School of Public Administration Annual Report 2018-2019

ANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019

The School of Public Administration (SPA) at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) offers award-winning, nationally-ranked programs on campus and online.

Whether it is preparing the next generation of pilots, emergency managers, public and nonprofit professionals, or honing the skills of public managers--preparing students for public service careers is what we do.

This is a highlight of our many accomplishments during the 2018-2019 academic year.

Enjoy the read!

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ACCESS TO EXCEP TIONAL

CONNECTIONS UNO’s network of Mavericks stretches across Omaha and beyond.

You’ll have access to programs that lead to internships, careers, and lifelong relationships within a thriving, global community of Mavericks. At UNO, sharing ideas and discovering your purpose are only limited by your imagination.

See where your connections lead you.

[ BE aM AV.C OM/L E A R NMOR E ]

WELCOME Hello and welcome to our School of Public Administration! We had a very busy year last year, including hiring five new faculty. These faculty, who you will read more about later, cover a broad spectrum of areas, including emergency management, nonprofit finance, urban studies and administrative law. We look forward to their contributions as the SPA grows and evolves. We also had a school-wide Program Review and went through reaccreditation for our MPA Program. In both case, reviewers left impressed with our programming. One of my favorite lines in our Program Review is, “The faculty, staff and students should be, and are, rightfully proud of SPA’s accomplishments, performance and impact.”

Each Program/Institute in the School has had a great year. Highlights include: • The Aviation Institute’s UNO Flight Team won the Region VI National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference (SAFECON) for the second year in a row in October.

• Emergency Management and Disaster Science now has a new name, and is about to embark on graduating another record high graduating class.

• The Master of Public Administration just completed a successful re-accreditation process, and continues to soar with their impressive national rankings— ranked as high as #4 in Public Budgeting and Finance, with a ranking of #25 overall.

• The Master of Science in Urban Studies graduated one of its largest classes in May and, in partnership with the Nebraska City Managers Association (NCMA), planned the 3rd annual UNO alumni reception in Baltimore, MD. • The PhD Program had a 100% success rate for our graduates who placed in academic positions this past year.

• In Professional Programs, the first cohort of the Emerging Nonprofit Leadership Certificate was launched, and students have already successfully completed their certificate.

At the program-level, we are, once again, going through some leadership changes. Dr. Carol Ebdon, to whom I am grateful for effectively leading us through the reaccreditation process, is stepping down as MPA Program Chair and in Fall, 2019, Dr. Tara Bryan will be assuming that role. Similarly, Dr. Robert Blair is stepping down as Master of Urban Studies Chair and the position is shifting to our new colleague, Dr. Daniel Scheller.

Drs. Bryan and Scheller have exciting ideas about these programs and we look forward to their leadership.

I have often said that one of the unique attributes of UNO is that SPA faculty rarely leave which says volumes about the organization’s culture. The down side, however, is that when a colleague does leave, they take with them a good deal of institutional knowledge. This is case with Dr. Christine Reed, who joined our faculty in 1982 and retired in May, 2019. Dr. Reed has been a true leader in the profession, at UNO (serving as Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies), and most importantly SPA. A colleague of Dr. Reed’s caliber is irreplaceable. Fortunately for us, she plans to remain active and has promised to keep a presence on campus. We are grateful to her for her years of service and wish her a wonderful retirement.

We have much to be proud of. Here’s to another exciting and fulfilling year in the School of Public Administration!

Craig Maher, PhD Director, School of Public Administration University of Nebraska at Omaha 4

SPA FACULTY & STAFF PROFESSORS

Robert Blair, Master of Science in Urban Studies Program Chair Yu-Che Chen, Director, Global Digital Governance Lab Carol Ebdon, Master of Public Administration Program Chair, Regents/Foundation Professor, NAPA Fellow Angela Eikenberry, PhD Program Chair, David C. Scott Diamond Alumni Professor of Public Affairs Mary Hamilton, Senior Executive in Residence Craig Maher, Director, School of Public Administration Gary Marshall, Public Administration Theory Christine Reed, Faculty Fellow NU Daugherty Water for Food Institute Scott Tarry, Director, Aviation Institute and NASA Space Grant

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS A. Bryce Hoflund, Health Care Policy and Food Policy Jooho Lee, Associate Director, Global Digital Governance Lab Daniel Scheller, Master of Science in Urban Studies Program Chair (incoming)

ASSISTANT PROFESSORS Jodi Benenson, Policy and Nonprofit Management DeeDee Bennett, Emergency Management and Disaster Science Program Tara Bryan, Nonprofit Management Christopher Goodman, Local Public Finance and Urban Policy Nuriel Heckler, Administrative Law, Nonprofit, Social Equity Trang Hoang, Public and Nonprofit Budgeting and Finance, HR Management Chenyu “Victor” Huang, Aviation Institute Tom Jamieson, Emergency Management and Disaster Science Hans Louis-Charles, Director, Emergency Management and Disaster Science Program Rebecca Lutte, Aviation Institute Njoki Mwarumba, Emergency Management and Disaster Science

INSTRUCTIONAL FACULTY Lowell “Skip” Bailey, Aviation Institute Tyler Davis, Emergency Management and Disaster Science Program Joe Mancuso, Emergency Management and Disaster Science Program Scott Vlasek, Aviation Institute Eduardo Zendejas, Tribal Management and Emergency Services Jordan Zendejas, Tribal Management and Emergency Services

SUPPORT STAFF Nicki Allen, Emergency Management and Disaster Science Program Ellen Freeman-Wakefield, Director of SPA Professional Programs Sarah Krafka, Tribal Management and Emergency Services Gayle Lokey, Aviation Institute Sara Martin, Aviation Institute Megan Nelson, School of Public Administration Lyndsey Rice, Emergency Management and Disaster Science Program Sue Troester, School of Public Administration Meagan Van Gelder, School of Public Administration

Nuriel Heckler Assistant Professor Administrative Law, Nonprofit, Social Equity

Trang T. Hoang Assistant Professor Public and Nonprofit Budgeting, Financial Management

Daniel Scheller Associate Professor Chair, Master of Science in Urban Studies

NEW FACES IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION & URBAN STUDIES

-San Juana Paramo, School of Public Administration

The School of Public Administration welcomed two new assistant professors, Drs. Nuriel Heckler and Trang Hoang, and a new associate professor and Chair of the Master of Science in Urban Studies Program, Dr. Daniel Scheller.

nonprofit financial management and public management with a focus on representative bureaucracy and organizational performance.

Dr. Daniel Scheller is an urbanist who specializes in community development. His main research interests are in the areas of urban policy and governance. Scheller is excited to be in Omaha, and in the School of Public Administration. His goal is to become intertwined in the community, and to grow the Master of Science in Urban Studies Program.

Dr. Nuriel Heckler specializes in administrative law, nonprofit and social equity. His research focuses on how public service organizations—nonprofits, social enterprises, and governments—negotiate the institutions that surround public service.

