SCHOOL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
2017-2018 ANNUAL REPORT
PHD IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT OMAHA
A MESSAGE FROM THE PHD CHAIR Welcome! We are an established Carnegie Doctoral program on a growing campus that is committed to rigorous scholarship and democratic engagement. Our PhD graduates typically complete their degree with at least two publications and substantive teaching experience in person and online. Throughout this viewbook we share our philosophy to empower students to establish a strong intellectual identity.
We have a robust record of placing our graduates in the academy or in senior level positions in the public and nonprofit sectors. We hope you will consider joining us in Omaha! Angela Eikenberry, PhD Doctoral Program Chair School of Public Administration University of Nebraska at Omaha aeikenberry@unomaha.edu
MISSION:
The UNO PhD in Public Administration creates a supportive, collaborative, and rigorous environment for students to develop their intellectual identities and a comprehensive understanding of the field and a range of research traditions.
VISION:
Our students and alumni will make significant contributions to theory, policy, research, and practice towards enhancing a democratic society.
VALUES:
Intellectual openness, collaboration, diversity, and excellence.
PhD Program History In May of 1994, the Board of Trustees of University of Nebraska approved a PhD program for the School of Public Administration with classes to begin in the Fall semester of 1995. Since that time, we have been providing graduates with the ability to achieve scholarly distinction in higher education or leadership positions in public and nonprofit management. The PhD program emphasizes both the empirical and normative dimensions of the field. It recognizes multiple ways of knowing by teaching interpretive, critical and post-traditional approaches in addition to more traditional positivist knowledge development. Students learn to translate knowledge to solve organizational challenges, community
problems, and societal needs in the U.S. and across the globe. Intellectual identity, academic rigor and democratic purpose are central to the program’s success. Students experience a culture of openness, coupled with opportunities to conduct research with faculty, funding to attend academic conferences, and chances to teach undergraduate courses online and in person. As a result of the commitment of our faculty, our PhD graduates are well prepared for the job market and well trained to become independent academics. Most of our graduates leave with at least two publications. One of our 2015 graduates, Can Chen, now a budget and finance faculty member at Florida International University, had eight publications when he graduated.
Rooted in History,
Forming the Future
Typically, by their third year, students are assigned to teach at the undergraduate level. The courses they teach support the Emergency Management undergraduate program, the Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies concentrations in public administration and nonprofit management, as well as the campus-wide nonprofit management minor. Eighty percent of SPA PhD graduates are in academic positions. Our graduates have been placed at VA Tech, Rutgers, SUNY Albany and a host of other universities. They also teach in China, Thailand, and Estonia.
Many are already full professors and some have taken leadership positions in universities, including Deniz Leuenberger who is Chief of Staff to the President at Bridgewater State University. Our graduates in the field of government and nonprofit management include Ma Jun who is Vice-Mayor of Nanchang, the capital city of Jiangxi province; Rich Swayze who has been a top-level administrator at the FAA, Deb Anderson who is a senior administrator at Project Harmony, and Catherine Humphries-Brown who is the Associate Vice President of Research and Evaluation at the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation.
CIAL ENTREPRENEURSSOC
NKERS
THIN INNOVATORS SCHOOL OF PUBLIC
LLABORATORSADMINISTRATION COLL EPRENEURSSOCIAL ENTREP
THINKERS INNO NOVATORS SCHOOL OF PUBLIC
RSADMINISTRATION COLLABORATORS EURSSOCIAL ENTREPRENEU
THINKERS INNOVATO ORS F PUBLIC SCHOOL OF P
COLLABORATORSADMINISTRA SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS
TRATION
THINKERS
INNOVATORS SCHOOL OF PUBLIC
COLLABORATORSADMINISTRATION EPRENEURSSOCIAL ENTREP
THINKERS INNO NOVATORS SCHOOL OF PUBLIC
RSADMINISTRATION COLLABORATORS
CIAL ENTREPRENEURS
NKERS
INNOVATORS SCHOOL OF PUBLIC
LABORATORSADMINISTRATION PRENEURS
OVATORS SCHOOL OF PUBLIC
SADMINISTRATION URS
ORS PUBLIC
ATION
WHO ARE WE? We are a powerhouse of social innovators, thinkers, and scholars ready to take on today’s challenges in the public and nonprofit fields.
