June 2015
THE EXCHANGE School of Public Administration
From the Director’s Desk
Since the last newsletter there have been lots of changes in the School of Public Administration. As I reflect on the last year, the often quoted phrase from Charles Dickens’ Tale of Two Cities comes to mind – “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” It was the best of times because this was another phenomenal year in terms of productivity for the School. All of the individual achievements are listed or discussed separately in this newsletter. However, there are several things that deserve mentioning more than once. During the year we were able to unveil our new website. This results from nearly a year of work spearheaded by Anthony Campbell (doctoral student) and Dr. Meagan Van Gelder (Academic Program Coordinator). Our desire is that it is more informational and user friendly. We invite you to explore it. This has been an extremely productive year in terms of publications, grant activity and public service. The Nebraska Municipal Clerks School and Academy, directed by Ellen Freeman-Wakefield had the highest attendance in the 40 year history of the School. Also lending to our high productivity was the addition of two new faculty members, the tenure and promotion of three faculty members and the promotion of two other faculty. The School is extremely proud to add Drs. Carl Ameringer and Christopher Goodman to the faculty. Dr. Ameringer joined the School in the fall after a two-year search. He holds the distinction of being the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska Chair of Health Care Administration and Policy. Dr. Christopher Goodman joined the School in January as an Assistant Professor of budget and finance. He came to the School from Rutgers University. Joining us as staff are Megan Nelson (Career & Student Services Associate) and Elizabeth (Lizz) Barnhart and Susan (Sue) Troester (Staff Assistants). While the School has had some tremendously positive achievements, there have also been a couple of bumps in the road this year. Most recently, our invaluable staff assistant, Rhonda Sheibal-Carver moved to Arizona to begin a new career on a teaching farm. Rhonda worked for UNO for nearly 27 years, over 15 of those years were in the School. She will certainly be missed, but we are excited about what the future may hold for her and her family. Another long-time faculty member, Dr. Dale Krane, retired during the summer of 2014 after 26 years on the School faculty. Dr. Krane, who was voted by the faculty to receive emeritus status, graciously agreed to teach a policy course periodically for us on an as needed basis. While we will miss his constant presence, we are grateful for his loyalty to the School and his willingness to help when needed. I hope you enjoy the remaining update on our activities; while it is not comprehensive it provides a glimpse into part of what we have accomplished this year. With the hiring of Megan we look forward to the return of our bi-annual editions. Please stay in touch with us as we hope to do with you. Ethel Williams, Ph.D. Director, School of Public Administration
Ph.D. in Public Administration Can Chen Master of Public Administration Kay Bergquist Melissa Breazile Thomas Brescia* Tammy Burton-Fikar Clancy Dempsey Mary Earley* Tracie Gregurich* Jenae Hansen Emily Hanson Katherine Jarvis Seth Junker Emily Kohls* Todd Mercural-Chapman Rushawnda Olden Nicole Steier Jennifer Talarico* Ki Chan Um Olga Zeisler Fanyi Zeng Master of Science in Urban Studies Sarah Frederick James Hughes Julie Smith Graduate Certificate in Public Management Betty Chin Janice Fink
Congratulations to our 2015 grads! *Denotes Pi Alpha Alpha Honorees 2014-2015. Pi Alpha Alpha is the Global Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration. The purpose of this society is to encourage and recognize outstanding scholarship and accomplishment in public affairs and administration.
SCHOOL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
WE ARE
MAVERICKS When asked what her plans are after earning her MPA, JodyAnn Coore shares, “I am still working on the next steps. After a networking event put on by the School of Public Administration I learned from MPA alumni that I really do not need to know every detail of the next step. What I found fascinating was after talking to an alumna that did her concentration in aviation, after graduating she has been working as a grant writer at a non-aviation related organization and loving it. So I stopped stressing about knowing all the details.”
Brittney Albin encourages prospective students to pursue a School of Public Administration degree because, “these programs provide the ideal opportunity for you to gain the practical knowledge and skills necessary to help the community in whatever area you may be passionate. I started the program knowing what my general career interests were, but this program helped show me how I could apply what I was learning to truly make a difference in my community.”
To Alesia Montgomery, Master of Science in Urban Studies student, “public service means making a difference by giving back to my community and affecting other communities throughout the country. In my role as a senior national training consultant for Boys Town, I see public service as a way to provide passionate mentoring, development and empowerment to the lives of everyday people.”
