THE

“Leading for the Future”Paul Bryant - Teaching by ExamplePaul Bryant teaches that a person’s standing in the community is not the only factor that empowers success. It’s also how you stand. And sit. And shake hands. And maintain eye contact. “I teach the value of interpersonal communication,” says Bryant. “How to stand tall and straight. How to make and keep eye contact. To give a strong ‘executive handshake.’ To listen with your eyes and your ears.“Kids today don’t use their phones to talk, they text. They get their information off a screen. Their social networks are all online. It’s robbing them of the ability to interact on a human level.” Whether it’s a weak handshake, slouching in a chair or looking down when you speak, Bryant says poor interpersonal skills can limit a person in school and in business. “Employers hire and promote those who they know, they trust and they like,” he says. “If there’s an opening and an employee they trust says they know someone who might be right for the job, the reality is they may get 150 applications but that human connection will make one rise to the top of the stack.” If management is a goal, strong interpersonal skills become even more vital. “Being able to interact and communicate,” he says, “is what gets employees to believe in you and follow you.” Bryant knows how to lead. He has enjoyed success in both the corporate and non-profit worlds. He served as a senior vice president with the Gallup Organization and in management positions with Wells Fargo and First National Bank. He was president and CEO of the Urban League of Nebraska and the United Minority Contractors Association. He left his six-figure paycheck to become executive director at Wesley House, where he led the city’s oldest social service agency back from the brink of failure due to poor money management and transformed it into the Wesley House Leadership Academy of Academic and Artistic Excellence.

Most recently, he moved on from Wesley House to teach leadership classes at the School of Public Administration, at Buffett Middle School, the Douglas County Corrections Center and through the Leadership Institute for Urban Education he founded. Many of his lessons are drawn from his first book, “The Purpose-Living Leader,” which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and spawned a follow-up, “The Purpose-Living Journal.”

In “The Purpose-Living Leader,” Bryant weaves personal stories into a compelling account of perseverance, faith, hope and determination. Chapter three contains a formula he created to explain the traits exhibited by leaders of substance. “The Equation for Purpose-Living Leadership,” he writes, is (VP + CP) ÷ (F x H) = I. That translates to Vision & Purpose plus Courage & Perseverance divided by Faith times Hope equals Influence.

“A Purpose-Living Leader has a vision for where they want to go and an altruistic purpose for reaching that destination,” Bryant writes. “Courage is a must . . . because pursuing their vision will often take them to the road less traveled. Perseverance is what they need to stay the course when the road gets rough and opposition surfaces. Faith is an unwavering belief that they will succeed no matter the obstacles and it empowers them to persist without quitting. Hope is future focused on faith. “Influence is the most important element of leadership. Without followers, a leader will find it difficult to reach their destination.”

6

Newsletter of the School of Public Administration

Spring / Summer 2012

University of Nebraska at Omaha

exch

ange

(continued on page 2)

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go

instead where there is no path and leave a trail.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

FACULTY & STAFFSCHOOL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

(402) 554-2625Ethel Williams Acting Director

John BartleRobert BlairCarol Ebdon

Angela EikenberryMary HamiltonBryce Hoflund

Dale KraneKen Kriz

Gary MarshallJames B. Milliken

BJ Reed Chris Reed

Russell SmithArwiphawee Srithongrung

Jay White

***Ellen Freeman-Wakefield

Pam NielsenRhonda Sheibal-Carver

Meagan Van Gelder

AVIATION INSTITUTE(402) 554-3424

Scott Vlasek -Interim DirectorDavid Byers

Patrick O’NeilDavid SmithGayle LokeySara Martin

NASA OFFICE(402) 554-3772

Scott Tarry - DirectorMichaela Lucas - Assoc Director

Mike Helgerson Melissa WraggeDaneisha Hall

2 SCHOOL NEWS

Bryant teaches by example. “I am the first generation in my family to receive a college education,” he says, having earned master’s degrees in Urban Education and Urban Studies at UNO. “I played football and was a three-year starter here at UNO. I’ve received the distinguished alumni award. I’m boldly going where no Bryant has gone before.”

Serving as a college instructor with his book as part of the curriculum “is such a thrill on so many levels it’s hard to describe,” he says. “The university has been such a big part of my life; I am honored to be here teaching at my alma mater.” SPA Acting Director Ethel Williams, Ph.D., says Bryant is proving to be a wonderful addition to the adjunct teaching staff. “His evaluations rank among the best,” Dr. Williams says. “He is well-liked by his students because he forces them to think beyond where they are and prepares them to be leaders.”