Dr. Trang Hoang specializes in public and nonprofit budgeting and financial management. Her research and teaching interests are in the areas of public and 6

A TRIBUTE TO DR. CHRIS REED -Drs. Mary Hamilton and Carol Ebdon, School of Public Administration

It is with great pleasure and enthusiasm to share that Dr. Chris Reed is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) Nebraska Chapter.

Dr. Reed has spent her entire career supporting and promoting public service nationally and locally. Before she joined the faculty at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), she was employed by the Bureau of Government Research at the University of Rhode Island. She also worked for the National Community Development Association and later the Policy Studies Division of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, DC. Her Ph.D. is from Brown University.

Dr. Reed joined the UNO faculty in 1982. During her 37 years at UNO she has had a variety of positions: Associate Dean of Graduate Studies for five years; interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Interim Dean of Graduate Studies.

Chris is an associate member of the American Bar Association and past chair of two sections of ASPA: the Section on Public Law and Administration and the Section on Environmental and Natural Resource Administration.

These are two areas that she cares deeply about and she inspires her students with her love of the law and the environment.

Drs. Chris and BJ Reed at the UNO Alumni Night of Honor in October of 2018.

and highly ranked with excellent alumni. More recently, Chris has been a major force in revising and revitalizing our Master of Science in Urban Studies Program. She is also collaborating with the Resilience Working Group at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), and is serving as Interim Director of the UNO Center for Urban Sustainability, as well as Chair of the UNO Sustainability Committee. Chris definitely walks the talk.

Chris’ research focuses on environmental ethics and the public management of wild horses in the U.S. She is engaged in research on collaborative environmental governance and the management of common pool resources.

For all these reasons and many more, we are proud to share that our dear friend and colleague is the most recent recipient of the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Nebraska Chapter of ASPA.

Thanks to Chris, our School revived the fledgling Doctoral program several years ago. That program is now thriving

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AVIATION INSTITUTE Aviation student, Madchen (Maddy) Petry, prepares to take flight at the Council Bluffs Airport.

UNO is home to one of the nation’s best-kept secrets in the sky: its Aviation Institute. Since its inception in 1990, the Institute has soared to great heights, offering students flight instruction and education in the many facets of aviation such as air traffic control, airport management, ground operations and security. How far can you soar with a degree in aviation? The faculty, students and graduates of the Aviation Institute will tell you—the sky’s not even the limit.

Flying Mavs Place First Regionally for Second-Consecutive Year -Charley Steed, University Communications

For the second year in a row, UNO’s competitive flight team, the Flying Mavs, took home first place at the Region VI National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference (SAFECON) competition.

Oklahoma State University (135), by a significant margin.

UNO also dominated, winning both the Flight Events Championship and Ground Events Championship.

As the first-place team, the Flying Mavs have earned a spot at the national SAFECON competition where, previously, they placed eighth among all university teams in the country - the team’s highest finish in history. This will mark the 10th consecutive year UNO has made it to the national SAFECON contest.

This year’s event was hosted by Kansas State University Polytechnic, based in Salina, Kansas, from Saturday, Oct. 13, through Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018.

With a total of 225 points, UNO outpaced the next highest finishers, Kansas State Polytechnic (150) and

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“I am so proud of this team,” said Scott Vlasek, lecturer

for the Aviation Institute and faculty advisor for the Flying Mavs. “They faced some adversary at the start of the year and came though very strong. For the second year in a row to take the Flight, Ground, and SAFECON Championship events is a true testament to the dedication of the students on this team.”

Additional Aviation Institute highlights include: • The Aviation Institute Exploring Post 518 hosted 24 high school students from across the metro area this year in the Aviation Exploring program. The students visited Oracle Aviation, Jet Linx Aviation, Duncan Aviation, Advanced Air, and the UNO Aviation Institute. The program culminated in March with students going on a discovery flight at the Council Bluffs Airport.

Leading the way individually for the Flying Mavs was captain and senior Tate Beller, who placed first among all contestants for the second consecutive year with 71 points and first among all pilots with 56 points. Collectively, Beller placed first or second in four competitions: Computer Accuracy, Navigation, Short Field Landing and Simulated Comprehensive Aircraft Navigation.

• In July of 2018, the 23rd annual Jet Linx Aviation Institute Golf Classic was held to raise money for students in our program. This year over $53,000 was raised to support student programs and scholarships. The 24th Annual event will be held on Monday, July 22, 2019 at the Players Club at Deer Creek. Visit http://jlaigolfclassic.com for more information.

Also from UNO, Leighton Kaluza earned third place overall with 33 points; Brendan Simmons tied for fifth with 32 points; and Nicholas Scholz joined Nick Newstrom to earn an 11th-place tie. Altogether, UNO placed five students in the top 15.

Aviation Institute Welcomes Naval Aviator to Instructional Staff helicopters. He also served at the Pentagon on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations and in Pensacola as an Advanced Helicopter Flight Instructor.

Eric is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and he also received a graduate degree from some aviation university in Florida.

Born in California and raised in Portland, Oregon, Eric is married to Melissa Taylor, who is vice president for enterprise special projects at Mutual of Omaha. Eric and Melissa are very active in the community. Eric serves on the Board of Directors for Girls, Inc. and also serves as a liaison for the Naval Academy.

Eric Taylor joins the UNO Aviation Institute this academic year.

The Aviation Institute is pleased to announce that Eric Taylor has joined the faculty as an instructor in the Professional Flight program.

Eric comes to UNO from the United States Navy where he served for 22 years as a naval aviator, flying the SH60B Seahawk and the TH-57B/C Bell Jet Ranger

With every inch of snow this winter, we worry that Eric will retreat to San Diego where he lived before moving to Omaha, but we also think he’s got a pretty good gig here working with our students at UNO and flight instructing at Millard airport.

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Alumna and NASA Staffer Receives CPACS Alumni Award -Theresa Barron-McKeagney, CPACS Associate Dean

Michaela Lucas is associate director of the NASA Nebraska Space Grant and Nebraska EPSCor Program. This program funds students and faculty to engage in NASA-related projects such as university robotics competitions, rocket and space station payload development, high altitude ballooning, and more. Michaela developed the Nebraska Space Ambassador program in 2013. This elite group of Nebraska educators offers training to increase the STEM skills of other teachers. She partners with the Astronauts Memorial Foundation in hosting a premier educator conference at NASA Kennedy Space Center each summer.

Michaela Lucas, NASA Nebraska Space Grant, received the 2019 Aviation Institute’s CPACS Alumni Award.

Previously, she served as a full-time instructor of Aviation and senior research associate at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where she taught aviation safety, diversity in aviation, introduction to aviation and aerospace, and other courses. She served as director for a national aviation policy seminar for university students in Washington, D.C. Michaela continues to teach as an aviation adjunct instructor for UNO. Michaela is dedicated to inspiring young women toward careers in aviation and aerospace. She has attended the annual conference since 1993 and has sponsored students to attend since 1995. Michaela has served as faculty advisor for the UNO Women in Aviation Chapter since its inception in 2000. The Chapter received the UNO Outstanding Student Organization Award in 2006 and Michaela received the UNO Outstanding Advisor Award in 2005 and 2013.

