Huck Boyd Lecture Series Bio: Paul Simon is director of the Public Policy Institute and a professor in the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts at Southern Illinois University, where he teaches classes in political science, history and journalism at the Carbondale campus. He joined the faculty at SIU in 1997 - just weeks after retiring from the U.S. Senate. The Public Policy Institute opened its doors in 1997 and promises to "find new ways of solving some very old problems," said Simon. Simon's speech emphasized the role community media plays in developing an informed public. Simon holds more than 50 honorary degrees and has written 19 books.