She says several of Bryant’s students have gone on to apply for the Master of Public Administration or Urban Studies. “Paul is having a positive impact on the school, the college, the campus and the community,” Dr. Williams says. “He is leading for the future.” Bryant says the best way to strengthen a community is to invest in its future leaders. “My mission is to unlock dormant human potential,” he says, “then inspire individuals to use those gifts for the betterment of humanity.”He does that by teaching leadership to people of all ages, from middle school students to inmates at the corrections center.

In his C4k (College for Kids) program, he meets at UNO with about two dozen boys at UNO every other Saturday. He tells them how at the age of 13 he saw his father get shot by his mother’s boyfriend. He shares with them his struggles and successes, and how some opportunities will come to you but others have to be made. “I teach them everything from public speaking and debate to business analysis and manners,” he says. “A couple of months ago we started a fictitious stock portfolio and I taught them how to follow the market. It’s up 8.5 percent.”

Through Opportunity Education, a charitable foundation begun by Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts, Bryant and his students taped seven videos highlighting his leadership equation from “The Purpose-Living Leader.” The DVDs are being sent to 1,000 schools in Africa, Asia and South America, teaching Bryant’s philosophy to roughly 500,000 students.

And, through the Leadership Institute for Urban Education, Bryant is using his “Purpose-Living” philosophy in an effort to increase the number of young men graduating from high school. “That’s because I see them falling at a more rapid pace than young women,” he says. “I’ve created a push to help young men develop the skills they need to be good employees, good husbands and good fathers.”

The parenting skills of Bryant and his wife, Robin, are reflected in their three children: Brazier, Paul II and Madison. Together they received the 2011 Community Service Family Award from Heartland Family Services. “We’ve taught them to have faith in God and brotherly love and concern for others,” he says. “It’s what we believe and how we live our lives.”

Bryant has earned many individual awards. He is the recipient of the City of Omaha’s Martin Luther King “Living the Dream” Award. He was named “Facilitator of the Year” by INROADS Inc., an Achiever to Watch in the Millennium Success Guide, as a Black Achiever by the YMCA and one of the Ten Outstanding Young Omahans by the Junior Chamber of Commerce. He has been inducted into the Benson High School Hall of Fame.

He credits several people with providing the chances he needed to succeed, including Don Clifton, Ph.D., the Nebraska native who founded Selection Research Inc., which in 1988 acquired the Gallup Organization, where Bryant worked from 1995 to 2001. Dr. Clifton developed Gallup’s online assessment, the Clifton StrengthsFinder, and served as Gallup’s board chairman until 1999.

“Don gave me the opportunity in the business world to see that I could fly,” he says. “He was my mentor, my colleague and part of my team. Even though he was chairman of the company, he was a researcher by trade and that’s what he enjoyed doing. We worked together and we made it happen.

“He gave me the opportunity to compete, and that’s one of the things I’m trying to do with my students and the young men I mentor. Then, once you have the opportunity to compete, you need the interpersonal skills to succeed.”

For Bryant, teaching young people how to stand out in a crowd starts with teaching them to stand up straight.

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3SCHOOL

The School of Public Administration has again received national recognition in the 2012 edition of America’s Best Graduate Schools. These rankings include universities with public administration as well as public policy degrees, and are based on peer assessment surveys sent out nationally by U.S. News and World Report. In the overall Public Affairs category, UNO ranked 33rd nationally, in the top 15% of the 266 ranked programs. Even more impressive is our placement in the following specialty areas:

“These rankings reflect our national reputation,” CPACS Acting Dean John Bartle said. “Nebraskans know CPACS for our work with government agencies and nonprofit organizations, but our peers at other universities know us because of our top-notch masters and doctoral programs.”