Two-Time CPACS Alum Named Outstanding Public Administrator of the Year -Dr. Rebecca Lutte, Aviation Institute

In April of 2019, the Nebraska Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration named College of Public Affairs and Community Service (CPACS) alum, Steve McCoy, Outstanding Public Administrator of the Year.

McCoy’s nominator, Dr. Rebecca Lutte, writes, “Mr. McCoy has a long and distinguished career in airport management and currently serves as the Director of Air Service & Business Development for the Omaha Airport Authority. McCoy has worked for the Omaha Airport Authority for 16 years and through his proven leadership qualities and dedication to public transportation improvements, he has continuously risen through the ranks at the airport to his current position.

His commitment to maintaining the highest professional standards is evident through his accomplishment of earning the Accredited Airport Executive (A.A.E.) certification from the Airport Association of Airport Executives. Earning the certification is a highly sought after credential in the field and involves a challenging process which includes an examination, research, and culminates in an interview, under the guidance of a regional director, with a panel of certified airport

executives.”

McCoy earned his Bachelor of Science in Aviation Administration and MPA from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

During Steve’s tenure at the Omaha Airport Authority, air transportation service out of Omaha has thrived.

Such service is an essential component of trade and tourism and for reaching smaller communities throughout the state. As an example of the growth, in 2018, Omaha Eppley Airfield serviced a record 5 million passengers, a 9.4% increase from the prior year.

We are proud to share that Steve McCoy is this year’s recipient of the Outstanding Public Administrator of the Year Award.

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NASA NEBRASKA SPACE GRANT AND EPSCOR Space Law Pilot Program: The NASA Nebraska Space Grant received the sole Space Law Pilot Program grant from NASA. Through this grant, students representing over 45 law schools received funding to attend conferences focused on space law, competed for 8 paid internship positions at NASA Centers, and attended a space law-focused research workshop with the aim of increasing new scholarship in space law.

NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for a 2-day professional development workshop, including an overview of virtual reality tours, virtual events, and launch week experiences.

Educators departed with curriculum activities including the Crew Orbital Docking (CODing) Simulation, Eggstronaut Parachute Challenge, online educator and student badging, Sound on a String investigation, and how to stay connected with Commercial Crew.

SPACE Conference:

ISS Experiment: NASA Nebraska EPSCoR is proud to have a payload on the International Space Station (ISS). This is our second experiment on ISS and was launched on SpaceX CRS16 December 5, 2018. Dr. Gloria Borgstahl and her team at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) received funding from NASA EPSCoR for the project Growth of Large, Perfect Protein Crystals for Neutron Crystallography (Perfect Crystals). Perfect Crystals crystallizes an antioxidant protein found inside the human body to analyze its shape. This research may shed light on how the protein helps protect the human body from ionizing radiation and oxidants created as a byproduct of metabolism. For best results, analysis requires large crystals with minimal imperfections, which are more easily produced in the microgravity environment of the space station.

In July 2018, the first annual SPACE Conference for Educators was held at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, co-hosted by the NASA Nebraska Space Grant Consortium and the Astronaut Memorial Foundation. Teachers were able to mingle with 5 astronauts, tour the Kennedy Space Center facilities, and attended interactive, hands-on sessions with acclaimed teacher specialists. Registration for July 2019 has already surpassed last year’s attendance.

NASA CCP VR Training: NASA selected the Nebraska Space Grant to host its first nationwide Commercial Crew Program Virtual Reality training.

Teachers from as far as Alaska and the U.S. Virgin Islands convened on the UNO campus with education specialists from

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EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

AND DISASTER SCIENCE The Bachelor of Emergency Management and Disaster Science from UNO is intended to academically prepare students for employment in the public sector at the local, state, or federal level of government, in numerous agencies, while performing emergency planning, mitigation, response, recovery, and prevention. With a degree in Emergency Management and Disaster Science, students are equipped to plan and respond with the best.

Meet Our New Faculty Members

Kenya. She enjoys cooking because it brings friends and family together.

-Nicki Allen, Emergency Management and Disaster Science

Dr. Tom Jamieson’s primary area of research is how people think, feel, and act during periods of crisis or in the event of a disaster. He earned his Ph.D. in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Southern California. Before that, Dr. Jamieson received his Master of Arts in Media Studies at the Victoria University of Wellington.

Drs. Njoki Mwarumba and Tom Jamieson were recently hired as Assistant Professors in the Emergency Management and Disaster Science Program.

Dr. Mwarumba’s primary research field includes global public health disasters, mobile phone use in health disasters, complex emergencies, and social vulnerability.

Dr. Mwarumba received her Ph.D. in Fire and Emergency Management from Oklahoma State University’s Department of Political Science. Early in her Ph.D. program, Dr. Mwarumba had the opportunity to consult with MedPrep Consultants on a USAID grant as a pandemic preparedness curriculum developer and facilitator for Kenya and Cambodia’s national pandemic preparedness conference. Before that, she earned her Master of Science in Hospitality Administration from Oklahoma State.

Dr. Mwarumba is a strong leader in disaster response. She volunteers at the American Red Cross as a National Response Team Member. Since starting with the Red Cross in 2013, Dr. Mwarumba has been able to deploy during recent hurricane seasons. In 2017 she volunteered as a government operations liaison at the Emergency Operations Center in Orange County, South Texas, and later as a shelter lead in St. Thomas, American Virgin Islands.

In 2018 she volunteered as shelter staff in South Carolina and government operations liaison in Mariana Emergency Operations Center, Jackson, Florida. Dr. Mwarumba is from 12

After receiving his Ph.D., Dr. Jamieson was hired by the University of Waterloo in Ontario as a visiting researcher. He is currently working with Doug Van Belle on understanding the politics of disaster risk reduction and the conditions that are needed for disaster risk reductions to be adopted in vulnerable communities.

Different types of disaster risk reductions could be anything from implementing building codes, increasing community awareness, partnering with disaster relief organizations, or adopting policies or procedures in the public sector. He is also working on understanding the conditions under which people search for information about politics, and how this influences people’s political knowledge, their ability to make accurate predictions about politics, and their attitudes about politics. Lastly, Dr. Jamieson, along with Therese Anders and Julianne Phillips, is presently looking at understanding when and why individuals and states provide international emergency aid to disaster affected states.

Tom is from New Zealand. He loves to spend time with family and friends. He also enjoys listening to music and going to concerts.

UNO alum Nicholas Walsh and EMDS student Lexy Hindt in the Nebraska State Emergency Operations Center.

EMDS Student Offers a Helping Hand with Flood Relief -San Juana, School of Public Administration

Lexy Hindt, an Emergency Management and Disaster Science student, offered a helping hand with Flood Relief through an internship with the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

She says the best way to help with flood relief is to contact the Red Cross or Salvation Army. She expects individuals in the agency to work with flood relief for a longer than her internship.

Hindt was stationed in the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) where she attended meetings, ran papers and answered phone calls. “It was surreal to be a part of,” Lexy says.

