In this interview, Rick discusses his early career after college and what brought him back to DU to teach and eventually develop a modern public policy program. He reflects on his lack of confidence in the University's fiscal health, reputation and ability to recruit and retain students during the early to mid-1980's and shares how the leadership of Chancellor Dwight Smith and others moved the University forward in a positive way. Rick touches on the work of an advisory committee on which he served and the academic, fiscal and organizational changes that were implemented. He discusses the challenging role he played in negotiating tenure contract repurchase agreements.

Rick describes how a large gift from alumnus Leo Block helped to bring former Colorado Governor Richard Lamm to the University where he co-directed the Center for Contemporary Issues, later named the Institute for Public Policy Studies. Rick examines the values and driving questions that guiding him during the development of the public policy program at DU.