Current MPA student, Luke Hoffman, weighs in on why students should strongly consider pursuing a master’s degree from UNO’s School of Public Administration. “If you are considering an MPA/MSUS at UNO, I would say that this has been the highlight of my academic career. The professors have real world experience, the curriculum is relevant and engaging, and it has also helped advance my career.” After graduation with his MPA, Hoffman plans to search for a job in public service, advocacy, corporate/social responsibility, or government.
Program Updates Emergency Services Program The Emergency Services Program began in the fall of 2012 offering a Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management (BSEM). Minors in Emergency Management and Fire Service Management were added in the spring of 2013. In the fall of 2014 a concentration in Emergency Management was added to the Master of Public Administration. The BSEM degree consists of 30 hours in Emergency Management coursework, taking an all-hazards approach to the field. The degree requires students to gain additional knowledge by completing two specialized concentration areas in Emergency Management. The BSEM degree was originally approved with five concentrations. Since that time, eight additional concentrations have been added. Currently, the 13 BSEM concentration options include: Aviation Administration, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Fire Service Management, Gerontology, Geospatial Science, Information Technology and Communication, Intelligence and Security, Native American Studies, Natural Disasters, Planning and Preparing for Urban Hazards, Private Sector Management, Public Administration and Management and Public Health. Students also have the ability to get minors in 11 of the concentration areas with few additional courses. All Emergency Management students are required to complete an internship to graduate. Some of the places students have held internships include: The American Red Cross, Douglas County Emergency Management, Sarpy County Emergency Management, Methodist Health Systems as well as the University itself, with the Environmental Health and Safety Office. Recently, the BSEM was listed as the #1 Emergency Management Degree Program for quality by EmergencyManagement-Degree.org. In terms of cost, the degree was ranked 7th of the top 20 in the United States for emergency management programs under $23,000 per year. Read more about the ranking at: http://bit.ly/1cjv3AL. - Lyndsey Rice, Emergency Services Program Academic Advisor
Ph.D. in Public Administration This has been an exciting year for the doctoral program. Catherine Humphries Brown and Can Chen both completed their Ph.D. this current academic year. Dr. Humphries Brown’s dissertation examined foundation-funded non-profit capacity building. She is currently the Director of Data and Research for the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation. Dr. Chen’s dissertation studied the efficiency and effectiveness of state public highway infrastructure investment. He will be joining the faculty at Florida International University as an assistant professor in August. Recent graduates Dr. Gary Anderson and Dr. Changsoo Song also accepted academic related positions. Dr. Anderson will begin as an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina, Pembroke in August. Dr. Song is the evaluation project manager for the Survey, Statistics, and Psychometrics Core Facility at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Current Ph.D. students and recent graduates are also an integral part of teaching and research with the School of Public Administration. During 2014-2015, they taught a combined total of 26 courses, published 10 single or co-authored journal articles and book chapters, three policy reports, seven grants and scholarships, and five special awards for best student or best paper at national conferences. Finally, three students defended their dissertation proposals and four students successfully passed their field exams. - Dr. Gary Marshall, Doctoral Program Chair
NASA Space Grant In early April, NASA announced a three-year award for the NASA Nebraska Space Grant program, a consortium of higher education and state institutions as well as community education programs across the state. NASA Nebraska Space Grant and EPSCoR is part of UNO’s School of Public Administration. The award will provide over $1.4 million for fellowships, internships, and funding for student projects and competitions related to NASA’s mission. In late April, NASA also awarded a three-year, $375,000 grant for the NASA Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) program in Nebraska, which focuses on space and aeronautics research at colleges and universities across the state. The grant adds to the more than $10 million awarded to UNO’s NASA EPSCoR program since it was established in 1994. “The funding for these two programs is validation of the great work being done by Nebraska’s students and faculty in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics across the state,” said Scott E. Tarry, Director of the NASA Nebraska Space Grant and EPSCoR programs. “The unique learning experiences provided through these programs are helping us inspire and support students who may not have pursued STEM majors and, just as important, are giving our best and brightest the opportunity to go even farther than they imagined they could.” Space Grant and NASA EPSCoR have funded a number of projects at UNO including Project HALON (High Altitude Learning Over Nebraska), which uses high altitude balloons to launch student experiments into “near space” to gather scientific data; NE STEM 4U, which seeks to expand STEM education to K-12 students through afterschool programming; Aim for the Stars, a science-based summer camp hosted at UNO; and the work of the UNO Biomechanics Research team to help astronauts rehabilitate after returning from space, just to name a few.