“I will likely be helping with this until the end of my internship, but I hope much longer than that,” Hindt says.

To anyone else wanting to get hands-on experience and “dig deep in to all aspects of emergency management,” Hindt recommends working with NEMA.

Hindt says her education at UNO not only prepared her for her internship but it was also reflective and accurate of what occurs in the SEOC during disasters.

“It was really cool for me to see everything I have learned come together all at once,” Hindt says. “My degree has definitely helped prepare me for a career in emergency management, as we have been taught in depth a majority of everything that occurs within NEMA and the SEOC.”

Hindt’s experience working with NEMA showed her that she’s on the right career path.

“This event and internship has shown me that I am in the right career field and that I do want to work in Operations at the State or Federal level after graduation,” Hindt says.

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INSIDE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT INTERNSHIPS: ALI REIL Why did you choose Emergency Management and Disaster Science as your major?

able to further understand the endless definitions of humanity and the beauty of the Earth that we live on. I could not ask for more.

As a kid I loved the movie “Twister,� read books over the Titanic sinking, and got excited during power outages. My parents were probably a little concerned by those fascinations.

Regardless, that natural curiosity to understand commonly feared events led me to a truly rewarding undergraduate experience.

Tell us about your internship experience. What interests you most about the organization, and how does your major fit in with the internship?

Disasters inherently involve the interaction of the natural world and the communities that humans create. My major has required me to understand that intricate interaction. I can think critically about cultural context, vulnerable population characteristics, research resilient power sources for urban spaces, visualize Census data through GIS software, create hazard rating equations and rating systems, and collaborate within a community of diverse actors.

So, why did I choose Emergency Management and Disaster Science as my major? I get to continually develop my core skill set to positively impact future generations, all while being 14

I currently work as a Business Analyst Intern with National Indemnity Company, a property and casualty insurance provider based out of downtown Omaha. The insurance industry involves more moving parts than I had expected, which has really interested me. As a Business Analyst Intern, I am able to examine how hazards threaten the ability for the company to continue their operations, including offices from across the contiguous United States. I am most interested by the variance in hazard mitigation planning across local jurisdictions. No two hazard mitigation plans look the same. For that reason, I have developed a standardized hazard analysis tool to assess the risks present at each of the company’s office locations and been able to apply my education.

What is the most rewarding aspect of the internship?

The most rewarding aspect of this internship has been the trust that my supervisor places in my ability to apply concepts I have been learning for years within my program of study. Being affirmed from professionals is incredibly rewarding and encouraging for my future in the field. I have also been given the space to mess up a little, be corrected, and learn from that without serious consequence. My supervisor has also been unbelievably supportive and provided great guidance.

What is the most challenging aspect of the internship?

Much of my education in Emergency Management and Disaster Science has been based in the public sector and understanding how public entities function in disasters. Since National Indemnity Company is a private institution, their approach to resilience planning and related efforts are inherently unique to their needs.

For example, the planning structure used in private industry may reflect a more extensive focus and dependence on technological resilience. These cultureclash challenges provide endless learning opportunities.

Specifically, I feel better prepared to engage in cross-sector collaboration.

How has this experience impacted your career after graduation and beyond?

The experience I have gained during my time as an intern makes me better prepared for a career when I graduate.

The skills and lessons I have gained can be applied universally to any career I go into. Overall, this experience has made me feel confident in my abilities and that matters most of all.

Speaking of graduation ... what are your plans once you have completed your degree?

After graduating on May 3rd I will be continuing my employment with National Indemnity. It has been 18 years of constant school, so I am going to enjoy life for a year without the worry of homework, papers, or speeches to give. By the fall semester of 2020 I will be pursuing a master’s degree in either Public Administration or Urban Studies. My driving goal is to start a nonprofit which provides affordable and accessible business continuity and disaster recovery planning services to small local businesses and other local nonprofits.

Alumni Spotlight: Amanda Fox -Nicki Allen, Emergency Management and Disaster Science

After graduating from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in December of 2016, with a Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management, Fox moved to Wisconsin. She started a job as the Emergency Management Specialist for the Manitowoc County Emergency Services Division.

In Manitowoc, the Emergency Services Division encompasses three key components: Emergency Management, the Joint Dispatch Center, and the HAZMAT team. Because the county is in close proximity to a nuclear power plant, Fox frequently collaborates with the plant’s emergency preparedness team.

Fox is the lead exercise planner and grant administrator for the county.

Fox is most passionate about her role with community outreach and exercise planning. Her passion stems from reading Amanda Ripley’s book, “The Unthinkable.” The nonfiction book had a huge impact on Fox, helping her determine the importance of community outreach projects.

Fox is fulfilling a crucial role as an emergency manager by reaching out to the community about preparedness and planning.

When asked about advice for current and future emergency management students, Fox emphasized the importance of taking the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Emergency Management Institute (EMI) courses offered online.

She said, “Take as many as you can! Those certificates will move you to the top of the resume pile and you’ll be much closer to getting state-certified as an emergency manager.”

She also highly recommends speaking up in class. “Getting involved in the classroom is a great way to demonstrate what you know and a chance to learn more,” says Fox. The EMDS Program is proud of the work Fox is doing with her Emergency Management degree!

#25 NATIONAL RANKING #4

PUBLIC BUDGETING AND FINANCE

#8

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

#11

NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT

#35

PUBLIC MANAGEMENT

LEARN MORE: SPA.UNOMAHA.EDU

MASTER OF PUBLIC

ADMINISTRATION A master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Nebraska at Omaha is more than just a professional degree. It’s a gateway to transforming society through a career in public service. It’s a chance to develop your own intellectual identity. It’s a way to gain exposure to people who are already guiding communities, operating nonprofit agencies or helping others in emergency services.

MPA Alum, Alex Bauer, States Importance of Graduate Degree in Recent World-Herald Article -Tim Winters, Omaha World-Herald

(Portions of this article below appeared in the Omaha WorldHerald on Wednesday, Oct. 3) Alex Bauer, 25, was graduating with an undergraduate degree in international studies when she attended (an earlier) Graduate School Expo.

She said she was thinking of working toward an advanced degree in public administration and found it helpful to get information about other graduate programs.

Talking with professors and especially other students at the expo who also would be in public administration classes reassured her about her choice and the “best fit” for her.

Bauer now works as a research and evaluation associate at the Sherwood Foundation in Omaha.

Her Master of Public Administration degree from the UNO School of Public Administration, she said, helped set her apart from others who had similar backgrounds but did not have an advanced degree. She also gained valuable experience while working as a graduate assistant.

Bauer said she looked at similar graduate programs at other universities. But after weighing the pros and cons of those programs, “I couldn’t justify paying more” for what she could get at UNO. She praised the affordability of UNO and said she was able to graduate debt-free.

First-Ever Paul Posner Pracademic Award Presented to SPA’s Dr. Carol Ebdon -University Communications

The Association for Budgeting and Financial Management has awarded Dr. Carol Ebdon the 2018 Paul Posner Pracademic Award, honoring her lifetime achievement in the field.