Positive Rankings from U.S. News & World Reports

University of Nebraska at Omaha Rankings:Public Finance and Budgeting - #6Information & Technology Management - #6 Nonprofit Management - #11City Management and Urban Policy - #14Public Management - #21

This year over a 150 Municipal Clerks attended the Annual Nebraska Municipal Clerks Institute and Academy (NMCIA) in Kearney, Nebraska. Clerks participated in a variety of sessions and networking opportunities throughout the week culminating in the Annual Banquet and Clerk of the Year Awards Ceremony. Participants heard from experts across the state on a variety of topics including, but not limited to, a key note address from Lorre McKeone, The Executive Extra and Matt Booth, “Mattitude”. Ms. McKeone kicked off the week discussing change and how inevitable it is;but, it can be handled with poise and confidence. Mr. Booth ended the

week discussing “What’s in your wallet?” encouraging clerks to chase their dreams and improve their attitudes and communication skills. Both speakers invigorated the clerks which added to a very positive week.

In addition to the key note speakers, participants attended sessions on Nebraska History and Culture, Nebraska Sales Tax, Legislative Updates, Financial Audits and Ethics. Clerks also had the opportunity to network at Roundtable Sessions and a luncheon. To see a detailed list of all the sessions and roundtables please go to: clerksinstitute.unomaha.edu

The week ended with the Annual Banquet and recognition of the Clerk of the Year. This year the Institute also took the opportunity to recognize Dr. Chris Reed for her dedication and service to the institute. Dr. Reed is stepping down to work on several projects for the School of Public Administration and to finish research on a book she is writing. As a surprise to Dr. Reed, Dr. John Bartle and Dr. Gina Toman from the UNO College Public Affairs & Community Service came to the banquet along with members of Dr. Reed’s family.

Clerks Institute 2013 will be in Columbus, Nebraska March 18-22.

As we have reported in recent newsletters, we have been undergoing a reaccreditation process for the MPA Program. The MPA is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Administration (NASPAA). A site visit team was here for three days in March to review the program. They met with faculty, staff, administrators, and representatives of students, alumni, and our advisory board. Thanks to all those who shared their perspectives with the team members.

The site visit report was highly complimentary, but also included some valuable suggestions for us as we continue our ongoing efforts to strengthen the program. One highlight of the report

was the team’s acknowledgement of our terrific staff, who they called “treasures”! The final decision regarding reaccreditation will be made by NASPAA in June.

The NASPAA standards now call for a focus on student competencies and assessment of those competencies. We are undergoing a process to define these desired competencies for the degree as a whole as well as each of the individual concentrations. This will involve discussions with a variety of stakeholder groups, including faculty, students, alumni, and employers.

Our MPA Advisory Board, chaired by former dean David Hinton, will play a key

role in assisting us with this process. We are committed to academic excellence and appreciate all the support we receive in assisting us to achieve our mission, which is: “…to strengthen the public service in a democratic and diverse society by educating students to manage and lead public and nonprofit institutions effectively, ethically, and democratically.”

As I write this, we are preparing for our first Graduate College commencement held on the UNO campus. Congratulations to our 34 MPA graduates! You can read about some of their accomplishments, as well as those of other students and alumni, throughout this newsletter.

MPA Program UpdateBy Carol Ebdon, Ph.D., Associate Professor, MPA Program Chair

Clerks Institute and AcademyEllen Freeman Wakefield, Director Professional Programs

4 SCHOOL NEWS

Over the last few months students in the SPA Doctoral Program continued to move forward toward their degrees, and contributed to the productivity of the School.

In program progress news, we bade farewell to two students, Gerard Wellman and Levi Thiele. Gerard is currently an Assistant Professor at California State University, Stanislaus. Levi stayed in the area and is Research Director at the AIM Institute. Kristina Muhhina successfully defended her dissertation proposal. She is currently gathering data in Estonia for her study of public administration in transition countries and should be defending her dissertation this summer.

Christian Janousek both passed his field exams and defended his dissertation

proposal during the period. Gang Chen and Yan Xiao also took and passed field exams.

Contributions to the research and teaching mission of the School were many during this period. Catherine Brown presented a paper on nonprofit capacity building at the American Society for Public Administration conference. Gang Chen presented a paper co-authored with Professors Ebdon and O’Neil at the Western Social Science Association conference.

Anthony Campbell presented a paper on urban form at the Urban Affairs Association conference. Christian Janousek presented research on collaboration in community sustainability at the UNO Center for Collaboration

Science conference. The School is very proud of these students and all of the students whose inquiry helps move the School and the field forward. Many of the students also contributed to the teaching mission of the School by teaching in the Undergraduate Certificate and BGS programs.

