Awards and Celebrations

2024 Distinguished Alumni Awardee: Shawn Morris

Full Name: Shawn Morris Title and Organization: Deputy Chief, Greenwich Fire Department and Principal, Fireground Consultants LLC SPP Degree and Graduation Year: MPA, 2012 After undergraduate studies at Central Connecticut State University, Shawn enrolled in the School (formerly Department) of Public Policy (SPP) program at UConn beginning in 2009.  A member of the Pi Alpha […]

2024 Faculty Excellence Awardee: Jason Jakubowski

Full Name: Jason Jakubowski Title and Organization: Adjunct Professor (SPP) and President and CEO, Connecticut Foodshare SPP Degree and Graduation Year: MPA, 2001 Jason Jakubowski is President & CEO of Connecticut Foodshare, the official Feeding America food bank serving the entire state of Connecticut. With a dedicated team of 120 employees and more than 5,000 […]

PAA Inducts Over Fifty New Members

On March 22, 2024 the School of Public Policy (SPP) hosted their 2024 Pi Alpha Alpha (PAA) Induction Ceremony at The Lyceum in Hartford, CT. After a brief reception, PAA President Paula Norato and faculty advisor Professor Renzo de la Riva Agüero welcomed the inductees and their support systems to the evening. Forty-Three of SPP’s graduate […]

SPP Students Place 1st, 2nd & 3rd At NASPAA Competition

On March 2nd, 20024 four UConn School of Public Policy (SPP) students participated and placed in the annual Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) Simulation Competition. The students were hosted at the Suffolk University site in Boston, Massachusetts with teams across the globe joining between February 24th and March 2nd. DMS Academy […]

2024 Pi Alpha Alpha Induction

On Friday, March 22nd UConn’s School of Public Policy (SPP) inducted 55 students into Pi Alpha Alpha (PAA). PAA serves as the National Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration. Below is the program from the evening’s festivities. 2023-2024 PAA Board Members President—Paula Norato, MPA ‘22 Vice President—Jessica Seabrook, MPP ‘18 Treasurer—Beverne Cordner, MPA ‘22 […]

Celebrating the Class of 2023!

On Monday, May 8th Mistress of Ceremonies Professor Kerri Raissian welcomed the School of Public Policy’s (SPP) Class of 2023 to the Bushnell for a Celebration of Graduates and Awardees. The graduates were joined by SPP faculty and staff, community members and their support systems. Our graduates hailed from Connecticut, Rhode Island, Idaho, New York, […]

A Gala to Celebrate: 50 Year’s of the MPA & Impacting Public Service

On the evening of April 24th, 2023 the University of Connecticut’s (UConn) School of Public Policy (SPP) held a 50th Anniversary Gala for the Masters of Public Administration (MPA) program. Over 140 members of the SPP network were present to celebrate. This opportunity was made possible by SPP Operations Coordinator Maura Maloney and the wonderful staff […]

2023 Keynote Speaker: Susan Bysiewicz, Connecticut Lieutenant Governor

Sworn in on January 4, 2023, Susan Bysiewicz is serving her second term as Connecticut’s 109th Lieutenant Governor. Lt. Gov. Bysiewicz’s and Gov. Ned Lamont’s first priority is to grow good– paying jobs and investing in the state’s future. Lt. Gov. Bysiewicz is continuing her commitment to economic growth that made her a leading voice […]

A Celebration for the Class of 2023

Congratulations to the Class of 2023 and our award winners! We can not wait to celebrate your achievements tomorrow evening. Below is our schedule of events as well as list of our awardees and graduates! Schedule of Events Mistress of Ceremony Kerri Raissian Associate Professor, School of Public Policy Welcome Remarks Mohamad Alkadry Director, School […]

2023 Morton J. Tenzer Fellowship Fund: Kader Akpinar

This award is given to an incoming student with undergraduate academic excellence and the potential to succeed in the program. The fellowship was established in 1993, the year Professor Morton Tenzer retired from the University of Connecticut. It is intended to be used to assist in recruiting high–quality in–state and out–of–state students. Professor Morton J. […]