UNO’s School of Public Administration Ranks Among Best in Field -Sam Petto, University Communications

Students looking for exceptional education in public affairs will find just that at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) College of Public Affairs and Community Service (CPACS) according to the new 2020 “Best Graduate Schools Rankings” from U.S. News and World Report.

The new rankings place UNO’s overall public administration programming tied at No. 25 in the nation. Several specialty public administration areas were also ranked highly.

Public Finance and Budgeting tied at No. 4 Local Government tied at No. 8 Nonprofit Management No. 11 Public Management No. 35 CPACS Dean John Bartle said the recognition for his college’s programs, based on peer surveys, highlight the programs’ quality and reliability.

“It’s no surprise to see UNO ranked alongside institutions like Duke, Georgetown, Wisconsin and Maryland,” Bartle said.

“We have hired a world-class faculty, and carefully crafted the curriculum to be rigorous and relevant. And while we are nationally ranked, we are also locally engaged: our faculty and students work closely with community partners, nonprofits and governments.”

Ebdon is a Regents/Foundation Professor within the School of Public Administration at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) where she also serves as the MPA Program Chair. In 2004, Ebdon left UNO to work as the Finance Director for the City of Omaha before returning back to UNO in 2009.

The Paul Posner Pracademic Award is presented to honor lifetime achievement for significant contributions to the field of budgeting and financial management as both a practitioner and an academic. The award is not given out annually, but when an exemplary candidate is nominated and ultimately approved by the Paul Posner Pracademic Award Committee.

Ebdon is the inaugural recipient of the award.

“I’ve been fortunate in my career to have the opportunity to move back and forth between academia and local government service,” Ebdon said. “Making direct connections between theory and practice is very useful in an applied field like public administration. My experience as a public administrator has informed my teaching and research, and vice versa.”

“This award is a tremendous honor. It is named in honor of Paul Posner who was an exemplary role model as an executive at the U.S. General Accountability Office for several decades as well as a highly-respected scholar.”

Ebdon was honored at the awards luncheon at the Association’s annual conference in Denver on Friday, Oct. 5, 2018.

Deborah Smith-Howell, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean of graduate studies, said the new numbers reflect the intention UNO brings to graduate programming.

“Call it the Maverick way: we recruit faculty who are the best at what they do to develop leaders and equip them to make a difference in their communities and organizations,” Smith-Howell said. “Add cutting-edge research and applied community service and you can see why our graduate programs consistently keep earning these kinds of honors.”

Paul Posner Pracademic Award Winner, Dr. Carol Ebdon of the UNO School of Public Administration.

The topic was on policy migration and each group was assigned a mock country that they represented within an international coalition. Each member of the group was assigned a role that required different policy decisions to be made. I assumed the role of Minister of Labor which required me to make decisions on whether we provided jobs, education/ training, loan services and other programs that would increase immigration employment and strengthen our country’s GDP. The competition included students from various schools across the nation. The members of my team all met for the first time on the day of the competition and had very little time to interact face to face before the competition began. My team placed 3rd overall at the UT-Austin site, and was the topscoring hybrid team.

What was the most challenging aspect of the competition?

The most challenging aspect of the competition were the time restrictions. After each round of the simulation, the time to make policy decisions is reduced. This made it difficult to forecast the effects of policy decisions and coordinate those decisions with the delegates from the other countries. At the end of the simulation we were given 40 minutes to write a policy memo and prepare a presentation for the judges.

We had to know our information and be comfortable while presenting our policy decisions to the judges.

What was the most rewarding aspect of competing?

The most rewarding aspects of competing was being able to interact with students from other universities who also hope to be public administrators in the future. Overall, the biggest reward was the confidence gained from finding success in an area that I did not feel entirely comfortable about going in.

MPA Student Spotlight: Joseph Harris -Megan Nelson, School of Public Administration

Not only a great student, but an ambitious one at that— Joseph Harris, a current graduate student of the University of Nebraska at Omaha School of Public Administration is proudly pursuing his Master of Public Administration. In addition to furthering his education, he is up for challenges. One of the most recent adventures was representing the UNO School of Public Administration as a participant in the NASPAA Simulation at the University of Texas-Austin, LBJ School of Public Administration.

How do you plan to use this experience moving forward?

This experience highlighted the importance of understanding the effects of decision-making which is an essential role of a public administrator. This is why it is necessary to analyze data and outline both the direct and indirect impacts certain policies may potentially have on all stakeholders within the region. It also highlighted the need to collaborate at all levels, rather that’s between individual agencies or entire nations.

Catch this exclusive look at the competition, and Joseph’s crucial role as a representative of the UNO School of Public Administration.

Tell us about the NASPAA Simulation. Who was involved, how were you selected, etc.

I was selected to attend the NASPAA Simulation by my graduate advisor (Meagan Van Gelder), based off my history of student involvement on campus during both my undergraduate and graduate career. Being an active member of student government for two years presented many opportunities to network and engage other students, which helped prepare me for this type of environment.

Would you recommend the simulation experience to others?

I would absolutely recommend the simulation experience, because it allows students to step out of the classroom and into a world where your overall judgment as a decisionmaker is challenged. For students who hope to be public administrators or in upper management as a whole, being forced to make trade-offs and constantly weigh decisions that have a seemingly endless number of unknown variables is an invaluable experience.

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MPA Alumni Spotlight: Jeff Lehmkuhl

Our esteemed MPA graduate, Jeff Lehmkuhl, was recently featured in the UNO Magazine. Read on for his perspective on completing his degree online while serving our country.

My today started when I realized my leadership skills were building blocks.

After serving my country with tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, I was equipped with the fundamentals. But I knew there was room to grow and more to learn. At the University of Nebraska at Omaha, I found a highly ranked program available online that worked with me while overseas and helped develop the skills I apply in my role each day. Thanks to my advanced degree, I’m able to use my leadership and managerial expertise to tackle administrative challenges. And I’m excited to see my opportunities continue to grow today and tomorrow.

MPA Alum, Jeff Lehmkuhl. Photo credit: NU Online.

NASPAA Self-Study Report Findings -Meagan Van Gelder, School of Public Administration

based organizations. Alumni noted that “the faculty walk the talk.”

After a year-long self study of the MPA Program and after a thorough review from NASPAA’s site team who visited our campus in January---a painfully freezing cold January---the site team found the MPA Program to be doing stellar work in several areas. Please see the strengths observed in the program:

3. The program values and faculty members operationalize a very strong integration/synthesis of all elements of its mission.

As a result, each element of their mission is informed by the other elements in a clearly intentional and institutional fashion.

1. Within the MPA program, there is a very strong sense of collegiality and mutual support. This climate and culture is well established and has been maintained during a period of substantial transition. Support for junior faculty is widely recognized and appreciated.

4. The MPA has a recognized statewide presence as an “advocate” for good government.

5. Students and alumni commend the program not only for its rigor, but also for its “real world” application.

2. There is a strong commitment to engagement with the city and state government, nonprofit agencies, and community21

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN

URBAN STUDIES The Master of Science in Urban Studies (MSUS) is the degree for individuals desiring to make a difference in urban areas. This professional degree trains leaders to critically analyze urban problems and to engage residents in the creation of innovative solutions to conditions in the human community, built environment and natural systems.