Finally, students participated in professional development activities offered by the university, the School, and the Waldo Society student organization. In particular, the Waldo Society hosted brownbag discussions on field exam preparation, dissertation proposal writing, and publishing. It also hosted a discussion with School faculty on online teaching, a very topical issue for the field and academia in general.

Doctoral Program UpdateBy Ken A. Kriz, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Doctoral Program Director

Students in SPA’s Leadership for Sustainability class demonstrated their newly acquired abilities as sustainability leaders on April 18, 2012, at the Urban Abbey in downtown Omaha. They worked collaboratively to find a venue and audience, design, develop and convene a world café community conversation entitled, Sustainability: More than Tree Hugging. Citizens of all ages, including teachers, entrepreneurs, lawyers, accountants, craftsmen, students and former from Azerbaijan, Armenia and the Ukraine to western Nebraska and Omaha (among other locations), oldsters, middle-agers and young professionals gathered to explore what it means to be a sustainability leader---at home and in the world today.

Participants rotated from table to table to explore student-facilitated questions related to economic, environmental and social challenges. Questions included: How do our current economic practices serve to create and sustain, or not, a healthy, sustainable economy? Under what circumstances is consuming the earth’s natural resources justifiable? Where is the line? What role does government play? How does population growth contribute to a sustainable future? And how does any of this relate to me, or the Omaha community? Responses were thoughtful and probing. While no one had “the” answers, participants had many ideas about how they and other informed citizens can make individual choices and initiate community actions that help to resolve sustainability challenges, locally and globally.

An overwhelming majority of participants found the workshop to be worthwhile. Comments included: “This is how people learn; we need more of these kinds of gatherings.” “We need to think positively, and take positive actions for the future---actions that excite kids, too.”

The Urban Abbey is a gathering place, a bookstore and coffee shop at 1026 Jackson Street, Omaha affiliated with the First United Methodist Church, 7020 Cass Street.

Sustainability Leadership: Expanding Our Transitions Conversations to the Omaha CommunityMary A. Ferdig, Ph.D., SPA Adjunct Faculty; Executive Director of the Sustainability Leadership Institute

Front Left to Right:Barb Salerno, Tural Abbasov, Hillary Bobys, James Brannen

Back Left to Right:Jo Lowe, Emily McIvor, Krystal Boose, Sara Hallgren, Brock Steinbrink, Elizabeth O’Connor, Dennis Vollmer, Yuliya Rashchupkina, Colt Vieselmeyer, Keshia Bradford, Michael Malmberg, Brett Boyum

5SCHOOL

On January 19, 2012 we welcomed new CPM participants at the Nebraska Certified Public Manager® Program Welcome and Orientation Luncheon. The luncheon was co-sponsored by the ASPA Nebraska Chapter and the School of Public Administration.

New participants include :

Aaron J. Barrow, Police Lieutenant, City of Blair Police Department

Megan Cruickshank, Canine Corporal, Tecumseh State Correctional Institution, Nebraska Department of Corrections

Thomas Allen Cubbage, Deputy, Boyd County Sheriff’s Office

Linda M. Douglas, Village Clerk/Treasurer, Village of Arlington

Jennifer Dreibelbis, Community Services Block Grant Program Specialist, DHHS-Child and Family Services

Marc E. Gordon, Building Service Manager, University of Nebraska Omaha, Criss Library

Diane Sue McKee, Program Coordinator, Phoenix House, Catholic Charities Diocese of Des Moines, Iowa

Ann Fritz the Resource Development Manager of North Central District Health Department will finish up the program this fall and graduate in December. All of our CPM participants have gotten off to a great start, we look forward to their project presentations is December.

2012 Nebraska Certified Public Manager© (CPM) ProgramBy Rhonda Sheibal-Carver, CPM

CPM Alumni Honored for Excellent CPM Projects By Mary R. Hamilton, Founder and Director Emeritus, The Nebraska Certified Public Manager® (CPM) Program

Two 2010 alumni of the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s (UNO) Nebraska “Certified Public Manager®” (CPM) Program recently received national awards for projects completed and implemented as part of their CPM training.

Kevin Conlon and Bill Brecks each received an Askew Award, from the national CPM alumni organization, the American Academy of CPMs (AACPM) to “acknowledge the efforts of those who have demonstrated exemplary work in the completion of their CPM projects.”

The awards were presented at the AACPM annual conference in Salt Lake City Oct. 11 of this year. Neither Kevin nor Bill was able to attend the awards ceremony, so they received their awards at the 2011 graduation of the Nebraska CPM program at UNO on December 9.

