Welcome from the Chair

We are proud of the tradition of excellence and service to students in SPA’s Department of Public Administration and Policy.

Our graduate programs offer the opportunity for small classes, interaction with some of the nation’s finest faculty and students, and lifelong connections that you will value throughout your professional career. We are also excited about the recent growth in our department, in terms of adding dynamic new faculty, outstanding MPA and MPP students, PhD students who are already recognized scholars, and highly rated executive education programs including the Key Executive MPA and AU/NTL program. Our strong profile is recognized by our peer institutions, and we are a valued “destination” for talented undergraduates and graduates seeking graduate education of the highest caliber.

The department recently welcomed experts in international development Tamara Hafner and Jeremy Shiffman to our faculty. Professor Hafner writes on access to medicines in the developing world. Professor Shiffman is a leading scholar in the area of maternal and child health in low-income countries. Professors Hafner and Shiffman further strengthen DPAP offerings in global health policy, and international development and administration.

In Fall 2011, four new faculty arrived on campus: Professor Lewis Faulk, whose teaching and research focus on nonprofit organizations; Professor Seth Gershenson, who studies education and labor policy and economics; Professor Bradley Hardy, a scholar of the economics of poverty; and Professor Taryn Morrissey, an expert in child health policy. DPAP is very pleased to welcome such accomplished scholars and teachers.

If you are interested in making a difference and helping to shape the future, we are the department for you. Although competition to enter our graduate programs is high, we encourage you to consider joining us to engage in a premier educational experience that blends expertise in public management, policy analysis, and democratic constitutionalism.

Together we will address some of the most pressing issues of the day, and will do so in the context of values critical to a democratic republic—representativeness, responsiveness, accountability, equity, and constitutional rights. Many of our faculty have professional experience in government, have become leading experts in a wide range of administrative and policy issues, and bring their rich experiences and insights both to the classroom and to casual conversations with students.

The “policy” and “administration” words are important, but please recognize that in our department, we strive to bring a wide array of perspectives to our work. If you are interested in policy, we want to be sure that you understand administration - “doing” policy – as well as the legal/constitutional, political, and economic lenses critical to successful policy. If you are interested in administration, we want to be sure that you understand policy, the process in which policy is created, implemented, and evaluated, and the political, legal, and economic issues that shape both policy and administration. In short, we strive to bring to you the depth of knowledge and breadth of perspective that we believe will best prepare you to become leaders in your fields.

We look forward to hearing from you! Please feel free to visit our site again soon, or contact us at any time.

Jocelyn M Johnston
Department Chair, Public Administration & Policy

DPAP Newsletter

Fall 2011 (.pdf)

Spring 2011 (.pdf)

Fall 2010 (.pdf)