Dr. Angela Eikenberry Making Waves in Northern Ireland Dr. Angela Eikenberry, associate professor at UNO, has spent the past year in the United Kingdom as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Birmingham. While in the UK, she was invited to Philanthropy Fortnight, Northern Ireland’s biggest celebration of giving. During the celebration, Dr. Eikenberry presented her research on Giving Circles in East Belfast. Giving Circles involve individuals pooling together money or time, and dedicating their efforts and donations to a specified charity or community project. In her research, the number of Giving Circles in the UK has dramatically increased from 80 to 160 in the past two years. Dr. Eikenberry continues to make waves in the UK with her revolutionary findings. She will return to UNO mid-summer. A few of Dr. Eikenberry’s recent publications include: 1. Eikenberry, A. M., & Breeze, B. (In press). Growing philanthropy through collaboration: The landscape of giving circles in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Voluntary Sector Review. 2. Nickel, P. M., & Eikenberry, A. M. (In press). Knowing and governing: The mapping of the nonprofit and voluntary sector as statecraft. Voluntas. 3. Eikenberry, A. M. (In press). Social enterprise and democracy. For Critical Perspectives on Social Entrepreneurship, edited by Christopher Steyaert and Pascal Dey. Edward Elgar. 4. Eikenberry, A. M., & Bearman, J. (2014). Funding collaboratives. For New Frontiers in Philanthropy, edited by Lester Salamon. Jossey-Bass.
More information about the NASA Nebraska Space Grant can be found at ne.spacegrant.org. - Charley Reed, University Communications
Photograph: Paul Moane / Aurora
Master of Public Administration
Aviation Institute The spring 2015 semester was a very busy and successful semester for the Aviation Institute. It started with 12 students going to Washington, D.C., to attend the University Aviation Association Seminar on Establishing Aviation Policy. This program was led by Michaela Lucas from the NASA Nebraska Space Grant Office. Additionally, we had six students attend the annual Women in Aviation Conference in Dallas, Texas. Also at the conference, Scott Vlasek moderated a panel on the pilot shortage that included key players from American Airlines, Envoy Air, and Republic Airways. Finally, the UNO Flight Team, the Flying Mavs sponsored by Jet Linx Aviation, competed in their 6th straight National Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference hosted by Ohio State University and the National Intercollegiate Flying Association. Overall, the team placed 15th out of 29 and six students placed nationally in the top 20 in four different events. Four of those students placed in the top 10 in two different events. Dr. Becky Lutte and colleagues from University of North Dakota (UND) have conducted research on the impact of the Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) regulatory policy change on the U.S. pilot supply. This included a nationwide survey of students in collegiate aviation programs. They have been invited to present the preliminary results to several conferences and events. Becky participated in a panel at Ohio State at the National Pilot Supply Summit April 28. Her co-author, Kent Lovelace from UND, also presented the results at the World Aviation Training conference (WATS) and Regional Airline Association annual conference.
Congratulations to the 20 MPA students who just celebrated commencement! Our new group of alumni includes some with an international focus. Ki Chan Um specializes in Human Resources for the Seoul Metropolitan Government in Korea. Ki Chan moved to Omaha with his family for two years while completing his MPA. Fanyi Zeng completed our online program while conducting medical research in Shanghai, China; she also holds M.D. and Ph.D. degrees. We enjoyed seeing Fanyi at the commencement ceremonies. Thomas Brescia studied in Kazakhstan last summer, and chose to do research on that country’s transition to a new alphabet for his capstone project. Finally, Alan Millais is currently serving in the military in Afghanistan, where he completed his capstone study in the spring. We are very proud of all of our recent graduates, and wish you well in your careers! Another highlight of commencement was seeing Pete Festersen receive the Citation for Alumni Achievement. Pete received his MPA in 2009. He is currently the President of the Omaha City Council and has held a variety of leadership positions in government and the nonprofit and health sectors. Students who are interested in service in the federal government may want to consider applying for the prestigious Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) program. The PMF is a highly-competitive twoyear leadership development program. Catie Miller was in the select group of PMF finalists last year; she is now working for the Department of Housing and Urban Development in Portland, Oregon. Maggie Yancey was selected as a finalist this year.
