The University of Missouri–St. Louis is a public metropolitan research university. And the university’s Public Policy Research Center will showcase that with its “2012 Spring Applied Research Seminar Series: Applied Research Across the Disciplines.”

Wally Siewert, director of the Center for Ethics in Public Life at UMSL, will present “From Research to Practice: Forging the Link in Public Sector Ethics” from noon to 1:15 p.m. Jan. 25 in the PPRC Conference Room, 427 Social Sciences & Business Building on UMSL’s North Campus, 1 University Blvd. in St. Louis County (63121).

Siewert’s presentation will include summaries of current related research and a discussion of ways the conclusions drawn from this research might be used to inform and shape practice. He’ll focus on the key conceptual ethical distinction between norms in the public sphere and norms in the private sphere, drawing heavily on the work of American political philosopher John Rawls.

Future applied research seminars will include the following:

• “Using Qualitative Research in Policy Experiments,” presented by Margaret Sherraden, professor of social work at UMSL (co-sponsored by UMSL’s School of Social Work), noon-1:15 p.m. Feb. 15
• “Picking Fine Wine and Program Evaluation: So What’s the Difference?,” presented by Mark Tranel, director of PPRC at UMSL (co-sponsored by UMSL’s School of Social Work), noon-1:15 p.m. March 14
• “Margaret Bush Wilson and the Promise of America,” presented by Priscilla Dowden-White, associate professor of history at UMSL, noon-1:15 p.m. April 11.

All seminars are free and open to the public. Attendees can bring lunches. Beverages will be provided. Discussions will follow the presentations. Each presentation will be given in 427 Social Sciences & Business Building.

Visit pprc.umsl.edu or e-mail rebecca@umsl.edu for more information about the seminars.