I am excited to be joining the UConn School of Public Policy this fall! I am honored to be following Dr. Mohamad Alkadry as the next Director. I have been so impressed by the students, faculty, staff and alumni at the School; the range and diversity of academic and training programs and public policy research support we provide to students and the community; and the opportunities ahead for continued dynamic growth in Hartford, Stamford, Storrs and beyond. I want to extend a special thanks to Dr. Alkadry, who has helped lead the SPP to new heights. With the School of Public Policy community’s help and support, I hope to continue to build on that trajectory.
The state of the School is strong. This year, we are welcoming more than 90 new master’s degree students in our MPA, MPA Fellows, and MPP programs. Among these is our first Stamford MPA Fellows cohort! We’re excited to now be offering MPA, MPA Fellows and undergraduate courses on the Stamford campus.
In addition, 14 new graduate certificate students and 58 Fast-Track students (undergraduate students who make progress toward a master’s degree while completing their bachelor’s degree) are joining us. We now have Fast-Track students from 4 out of 5 of UConn’s campuses (Hartford, Storrs, Stamford, and Waterbury)! We look forward to seeing all these talented individuals in our classes and to the great things they will do when they graduate and join our amazing network of nearly 1500 SPP alumni.
This year, we are happy to welcome two new full-time faculty colleagues: Dr. Brenda Gellner and Dr. Lydia Wileden. Our stellar faculty continue to conduct high-quality and impactful classes and research. We are fortunate as well to have amazing part-time faculty teaching with us—all leaders in their respective fields.
We also continue to celebrate the success of our transformative outreach programs.
We are welcoming 22 Fellows in the Fall 2024 Encore Connecticut, a nationally recognized program that assists corporate and public sector professionals transition to opportunities in the nonprofit sector.
Our Public Service Executive Leadership Collaborative also has a great program lined up for this academic year—with sessions in both Hartford and Stamford! A collaboration between UConn’s School of Public Policy and our Connecticut partners, the PSELC provides high-quality, low-cost training and professional development to individuals working in the State’s public and nonprofit sectors. The first day-long workshop is September 27 on “Promoting Your Mission: Effective Advocacy & Lobbying for Nonprofits and Government Agencies.”
We also continue to provide training and certification preparation for Connecticut’s municipal Registrars of Voters. In collaboration with the Office of the Secretary of the State, the ROV Education and Certification Exam Program provides initial certification and continuing education training opportunities to the State’s electoral system.
This October marks the third year the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy (IMRP) has been at the UConn School of Public Policy. IMRP is a dynamic, non-partisan organization dedicated to improving local, state, and national public policy by addressing complex issues, ensuring the best outcomes for individuals and communities. By bridging the gap between academia, policymakers, practitioners, and the community, it champions fair, effective, and just public policy through applied research and community engagement.
Our graduate internship program is also stronger than ever. Between our Internship and Professional Practice (IPP) and Sponsored Internship (SI) formats, our 50 interns will work in public and nonprofit organizations this Fall and Spring. Our mentoring program has also engaged many of our alumni in the past four years and is off to an great start this year.
If you’d like to get more involved with this or other programs at the School, please find more information here.
I welcome the chance to connect with you! I’ll be holding a couple of drop-in meet-and-greets in September in the Hartford Times Building, 4th Floor Lounge. Please stop by if you can!
- Wednesday, September 11, 3:00-5:00pm
- Thursday, September 12, 4:00-6:00pm
Or please reach out to me individually to find a time to connect.
I wish you all a healthy and productive year and continued success!
Sincerely,
Professor & School Director