- Scott Vlasek, Director of the Aviation Institute
- Dr. Carol Ebdon, MPA Program Chair
New SPA Faculty: Dr. Christopher Goodman Christopher B. Goodman joined the School of Public Administration in January 2015. He teaches courses related to public finance and policy analysis. He has taught Public Economy and Research Methods and will teach Public Budgeting in the fall semester. Goodman’s research interests include local public finance, federalism, political economy, and urban economics. Specifically, he is engaged in two main lines of research. The first examines the determinants and outcomes of the institutional arrangement of local governments. Why are cities and special districts created? Once created, what influence do these local governments have on other aspects of the local economy? The second is an analysis of sprawl and its continued influence on the fiscal affairs of local governments. Are sprawling areas expensive to provide public services (yes) and are these areas influencing the long-term fiscal sustainability of local areas (maybe). Also, are local government creation and sprawl related? These are just a handful of interesting questions he is currently working on. Goodman received a B.S. in political science from Kennesaw State University (2006), a Master of Public Administration with a specialization in public policy analysis from the University of Georgia (2008), and a Ph.D. in Public Administration and Policy from the University of Georgia (2012).
Master of Science in Urban Studies Chair of the Master of Science in Urban Studies, Dr. Bob Blair received the CPACS & the Alumni Association’s Excellence in Teaching Award, as well as the UNO Aviation Institute Outstanding Alumni Award for Public Service. Dr. Blair was also recently selected as an Honorary Member for the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) for distinguished public service.
SPA Highlights Farewell to Rhonda Rhonda Sheibal-Carver, long-time UNO employee and remarkable asset to the School of Public Administration, took on a new adventure in Sierra Vista, AZ, with her husband, Vic. Rhonda’s last day at UNO was May 8. Best wishes to you in your future pursuits, Rhonda! Faculty Book Published Dr. Christine Reed published her book, “Saving the Pryor Mountain Mustang: A Legacy of Local and Federal Cooperation.” Funding Between grants and contracts from School of Public Administration Faculty, nearly $300,000 of funding was secured! Lora Frecks, PhD Student Received the outstanding oral presentation award for the UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair. Published Faculty Just since August 2014, faculty have published 12 journal articles and seven book chapters. SPA Accomplishments 2014-2015 Check out the School’s accomplishments from the year - we’ll give you one hint: they’re awesome! Watch the presentation: http://bit.ly/1zVV44I
You Can Make a Difference Thanks to our generous donors, the School of Public Administration has five endowed funds available for student scholarships/fellowships. Application criteria and deadlines are announced through emails and on the SPA website. Please consider a gift to support scholarships for the School of Public Administration by visiting http://nufoundation.org. The Andrew Blair Memorial Fellowship was established by Associate Professor Robert Blair and his wife Barbara in memory of their son Andrew. Preference is given to individuals planning work with nonprofit organizations or the disabled. The Centennial Scholarship Fund was endowed primarily from alumni and students for use by graduate public administration students. The Mary Cornett Scholarship honors a longtime Omaha City Clerk who served over 50 years in public service and is awarded to an MPA student with a Public Management concentration. Preference is given to students with a demonstrated financial need. The Mary and Rodrigo Lopez Fellowship for Professional Development provides funding to engage in significant professional and career development activities. Mary Lopez retired as the School’s Career Services Director in 2011 and is an MPA alumna. The Nebraska City/County Management Association (NCMA) Scholarship is funded by the NCMA and is designed for MPA students in the Local Government concentration who have completed at least 12 hours in the program and are Nebraska residents.
Program Updates
Two Generations Linked by Public Service Of all familial relationships, the one shared between a mother and a daughter is unmistakably unique. Each woman brings memories from the relationship’s history, as well as the anticipation of a future where their roles will evolve over time. Upon meeting Edna Brooks and Patrice Pittman, you find that this mother and daughter not only share a past and a future, they share a powerful bond over public service in the present. Edna and Patrice grew up in Omaha, and are proud graduates of Omaha’s prestigious Central High School. Edna’s adult life has been defined by her interest and commitment to improving the world, and in the 1980s, as an employee of UNO, she discovered the Master of Public Administration degree and set her sights on advancing her passion for public service. This was also a period in the mother-daughter relationship where Edna found it best to begin exposing her public service passion to Patrice, which arrived in the form of joining her mother on assorted public service volunteering efforts – a memory that left both wearing their big and bright smiles.
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both Edna’s and Patrice’s views on public service. While the two speak passionately about how public service is defined by “giving back,” the two chose different paths to serve the public. Edna spent much of her career, and now much of her semi-retired life, helping people to better understand how to navigate government. As she explained, “They may not have been as fortunate as me to get educated on how government works, but getting the most from your government is not about fortune.” Patrice, on the other hand, expressed her passion for public service by being a successful public administrator for the federal government, currently a Contract Specialist for the National Park Service.