PRENEURS
The School of Public Administration is made up of nationally-ranked and accredited graduate degrees that are a force to be reckoned with.
OVATORS SCHOOL OF PUBLIC
SADMINISTRATION
Powerful programs. Unforgettable reputation. We are the School of Public Administration.
PHD PROGR BY THE NUM
35 active PhD st
3 students graduated and landed academic position Bowling Green State University, University of Alabam
4 students defended thei
$17,000 in travel funding was provided to students through
23 conferences attend
$55,000 in research funding provided throug Activity Award (GRACA)
23 publications with PhD stud
14 courses taught by PhD students as instructo
RAM MBERS
2017- 2018
tudents
ns at: ma, and Wichita State University.
ir dissertation proposals
h Graduate Studies and the School of Public Administration
ded
gh the Graduate Research and Creative
dents as single- or co-author
ors of record
PHD PROGRAM OVERVIEW
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.
Structure of the Curriculum The doctoral program curriculum is comprised of academic course work, field exams, a dissertation proposal and finally, the doctoral dissertation. By the numbers, there are four core seminars, three advanced research courses, four specialization courses, and a formal teaching workshop, plus field exams and dissertation work.
Impressive Program, Stellar Students Along with the many demands of earning a PhD in Public Administration, students work on cutting-edge research in the field, volunteer their time in professional organizations, and advance the work of the field. • We welcomed nine (9) new doctoral students into the 2017 cohort, and five (5) in 2018 • Research was shared at 23 national and international conferences • Students also had 15 peer reviewed articles, four (4) book chapters, and four (4) other publications • Students participated in several professional organizations and served as reviewers for academic journals
Specializations The faculty offer six areas of specialization. Doctoral students choose two courses (6 hours) in each of two areas, for a total of 12 credit hours. The area of specialization includes a seminar or proseminar and second course drawn from the graduate curriculum of Public Administration or a related academic unit in the university system. The six specialization areas are: • Information & Technology Management • Nonprofit Management • Public Administration Theory • Public Budgeting & Finance • Public Policy • Urban Management
The PhD Program is committed to holding monthly research and professional development brownbag sessions with faculty and students to enrich the learning experience.
Excellent Placements Graduates of the PhD in Public Administration Program include practitioners, leaders, and faculty locally and abroad. Placements include the following institutions: California State University, Fullerton Florida International University James Madison University Rutgers University Sun Yat Sen University (People’s Republic of China) Tennessee State University University at Albany - SUNY
APPLY TODAY apply.unomaha.edu For applicants seeking a funded graduate assistantship: January 15 For all other applicants: March 15
HONORS, AWARDS, + FUNDING Bit An •
First place winner for poster session, Third National Rural Transit Assistant Program (RTAP) Conference
Del Bharath •
ARNOVA Doctoral Fellowship
Abhishek Bhati • • •
ARNOVA Doctoral Fellowship Public Administration Theory Network Fellowship Accepted a faculty position at Bowling Green State University
Xian Gao •
Runner up for best poster, Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research Organized by Digital Government Society
Ji Seul Kim •
UNO Women’s Club Scholarship
Yunseung Kim •
Second place winner for poster session, Third National Rural Transit Assistant Program (RTAP) Conference
Sungho Park • • • •
Best Paper Award of 2017, Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs Best Graduate Paper Award, 2017 WSSA Graduate Student Paper Competition 2017 Dissertation Scholarship, UNO Accepted a faculty position at the University of Alabama
Anthony Starke • •
Public Administration Theory Network Fellowship University of Nebraska Presidential Graduate Fellowship
STUDENT CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
Our PhD students’ learning extends far beyond the walls of the classroom. Just in the past year, our students have presented at the following 23 national conferences.