ICMA Student Chapter Takes Trip to Blair for Inside City Mechanics Tour -Clayton Keller, Chapter President, UNO Student Chapter International City/County Management Association (ICMA)

On March 30, 2019, students earning their master’s in public administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) went on a tour of Blair, Nebraska, several of them members of the student chapter of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). They were accompanied by the faculty advisor of the chapter, Dr. Robert “Bob” Blair, and the chapter mentor, Blair Assistant City Manager Phil Green.

Following a successful tour of Bellevue, Nebraska in November 2018 with then-city administrator Joe Mangiamelli, Dr. Blair and chapter president Clayton Keller felt it would be beneficial to continue organizing tours as a way to connect students with the profession. Connecting students to communities generates more interest in the public management profession as well as helps them to see the application of concepts learned in class.

with the evolving culture of technology and amenities. Often, their hands are tied in terms of what they can do or how they can raise money. Therefore, they have found that the only way to keep pace is to tie themselves to private individuals or organizations who can then pull them along.

The ICMA UNO Student Chapter was organized to promote public management to students and then connect them to professionals in the field. Events have been held every semester since its inception to accomplish that, though these tours are new this school year.

The tours have drawn higher participation than any other event hosted by the student chapter, and thus are likely to become a mainstay.

Phil Green, a UNO MPA grad himself, led the tour, which began in the Blair Public Library & Technology Center. He explained the detailed process of involving the community and private entities to build the center. Public-private partnerships were invaluable throughout the process.

From there, the tour went to the highest altitude point in Blair where stands a monument whose maintenance and restoration is made possible through a public-private partnership.

Next were visits to the former Dana College – a project site for another public-private partnership – and the Blair Water Treatment Plant where students were shown how the flood of 2011 affected preparations for the flood of 2019.

The theme of this tour seemed to reverberate the theme of the tour of Bellevue: public-private partnerships. Cities, especially small ones, have found themselves scrambling to keep up

Pictured Joe George, Cole Bockelmann, Nick Walsh, Phil Green, Bob Blair, CJ Heaton, Ryan Christensen, Yeonkyung Kim. Photo Credit: Clayton Keller.

Garry Clark, UNO MSUS grad and Executive Director of the Greater Fremont Development Council. Photo credit: Greater Fremont Development Council.

UNO Alum’s New Book is a Captivating Story of Resilience -San Juana Paramo, School of Public Administration

Garry Clark, a Master of Urban Studies alum from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, published his first book, Unlikely Viking, in February 2019.

Unlikely Viking captures the story of Clark’s exodus of hope and overcoming obstacles. The memoir details Clark’s childhood from more than 13 homes in Washington D.C. to rural Nebraska, breaking a cycle of drug abuse and fear. Using his extraordinary ability to run, Clark found hope in Blair, Nebraska where he attended Dana College and amassed 11 track records.

Clark’s memoir opens a window into an upbringing foreign to most rural Nebraskans. His story is an inspiring tale of resiliency, showing readers that the environment one is born into doesn’t hold people back, instead it allows people to transcend barriers.

Clark received his Bachelors of Arts in Sociology from Dana College in Blair, Nebraska, and his Master of Science in Urban Studies from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. While at Dana College, Clark was named the first male National

Champion. In 2010 he was inducted into the Dana College Hall of Fame for Track and Field.

During his early career, Clark served as a City Planner/ Main Street Manager and Economic Development Specialist in Florida, Maryland and in Washington, D.C. Previously, Clark served as the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority’s Opportunity Manager in Omaha and as Cuming County’s Economic Development Director in Northeast Nebraska for five years.

Clark is currently the Executive Director of the Greater Fremont Development Council in Fremont Nebraska.

Clark’s professional highlights include the Midlands Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Award for rising nearly $2 million to fund a Rural Workforce Housing Program in Dodge County, Nebraska, 2nd Vice President of the National Rural Economic Developers Association and board member on the Nebraska Economic Development Association’s Board of Directors.

To learn more about Clark and by his book visit his website at www.clarkspeaks.com.

PHD IN PUBLIC

ADMINISTRATION We foster a culture of openness where the process of knowledge creation among students is a common enterprise. As our students move through the PhD program, they have opportunities to teach and to work hand-in-hand with faculty. When they graduate, they are prepared to understand and help solve public problems.

NU System Awards SPA Graduate Student with Presidential Fellowship -University Communications

On Wednesday, Sept. 5, University of Nebraska (NU) President Hank Bounds announced the recipients of the 2018-2019 Presidential Graduate Fellowships, with two University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) students among this year’s six awardees.

Anthony Starke (pictured above), a Ph.D. graduate in public administration, was identified by Bounds for their impressive research, strong community engagement and passion for their chosen subjects.

“Our Presidential Graduate Fellow are some of the best and brightest students at the University of Nebraska – exactly the type of talented, driven, creative scholars we want to represent our university and state,” Bounds said. “We are fortunate to enjoy a level of private support that allows these students to devote themselves fully to their studies and research. I’m confident we will see great things from them in the future.”

The prestigious fellowships are awarded to a select group of NU graduate students each year on the basis of high scholastic performance and personal accomplishment. Fellows receive a stipend provided through the University of Nebraska Foundation that allows them to pursue their studies full-time.

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Student Honors and Awards

In addition to excellence in the classroom, our PhD students are also scholars and award-winners in the field.

• B.J. Fletcher won the Midwest Public Affairs Conference best student paper award • Elizabeth Gillespie received a research grant from the Women’s Philanthropy Institute, Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana University, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation ($34,557)—with Dr. Eikenberry.

• Jiseul Kim received a research grant from the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB), the Gil Crain Memorial Grant ($5,000)—with Dr. Carol Ebdon • Jiseul Kim also received a UNO Women’s Club Scholarship ($1,000) • Xian Gao received a UNO Summer Graduate Scholarship ($500) • Eight students won UNO Graduate Research and Creative Activity (GRACA) Awards ($40,000) • Beth Gillespie • Jiseul Kim • Josephine Hazelton • Ming Xie • Morgan Vogel • Xian Gao • Yeonkyung Kim • Yunseung Kim • Conference travel funding awards from Graduate Studies and the School were provided to 25 students, totaling $18,000.

2018-2019 PhD Program Graduates

100% of our graduates were placed in academic positions this past year: • Abhishek Bhati, Bowling Green State University • Anthony Starke, University of Colorado-Denver • Chad Abresch, University of Nebraska Medical Center • Junghack Kim, Wichita State University • Sungho Park, University of Alabama In addition, 35 out of 43 (81%) of our graduates are in positions at academic institutions.

The remainder are in highlevel professional positions in nonprofit, government, or forprofit agencies.

Service of Note

• B.J. Fletcher--working with Alliance For a Better Omaha to help better understand and address college student food insecurity here in Omaha.