Edna earned her MPA from UNO in 1986, and Patrice earned her MPA almost one decade later in 1997. While the two share a considerable amount of similarities, one difference is that Patrice initially began as a graduate student in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Patrice shared how she enjoyed the courses, but found herself desiring something different from her graduate school experience. She spoke with deep appreciation as she recounted a conversation with Dr. B.J. Reed (current Senior Vice Chancellor) where she first began to understand the breadth of public administration – “I was hooked!” The diversity of public administration is something that spanned
The mother and daughter tandem have vivid memories of their times as students in the School of Public Administration. Edna shared how her relationships with former faculty member Dr. Willa Bruce and current SPA Director Dr. Ethel Williams, were transformative in helping her see the power of public administration to improve the world. Patrice spoke fondly of an Organizational Theory course with Dr. Gary Marshall, sharing that “I still use things I learned in that course…nearly twenty years later.”
I was hooked!
Edna and Patrice are emblematic of what the School of Public Administration emphasizes to students and partners, it is not enough to just do public administration, it is essential to live public service. The bond between a mother and a daughter is one of the most enriching relationships that either will ever experience. This mother and daughter build upon that bond with their commitment to public service, a commitment that benefits us all. - Anthony Campbell, Ph.D. Candidate
The Alumni Difference Your education at the University of Nebraska at Omaha is a fundamental part of your life today – impacting how you think, how you lead, the friends you have, and the network that supports you. As engaged alumni, you are vital members of the UNO community. School of Public Administration alumni continually contribute to the School through a variety of methods, including: participating in workshops and lectures, staying connected through social media, returning to campus to attend events, and giving. We encourage you to take a few minutes to read about a few of the ways you can continue to be involved. Speak – Promote UNO in the community or be a guest lecturer in the classroom. Sharing your professional and educational experience with students might significantly impact their career path. Serve – Join the Young Alumni Academy, Alumni Association Board of Directors, or provide mentorship to our current graduate students. We value your insight and expertise as we work to strengthen and grow our programs. Support – Attend athletic events, concerts and theater performances. Make a donation. Your encouragement truly makes a difference to our students, faculty, and staff. If you want to get involved, make a gift, or discuss other ideas you have to enhance the School of Public Administration, please contact: NU Foundation Tessa Barney, Director of Development 402.502.4103, tessa.barney@nufoundation.org UNO Alumni Association Elizabeth Kraemer, Director of Alumni Programming 402.554.4802, ekraemer@unoalumni.org School of Public Administration Megan Nelson, Career & Student Services Associate 402.554.4874, megnelson@unomaha.edu You may also find more information online at nufoundation.org and unoalumni.org. - Tessa Barney, NU Foundation
Alumni
ACCOMPLISHMENTS Recent MPA Alumna, Maggie Yancey (2014), received the Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF). The PMF Program is a prestigious two-year training and development program at a United States government agency, administered by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), for U.S. citizens with a recent graduate degree. Congrats, Maggie! Ann O’Connor, MPA Alumna, has been appointed President of Roncalli Catholic High School, effective July 1, 2015. Ann will assume the role of President with a unique understanding of, and appreciation for, the Roncalli Catholic community. Ann is a Roncalli Catholic alumnus and has continued to be involved at Roncalli Catholic as a member of the board of education and the finance committee. Sarah Sjolie was named the new executive director of Live Well Omaha to begin early June. She earned her MPA from UNO. She is a scholar of the UNMC Great Plains Public Health Leadership Institute, a Midlands Business Journal “40 Under 40” recipient, and co-chairs a statewide healthy policy change organization, Nebraska Action for Healthy Kids.
News to share? We would love to hear from you! Submit your update and photo here: http://bit.ly/1QFmsb4 UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT OMAHA
SCHOOL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
CREDITS Editor Megan Nelson Associate Editors Lizz Barnhart Meagan Van Gelder Contributors Tessa Barney Bob Blair Anthony Campbell Carol Ebdon Angela Eikenberry Chris Goodman Gary Marshall Charley Reed Lyndsey Rice Scott Tarry Scott Vlasek Ethel Williams
STORY IDEAS
Submit story ideas and updates for the next issue of The Exchange to Megan Nelson at megnelson@unomaha.edu.
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