Conference Lineup •
American Society of Public Administration (ASPA) Annual Conference
•
Association for Budgeting and Financial Management (ABFM) Conference
•
Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) conference
•
Association for Research on Nonprofit Organization and Voluntary Action-Asia Conference in Beijing
•
Association for Research on Nonprofit Organization and Voluntary Action-Africa Conference in Cairo
•
Association for Research on Nonprofit Organization and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA) Conference
•
Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) Conference
•
Conference of Minority Public Administrators
•
International City/County Management Association Annual Conference
•
International Conference on Digital Government Research
•
International Scientific Practical Conference (ISPC)
•
International Third Sector Research (ISTR) conference
•
Midwest Public Affairs Conference (MPAC)
•
National Communication Association (NCA) Conference
•
National Rural Transit Program (RTAP) Conference
•
Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration Conference
•
Public Administration Theory Network Conference
•
Science of Philanthropy Conference at the University of Chicago
•
Social Equity Leadership Conference
•
Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP)
•
Teaching Public Administration Conference
•
Urban Affairs Association Conference
•
Western Social Science Association Conference
WHAT OUR ALUMNI ARE SAYING The program was formulated in such a way that within the classes I was also able to pursue and acquire a comprehensive knowledge base in my particular areas of interest - intergovernmental networks, organizational culture, street-level bureaucracy, and qualitative research. The program served as the basis for an academic career; it improved my critical thinking, problem solving, and research capabilities and served as a catalyst to advance my career. Every day in my role as an administrator in higher education I use my doctoral education. Not a day goes by that there is not an opportunity for the direct application of what I learned in the doctoral program. I deal daily with issues pertaining to human resource management, financial management and budgeting, leadership, supervision, advancing the organizational culture, and strategic planning, to name just a few areas relevant areas addressed in the doctoral program. --Kyle Meier, graduated in 2007 Associate Professor & Senior Associate Dean, School of Allied Health Professions, University of Nebraska Medical Center
It was an opportunity to build on my experience in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors and further my expertise in designing and conducting high-quality research. I use my doctoral education daily in my work, as I promote positive change in the public and nonprofit sectors based on understanding and awareness. The many opportunities I was given as a doctoral student enhanced my ability to perform a diversity of roles—from a researcher and evaluator, to a facilitator and manager. --Catherine Brown, graduated in 2014 Director of Data and Research, Nebraska Children and Families Foundation
ALUMNI POSITIONS Alumni Statistic: 33 out of 41 (80%) of our graduates are in academic positions. The remainder are in professional positions in nonprofit, government or for-profit agencies.
University Placements •
Bowling Green State University
•
Bridgewater State University
•
California Lutheran University
•
California State University, Fullerton
•
California State University, Stanislaus
•
College of Brockport State University of New York
•
Eastern Washington University
•
Fayetteville State University
•
Florida International University
•
James Madison University
•
Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies, University of Tartu
•
Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania
•
Purdue University
•
Rutgers University-Newark
•
Sun Yat-Sen University
•
Tennessee State University
•
Thammasat University
•
University of Alabama
•
University at Albany, SUNY
•
University of North Carolina-Pembroke
•
University of South Florida
•
University of Nebraska Medical Center
•
University of Nebraska at Omaha, College of Business
•
University of Nebraska at Omaha, Department of Gerontology
•
University of Nebraska at Omaha, International Studies & Programs
•
University of Nebraska at Omaha, School of Public Administration
•
University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Social and Behavioral Sciences Research Consortium
•
Wichita State University
Other Organization Placements •
AIM Institute
•
Delta Airlines
•
Developmental Services of Iowa
•
Nebraska Children and Families Foundation
