This project centers around interviews with professional and/or personal acquaintances of Elinor and Vincent Ostrom. Every interview explores a unique relationship with the Ostroms and the continuing impact of the Ostrom Workshop at Indiana University. Elinor (Lin) and Vincent Ostrom founded the Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis in 1973.The Ostrom Workshop has been the catalyst for worldwide collaboration in the field of public policy and environmental issues. "Coming Together" is an interdisciplinary exploration of the legacy and impact of Elinor (Lin) and Vincent Ostrom. Major topics include; academia, "the commons", cross-disciplinary collaboration, Elinor Ostrom's Nobel Prize, the Ostrom Workshop, political science, political theory, and the Workshop on the Ostrom Workshop (WOW) conference. The project was created to assist in the dissertation research of Sara Catherine Clark, who was a doctoral candidate within the School of Education, pursing a Ph.D. in History, Philosophy, and Policy in Education, at Indiana University Bloomington. Sara Catherine Clark's dissertation was completed in 2019 and is cited as follows: Clark, S. C. (2019). Elinor ostrom: A biography of interdisciplinary life.
Dr. Paul Dragos Aligica is a professor in the Economics Department in Politics and Economics at Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Dragos Aligica first met Elinor and Vincent Ostrom at the Workshop but was familiar with their work before arriving there. He discusses the way academic institutions work and the way the Ostroms didn't conform to those rules. Later he discusses collaborating with the Ostroms through the Ostrom Workshop. Dragos Aligica also recalls Elinor Ostrom as a teacher and her humor. He goes on to discuss how the Ostroms intellectual lineage will be looked at in the future. The interview concludes with talk about the Workshop on the Ostrom Workshop (WOW) Conference and a more in-depth talk about the Ostrom Workshop.
Robert Bish is Professor Emeritus in the School of Public Administration at the University of Victoria. Bish first met Vincent Ostrom when he enrolled in Ostrom's PhD class, public administration. Later, Bish met Elinor Ostrom when she visited a class taught by Vincent Ostrom. Later Bish discusses the both Elinor and Vincent's research, their generosity and the Public Choice Society.
Jacob Bower-Bir is an Assistant Professor at the American University in Cairo. He first met Elinor Ostrom as a student where she was his mentor for five years and chair of his committee. Bower-Bir recalls how fortunate he was to work with Elinor Ostrom before and after the Nobel prize. He also discusses the Ostrom Workshop, the Workshop on the Ostrom Workshop and questions both the Ostroms were pursing answers to. The interview closes with Bower-Bir reflecting on the ways Elinor and Vincent Ostrom influenced him.