.

Prior to returning to pursue his PhD, Joe served as a legislative staffer in state and local government with the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and Philadelphia City Council. Most recently, he served as Chief of Staff with the Florida State Senate where he worked directly with a diverse array of policy stakeholders. Joe is currently a teaching assistant for Prof. Tibor Tóth at the Biden School where he also serves as the PPA PhD program representative with the Biden School Student Association. Since Fall 2025, he has served as one of the Biden School’s senators to the University of Delaware’s Graduate Student Government. 

Outside of school, Joe enjoys spending time with his dog, watching sports, and reading about history and politics. He holds a BA in Political Science from Temple University (CLA ‘14) and an MPP from Drexel University (COAS ‘20). 

Research

Oleksak, J. A. (2020). Forging bureaucratic autonomy: An examination of agency discretion within the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (Order No. 28000091) [Master’s Thesis, Drexel University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.

Degrees

• M.S., Public Policy, Drexel University
• B.A., Political Science, Temple University

​PhD Advisor

Dr. Danilo Yanich