•
Nebraska State Education Association
•
Project Harmony
PHD STUDENT PUBLICATIONS Abresch, C., & Wyche-Etheridge, K. (2018). Equity. In S. Verbiest (Ed.), Moving Life Course Theory into Action: Making Change Happen. APHA Press: Washington, DC. Allen, D., & Abresch, C. (2018). Confronting Adversity: MCH Responds to ACEs. Maternal and child health journal, 1-5. An, B., Maher, C., & Ji, H. (In press). “PILOTs as a Means of Circumventing TELs and Managing a Recession: The Case of Wisconsin Municipalities.” Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs. Bhati, A., & Eikenberry, A. M. (In press). A Critical Fundraising Perspective: Understanding the Beneficiary Experience. In Reframing Nonprofit Management: Democracy, Inclusion, and Social Change edited by Angela M. Eikenberry, Billie Sandberg, and Roseanne Mirabella, Melvin and Leigh Publishers. Blair, R., & Starke, A. (2018). The emergence of local government policy leadership: A roaring torch or a flickering flame?. State and Local Government Review, 49(4). Dodge, K. S., Starke, A., Smith-Howell, D. & Woods, S. (In press). Fostering an integrated culture of community engagement. In Joe Allen and Roni Reiter-Palmon (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Organizational Community Engagement and Outreach. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Gao, X. (2017). Networked co-production of 311 services: Investigating use of Twitter in five U.S. cities. International Journal of Public Administration. Gao, X., & Lee, J. (2017). E-government services and social media adoption: Experience of small local governments in Nebraska. Proceedings of the 18th Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research, pp: 584-585. June 2017. Gao, X., & Lee, J. (2017). E-government services and social media adoption: Experience of small local governments in Nebraska State. Government Information Quarterly, 34(4), p. 627-634.
Gillespie, E. M. (2017). C. Lange, S. Nakagawa, J. Onyx, and C. Schwabenland (eds.), Women’s Emancipation and Civil Society Organisations: Challenging or Maintaining the Status Quo?. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 3(28), 1359-1360. Gillespie, E. M. (2018). Encyclopedia entry on citizen participation and nonprofit organizations. In Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance. Kim, J., & Ebdon, C. (2017). “Have the GASB No. 34 Infrastructure Reporting Requirements Affected State Highway Spending?” Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting, & Financial Management, 29 (3), 347-374. Kim, J., Chen, C., & Ebdon, C. (In press). “Effects of the GASB No.34 Infrastructure Reporting Standards on State Highway Infrastructure Quality: A Panel Data Analysis.” Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting, & Financial Management. Maher, C., Deller, S., Stallmann, J. & Park, S. (2017). The Effects of Tax and Expenditure Limits on State Fiscal Reserves. Public Policy & Administration,32(2): 130-151. Maher, C., Park, S. & Park, J. (2017). The (D)Evolution of TIF Use: Redevelopment to Land Development in Nebraska. In Johnson, C., & Kriz, K. (Eds.), Tax Increment Financing and Economic Development: Uses, Structures and Impact. Albany, NY: SUNY Press. McGuffey, M. M., & Starke, A. (2017). Towards A Just Food System. In A. B. Hoflund, J. Jones, & M. C. Pautz (Eds.), The Intersection of Food and Public Health: Current Policy Challenges and Solutions. CRC Press/Taylor & Francis. Park, J. & Park, S. (forthcoming). The Effect of Revenue Diversification and Form of Government on Public Spending. Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management.
Park, J., Park, S. & Maher, C. (2018). The effects of Tax and Expenditure Limitations (TELs) on Municipal Fiscal Outcomes during a Period of Fiscal Distress. Public Finance & Management, 18(1): 84-110. Park, S., Maher, C. & Ebdon, C. (In press). Local Property Tax Limits in Nebraska: Within-State Variations in Effects. Public Administration Quarterly. Stallmann, J., Maher, C., Deller, S. & Park, S. (2017). Surveying the Effects of Limitations on Taxes and Expenditures: What Do/Don’t We Know? Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs, 3(2): 197-222. Starke, A., Heckler, N., & Mackey, J. (In press). Administrative racism: Public administration education and race. Journal of Public Affairs Education. Starke, A., Shenouda, K & Smith-Howell, D. (2017). Conceptualizing community engagement: Starting a campuswide dialogue. Metropolitan Universities Journal, 28(2), p. 72-89. doi: 10.18060/21515 Xie, M., & Pang, M. (2018). A Cross-Cultural Examination of Chinese and American Female Leadership in Nonprofit Organizations. China Media Research, 14(1).
