Full Name: Maria Kelley Title and Organization: Policy Fellow for the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity, and Opportunity (CWCSEO) and the Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) SPP Degree and Graduation Year: MPA, 2025 Maria is a UConn graduate student earning a Masters of Public Administration (MPA). Through the UConn BOLD Women’s Leadership Network, […]
Awards and Celebrations
2024 Student Speaker: Sudiksha Mallick
Full Name: Sudiksha Mallick Title and Organization: Racial Justice Policy Analyst Intern, State of Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) SPP Degree and Graduation Year: MPP, 2024 Sudiksha is a graduating Master of Public Policy (MPP) student, who recently graduated from University of Connecticut in May 2023 with her Bachelor of Arts in Political […]
2024 Alumni Impact Awardee: Dana Begin
Full Name: Dana Begin Title and Organization: Director of the Evidence-Based Practices and Grants Division, within the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Office of the Commissioner DPP Degree and Graduation Year: MPA Fellows, 2020 Dana Begin is the Director of the Evidence-Based Practices and Grants Division at the Office of the Commissioner (OOC) […]
2024 Alumni Impact Awardee: Fionnuala Darby-Hudgens
Full Name: Fionnuala Darby-Hudgens Title and Organization: Director of Data Strategic Planning, CTData Collaborative SPP Degree and Graduation Year: MPA, 2018 Fionnuala Darby-Hudgens joined CTData Collaborative in early 2023, bringing 13 years of public service and nonprofit experience to CTData’s new social enterprise, Data Strategic Planning©. In this newer role, Finn works to help nonprofits […]
2024 Alumni Impact Awardee: J. Michael Keyes
Full Name: J. Michael Keyes Title and Organization: Trademark Trial Lawyer, Dorsey & Whitney SPP Degree and Graduation Year: SRDA, 2022 J. Michael Keyes is a trademark trial lawyer and consumer survey expert at the international law firm of Dorsey & Whitney in Seattle. During his nearly 25 year legal career, he has represented a […]
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 […]