• Emily Newman MacNabb--board member for the UNO Schwalb Center for Israeli and Jewish Studies and Nebraska chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

• Jiseul Kim--Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program for international students at UNO. • Megan McGuffey--published a professional report for the Nebraska Food Council in conjunction with the Center for Rural Affairs at the end of 2018/beginning of 2019.

• Morgan Vogel--member of the ASPA Nebraska Council.

• Xian Gao--Program Committee member of the Sixth International Conference on eDemocracy & eGovernment (ICEDEG 2019) & 20th Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research (dg.o2019).

PhD Program by the Numbers

• Sixteen PhD students were funded fully or in part through graduate assistantships in the School and CPAR. Three additional students were funding by GAs in other departments/programs.

• Students took part in the 21 conferences and meetings.

• Students taught 13 classes total as instructors of record this year.

• Students authored or co-authored 21 publications.

SCHOOL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS Ellen Freeman-Wakefield, Director of Professional Programs in the School of Public Administration, was the recipient of the Institute Director Award of Excellence in 2018.

Ellen Freeman-Wakefield Named International Institute Director of the Year -Megan Nelson, School of Public Administration; Charley Steed, University Communications

No other staff member at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) has received an award like this. In fact, no one in the state has received this distinguished honor.

She also serves as the director of the nationally-accredited Nebraska Certified Public Manager® (CPM) Program, a management development program for aspiring managers in local, state, federal and nonprofit organizations.

In May 2018, UNO’s School of Public Administration Professional Programs Director, Ellen Freeman-Wakefield, received the highest honor possible—Institute Director of the Year.

In the words of one of her nominators, “The Nebraska Clerks are extremely proud to have Ellen Freeman-Wakefield as our Institute Director and we believe she is a tremendous asset to the organization and Municipal Clerks from around the world.

There is no one more deserving of this award of excellence than Ellen Freeman-Wakefield,” RaNae Edwards, Grand Island City Clerk.

Known for her professionalism, knowledge of public and nonprofit organizations, and work with numerous local and state-level boards, Freeman-Wakefield was a logical fit for the award. Ellen’s role as Director of Professional Programs for the School of Public Administration requires her to wear many hats. Her duties include leading the charge for the statewide Nebraska Municipal Clerks Institute and Academy. Each year, the Nebraska Municipal Clerks meet from across the state to attend continuing education professional seminars.

From her contributions in the classroom to her international reach, Ellen Freeman-Wakefield is making innumerable impressions on each and every individual she meets. She is an irreplaceable member of the School of Public Administration, a tremendous asset to the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and a lifelong advocate for public service and education.

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Nebraska Certified Public Manager® Program The Nebraska Certified Public Manager® (CPM) program offered by the School of Public Administration at the University of Nebraska at Omaha is a nationally-accredited, comprehensive management, development program. It is designed for current and aspiring managers in federal, state, local government and nonprofit organizations.

Nebraska Municipal Clerk Institute and Academy The Nebraska Municipal Clerk Institute and Academy is an annual continuing education professional training and development program held in Nebraska during March of each year for municipal clerks in Nebraska. This training program is one of a few accredited programs in the country.

Emerging Nonprofit Leadership Certificate The first-ever offering of the Certificate in Emerging Nonprofit Leadership launched in September 2018. The program helps hone managerial and leadership skills as a nonprofit professional.

2018-2019 Achievements The School of Public Administration’s Professional Programs continue making waves at the local, national, and international levels.

• Ellen Freeman-Wakefield, Director of the School of Public Administration Professional Programs, was named Institute Director of the Year by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks in 2018.

• The first-ever cohort of the Emerging Nonprofit Leadership Certificate have graduated.

• SPA Professional Programs developed a partnership with EducationQuest in Lincoln to offer the Emerging Nonprofit Leadership Certificate to 18 of their employees.

• Eight graduated from the Nebraska Certified Public Manager Program (CPM) in December 2018.

• Professional Programs developed a two-year partnership with Sarpy County to provide CPM to their employees, including nine employees from various departments in the county from the Jail, County Treasurers Office, Administration and the 911 Center. A second group will begin January 2020.

• Ellen Freeman-Wakefield is currently President of the National Certified Public Manager Consortium.

• The UNO School of Public Administration will be hosting the 2019 Annual NCPMC – National Certified Public Manager Consortium (NCPMC) Meeting in Omaha in October 2019.

• Ellen serves on the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC) Education Committee.

• Ellen will be completing a two-part Strategic Planning session for the IIMC Board.

Photos from the 2019 Nebraska Municipal Clerk Institute and Academy.

GLOBAL DIGITAL GOVERNANCE LAB The Global Digital Governance (GDG) Lab focuses on the use of information and communication technologies in public governance and public services. We have broad research areas that include but are not limited to: smart city and collaborative governance, social media adoption and e-participation, and big data/open government. Some areas of interest include governance structure and process, performance evaluation, social media and effects in public sectors, citizen participation, big data analysis, and open data.

2018-2019 GDG Lab Highlights • The GDG Lab welcomed a new team member, Dr. Victor Huang from the Aviation Institute.

• Dr. Xinli Hu from South-Central University for Nationalities is visiting our lab as a visiting scholar • A signature project of the GDG Lab includes Nebraska Transit Technology: Dr. Chen serves as the campus Co-PI of this five year 2.4 million project for the UNO campus (2017-2021). Dr. Lee serves as the technology co-lead.

• Partnership Project: A partnership with DOTComm to study the process and impact of collaborative technologies. Dr. Chen and Xian Gao are the main researchers.

• Research Collaboration: Dr. Yu-Che Chen, NEO-SAT project sponsor for the development of a web-based situational awareness tool for Nebraska emergency managers.

Honors and Awards, Professional Service • Xian Gao, SPA Doctoral Candidate and Global Digital Governance Lab GA, was the recipient of the ASPA’s Section on Science and Technology in Government’s Digital Governance Junior Scholar Award.

• Nomination of Dr. Chen for the Innovation, Development and Engagement Award (IDEA).

• Dr. Chen is the program co-chair for the 2019 International Digital Government Research Conference.

• Since 2018, Dr. Lee has served as a Chair of ASPA Section on Korean Public Administration.

• Dr. Chen served as the Chair of ASPA Section on Public Administration Research (March 2017 – March 2019).

• Dr. Lee and Dr. Chen serve as reviewer and editorial committee member for various digital government journals.

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Invited Presentations • Jooho Lee, “Public Participation, Online Technologies, and Public Values,” Interdisciplinary Research Conversation, cohosted by Public Policy Center and Social and Behavioral Sciences Research Consortium at University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, March 28th, 2019.

• Yu-Che Chen, 2018, “Values and Leadership for Transformational Smart Cities: City of Omaha.”

International Conference on Smart City: Towards Sustainable and Resilient Smart Communities, Seoul, South Korea (September 19, 2018) • Yu-Che Chen, 2018, “Artificial Intelligence for Public Value Creation”, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea (September 20, 2018) • Yu-Che Chen, 2018, “Artificial Intelligence for Public & Urban Services,” invited presentation at China-US Public Affairs Forum at Zhengzhou University, Zhengshou, China. (July 10, 2018)

Select Research Advancements • Chen, Yu-Che and Teng-Wen Chang, (forthcoming), “Explaining Government’s Online Transparency on Collaborative Policy Platforms: Risk Management and Configurational Conditions,” Public Performance and Management Review.