Courses Taught by Our PhD Students 1. PA & UBNS 1010-850 Introduction to Urban Studies 2. PA 1010 Introduction to Urban Studies (online) 3. PA 2000 Leadership and Administration (online) 4. PA 2170 Introduction to Public Administration (online and on-campus) 5. PA 3000 Applied Statistics and Data Management in the Public Sector (on-campus) 6. PA 3200 Program Planning and Evaluation (online) 7. PA 3500 Nonprofit Organizations and Management (online and on-campus) 8. PA 3600 Personnel and Volunteer Management (online) 9. PA 4300 Seminar: Public Policy (online) 10. PA 4300-850 Public Policy Seminar (online) 11. PA 4860-850 Fire Research (online) 12. PA 8090 Organizational Theory and Individual Behavior in the Public Sector (online) 13. PSCI 2210 International Relations (on-campus) 14. PSCI 2500 Comparative Politics (online)
Courses Students Served as Teaching Assistants 1. BLST 2010 Introduction to Black Studies 2. EMGT 2500 Disasters and Vulnerable Populations 3. PA 8050 Foundations of Public Administration 4. PA 8300 Policy Design and Implementation 5. PA 8400 Public Budgeting 6. PA 8896 Introduction to the U.S. Food System
Notable Service to the Profession by Our Students 1. Anthony Stark, Secretary and Newsletter Editor, ASPA Section on Democracy and Social Justice. 2. BJ Fletcher, Omaha Food Policy Council Working Committee, United Way Community Food Mapping Project. 3. Lora Frecks, Treasurer, ASPA’s Section for Science and Technology in Government (SSTIG) 4. Xian Gao, Website Manager for District IV, ASPA
Waldo Society
The Waldo Society provides a forum for doctoral students to discuss research ideas, develop academic and professional skills, and collaborate. It also advises the doctoral program committee chair on program changes. The 2017-8 leadership team included: Anthony Starke (4th year) Megan McGuffey (4th year) Minshuai Ding (2nd year) B.J. Fletcher (2nd year) Morgan Vogel (1st year)
SPA FACULTY Professors
Robert Blair, Master of Science in Urban Studies Program Chair Yu-Che Chen, Director of the 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 of the School of Public Administration Gary Marshall, Public Administration Theory Christine Reed, Faculty Fellow NU Daugherty Water for Food Institute Scott Tarry, Director of the Aviation Institute and NASA Space Grant
Associate Professors
A. Bryce Hoflund, Health Care Policy and Food Policy Jooho Lee, Associate Director of the Global Digital Governance Lab
Assistant Professors
Jodi Benenson, Policy and Nonprofit Management DeeDee Bennett, Director of the Emergency Management and Disaster Science Program Tara Bryan, Nonprofit Management Christopher Goodman, Local Public Finance and Urban Policy Chenyu “Victor” Huang, Aviation Institute Hans Louis-Charles, Emergency Management and Disaster Science Program Rebecca Lutte, Aviation Institute
Instructional Faculty
Lowell “Skip” Bailey, Aviation Institute Tyler Davis, Emergency Management and Disaster Science Program Joe Mancuso, Emergency Management and Disaster Science Program Ellen Freeman-Wakefield, Professional Programs Scott Vlasek, Aviation Institute Eduardo Zendejas, Tribal Management and Emergency Services Jordan Zendejas, Tribal Management and Emergency Services
402.554.2625 | spa.unomaha.edu | facebook.com/unospa 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.
