Alumni

UConn Stamford Expands Access to Public Service Leadership Through Executive-Track MPA Program 

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Earlier this week, the University of Connecticut School of Public Policy celebrated a milestone in Fairfield County public service education as the inaugural Stamford cohort of its Executive-Track Master of Public Administration program completed their degrees. 

The cohort, which enrolled in Fall 2024 as the first Stamford-based “MPA Fellows” class, was among the 97 students recognized during a May 11 ceremony at Infinity Hall in Hartford. 

Stamford now joins Hartford as one of two UConn locations where students can complete the School of Public Policy’s Executive-Track MPA program…

SPP Celebrates Class of 2026

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On Monday, May 11, the Class of 2026 gathered at Infinity Hall in downtown Hartford to celebrate the completion of their master’s degrees.

97 students, representing the School’s largest graduating class since 2022, included graduates from the MPA, MPP, and MPA Executive-Track (“MPA Fellows”) programs, along with two students who earned the Master of Arts in Survey Research and Data Analysis, a program the School has since retired. The event featured a keynote address from Matt Ritter, Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives. Ritter reminded graduates about the importance of in-person dialogue over online communication and emphasized the value of human connection in public service, especially when working across partisan divides.

From STEM to Service: Paula Norato (MPA ‘22) on the Path to Public Administration

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Paula Norato (MPA ’22) enrolled in the School of Public Policy’s graduate program during the start of Covid. Through her IPP placement with Partners for Educational Leadership, she saw how statewide support systems operate behind the scenes to support schools and began to understand the broader impact of public service.  “The MPA helped me not only with long-term, strategic thinking and relationship-building, but also with the confidence to show up for myself in all areas,” Paula says…

Lessons in Humanity: MPA Grad Gains Insights from Norway’s Correctional Model

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 “We all have this perception of what an incarcerated person looks like,” said Chidi Nwuneli, a 2025 MPA graduate of UConn’s School of Public Policy and the current Grants and Contracts Specialist at the Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division of Connecticut’s Office of Policy and Management (OPM). “In Norway, the focus is on humanizing the person, not the punishment.”

Post-Graduate Spotlight: A Two-Year Research Journey with the Boston Federal Reserve

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Nick Hall graduated from UConn in May 2023 with a degree in Economics and Political Science and earned his Master of Public Policy a year later. Thanks to the SPP’s outreach and networking opportunities, soon after his May 2024 graduation, he began a two-year research associate position with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston…

From Classroom to Commission: Finding the SPP 4+1 “Fast-Track” to Success

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A chance encounter with a fellow undergrad introduced Tommy Dowd to the 4+1 program. A course that sounded interested introduced him to the IMRP and a research opportunity that would lead to his current role as the program assistant for the Connecticut Sentencing Commission. Read on to see his MPP “Fast-Track” to his first professional role…

Connecticut Foodshare Volunteer Event Highlights Long Partnership

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Beyond blueberries and packaging peppers, Connecticut Foodshare and the School of Public Policy share a long history of nourishing minds and bodies for career and community growth. Learn how Encore Connecticut graduates have found second act success at the nonprofit organization while current leaders there enhance their education through the MPA Fellows executive track.

SPP Alum Gives Keynote at Proteus Syndrome Foundation Conference

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Recently we caught up with UConn School of Public Policy (SPP) MPA Fellows alum Dennis Rinaldi about his keynote address at a recent Proteus Syndrome Foundation conference. Learn about Dennis’s experience in his own words below. Note: Dennis sent us his story last week after the conference occurred October 11th and 12th. He references last weekend, […]

SPP Adjuncts Make an Impact with Data

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Adjunct faculty Anne McIntyre-Lahner teaches “Program Development & Evaluation” and frequently conducts Public Service Executive Leadership Collaborative (PELSC) workshops on program evaluation and performance management. Anne is also the President of a performance management consulting firm called Action to Outcomes. Dr. Ron Schack teaches “Performance Accountability and Management” and “Advanced Quantitative Methods,” and is the Managing […]