• Chen, Yu-Che and Yunseung Kim, (forthcoming), “Adoption of E-Government Services by Small Municipalities,” International Journal of Organizational Theory and Behavior.

• Kim, Soonhee and Jooho Lee. (Forthcoming). “Gender and Active E-Participation in Local Governance: Citizen Participation Values and Social Ties,” International Journal of Public Administration.

• Chen, Yu-Che, Lung-Teng Hu, Kuan-Chiu Tseng, WenJong Juang, and Chih-Kai Chang, (forthcoming) “Crossboundary E-Government Systems: Determinants of Performance,” Government Information Quarterly.

• Bryan, Tara, Rebecca Lutte, Jooho Lee, Bryce Hoflund, Craig Maher, and Patrick O’Neil. 2018. “When Do Online Education Technologies Enhance Student Engagement? A Case of Distance Education at University of Nebraska at Omaha,” Journal of Public Affairs Education, 24 (2): 255-273.

• Lee, Jooho and Soonhee Kim. 2018. “Citizens’ E-Participation on Agenda Setting in Local Governance: Do Individual Social Capital and E-Participation Management Matter?” Public Management Review, 20(6): 873-896.

• Chen, Yu-Che and Jooho Lee. 2018. “Collaborative Data Networks for Public Service: Governance, Management, and Performance,” Public Management Review, 20(5): 672-690.

NEBRASKA STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE LAB We serve as a conduit for developing relationships with state authorities/legislators as well as provide new opportunities for other skilled researchers (from UNO and elsewhere) to engage in projects related to Nebraska public finance and economic development.

2018-2019 Lab Highlights • Received a grant from UNO’s Center for Urban Sustainability • This resulted in a paper entitled “Spatial Analysis of Local Government Fiscal Condition in Nebraska” that was presented at the Association for Budgeting and Financial Management Conference, the Urban and Public Policy Conference in Zhengzhou, P.R., China and a paper submission to Urban Affairs Review.

• Received a grant from Pew Charitable Trusts that resulted in a paper entitled, “Developing a Fiscal Condition Monitoring Approach for Nebraska Local Governments” • The paper was used in testimony given to the Nebraska Legislature’s Government, Military and Veteran’s Committee on December, 13, 2018 and a public hearing held by the Nebraska Legislature on February 15, 2019.

• The paper is now under review at State and Local Government Review.

SCHOOL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

PUBLICATIONS Awards

Published Articles

• Jodi Benenson: Faculty Research Award, External Funding Award Recipient from the UNO Office of Research and Creative Activity • Tara Bryan: Finalist, UNO Service Learning Award • A. Bryce Hoflund: Faculty Fellow, Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute • Hans Louis-Charles: STEM for All Video Showcase, National Science Foundation • Craig Maher: Article of the Year, Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs • Ethel Williams: Lifetime Achievement Award, Nebraska Chapter, American Society for Public Administration

• Robert Blair: A Regional Approach to Mobility Management: Promoting Sustainability and Economic Growth Through Public Transit • Tara Bryan: When Do Online Education Technologies Enhance Student Engagement? A Case of Distance Education at University of Nebraska at Omaha • Yu-Che Chen: Collaborative Data Networks for Public Service: Governance, Management, and Performance • Carol Ebdon: Institutional Arrangements for Public Library Funding and Spending; Have the GASB 34 Infrastructure Reporting Mandates Improved State Highway Quality?; and Local Property Tax Limits in Nebraska: Within-State Variations in Effects • Angela Eikenberry: Reframing nonprofit organizations: Democracy, inclusion, and social change; Discourses of Volunteering and Civic Action in the USA; and Growing Philanthropy through Giving Circles: Collective giving and the logic of charity • A. Bryce Hoflund: When Do Online Education Technologies Enhance Student Engagement? A Case of Distance Education at University of Nebraska at Omaha • Jooho Lee: Citizen participation and public trust in local government: The Republic of Korea case; The Nexus of State and Local Capacity for Coercive Policy Diffusion; and Collaborative Data Networks for Public Service: Governance, Management, and Performance • Hans Louis-Charles: Household Preparedness in an Imminent Disaster Threat Scenario: Lessons Learned from Superstorm Sandy in New York City; and SURGE Puts Boots on the Ground in the U.S. Virgin Islands • Craig Maher: PILOTs, What Are They and Are They Affected by Institutional and/or Economic Constraints?

The Case of Wisconsin Municipalities; Local Property Tax Limits in Nebraska: Within-State Variations in Effects; Performance Information Use and Severe Cutback Decisions During a Period of Fiscal Crisis • Gary Marshall: Enjoy Your Work! The Fantasy of the Neoliberal Workplace and its Consequences for the Entrepreneurial Subject; and Making Use of an Enduring Public Administration Myth: Refusal, Subjective Identification and the Public Interest

Grant Funding

• Jodi Benenson: YSEALI Academic Fellowship, U.S. Department of State; and Pay it Forward, Ohio Campus Compact • DeeDee Bennett: NSF INCLUDES, National Science Foundation; and System Science: Planning Grant, NU Collaboration Initiative • Robert Blair: ONE Omaha Neighborhood Assessment, ONE Omaha • Yu-Che Chen: Transit Project, University of Nebraska at Kearney; and System Science: Planning Grant, NU Collaboration Initiative • Carol Ebdon: GASB Grant • Angela Eikenberry: Women’s Funds and Foundations, Indiana University Women’s Philanthropy Institute; and Understanding Giving Circles, Grand Valley State University • Jooho Lee: Transit Project, University of Nebraska at Kearney • Hans Louis-Charles: NSF INCLUDES, National Science Foundation • Craig Maher: NMC Institute, Nebraska Municipal Clerks Association; and Fiscal Monitoring NE Local Govts., The Pew Charitable Trusts • Ethel Williams: NMC Institute, Nebraska Municipal Clerks Association

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THE FUTURE IS

URBAN Urban areas are centers of employment, diversity and progress.

57%

The Omaha metropolitan area will reach

1 million in population by

81%

lives in urban areas

2023

lives in urban areas

55%

of the U.S.

People of color make up

of the state of Nebraska

of the world

lives in urban areas

this will grow to 68% in 2050

36%

of the workforce nationally

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT OMAHA

SCHOOL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

A SUSTAINABLE DEGREE FOR THE FUTURE.

Nationally-ranked degree programs with award-winning faculty---the School of Public Administration is a powerhouse of innovators, academics, and social entrepreneurs with an unforgettable reputation.

DEGREE OFFERINGS

»M aster of Public Administration »M aster of Science in Urban Studies » P hD in Public Administration »G raduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management »G raduate Certificate in Public Management

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LEARN MORE AT SPA.UNOMAHA.EDU The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its programs, activities, or employment.