Captain Conlon, a deputy at the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO), developed a program called “Webcast Recruitment” that encourages the use of interactive webcasts to attract and educate potential deputy candidates for the DCSO.

Brecks, chief building inspector for Lexington, Neb., created a program called “¿Qué es servicio a la público? What is public service?” that addressed barriers, specifically communication barriers, between governments and their citizens.

Additional ceremonies for Conlon and Brecks were held early in 2012 with their respective colleagues. Dr. Mary Hamilton, former Director of the CPM Program, traveled to Lexington on January 14 to present the award medal to Bill Brecks at the city’s annual employee awards banquet.

On March 10, Hamilton, Ellen Freeman-Wakefield, and Rhonda Sheibal-Carver (current CPM Program Director and Assistant Director, respectively) attended the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office annual awards ceremony to again present the medal to Kevin Conlon.

Upper right: Bill Brecks and Joe PepplitschLower Right: Presentation of 2011 Askew Award to Kevin Conlon

6 SCHOOL NEWS

New Staff

Dee Hall is the new Staff Assistant in the NASA Nebraska Space Grant Office. She is a veteran of the United States Army and plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree at UNO. New Grants

The NASA Nebraska Space Grant & EPSCoR office has been busy with several new grants, totaling over $2.58 million. NASA awarded two new nationally competitive EPSCoR grants for research conducted by UNO researchers Nick Stergiou, Biomechanics, and Raj Dasgupta, Computer Science. These grants in astronaut rehabilitation and robotics were cultivated from Nebraska Space Grant awards and demonstrate the breadth of NASA-related research being conducted in Nebraska. Michaela Lucas, in partnership with Nebraska 4H and the Nebraska Department of Education, received an Improving Teacher Quality grant from the Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education of Nebraska to expand summer teacher training opportunities using NASA curriculum.

Student Successes

Two Nebraska Space Grant Fellows, Eric Markvicka and Nate Otten, were both awarded NSF Graduate Fellowships. Five Space Grant students conducting robotics research under Space Grant Researcher Dr. Shane Farritor have received this prestigious award in the past few years.

In Nebraska’s first year competing in the Real World Design Challenge, the Nebraska Space Grant-supported team from Plattsmouth High School qualified for nationals, besting 40 other teams in the regional competition. The students were able to travel to Washington, D.C. for nationals in April. Students participating in the competition were given a challenge to design light-sport aircraft that meet certain performance and fuel efficiency requirements. The Plattsmouth team created multiple aircraft designs and held an internal competition to select the best model to submit to the competition.

The NASA Nebraska Space Grant University Student Launch Initiative team from UNL competed in the national competition in Alabama in April. The team competed against 42 other universities, placing third. Their 11-foot high power rocket reached 5,228 feet, just shy of the mile goal.

The UNL Lunabotics team, also supported by NASA Nebraska Space Grant, will be competing their Lunabot, Red Rover, in the national university competition at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in May. This is the first time a Nebraska team is participating in this competition. Teams must design and build a lunar excavator, called a Lunabot that can be telerobotically or autonomously controlled. The goal is to foster innovative concepts that could be applied to an actual lunar excavator.

Seven students attended the National Space Symposium Career Day in Colorado Springs in April. The students networked with industry professionals regarding career opportunities in the aerospace fields following graduation. Neil deGrasse Tyson inspired the students in his keynote address.

University / College

Twelve members of UNO’s Women in Aviation Maverick Chapter traveled to Dallas to attend the 2012 Annual Conference in March with sponsorship from the NASA Nebraska Space Grant. Students toured American and Southwest Airlines, networked with aviation and aerospace professionals, and attended leadership seminars. Chapter President Lulu Ferdous led the University Chapter session. Apart from the conference, the chapter collected items for the Ronald McDonald House, hosted a pre-screening of the Tuskegee Airmen documentary in association with the premiere of the Red Tails movie, toured the Strategic Air and Space Museum, and held a t-shirt and sweatshirt fundraiser.

Michaela Lucas is representing CPACS on the university’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Priority Committee. The Committee wrote a white paper for the university administration and is identifying next steps to further STEM Education at UNO and as it relates to our industry and formal and informal education partners.

The Nebraska Space Grant sponsored several Aviation Institute students to attend the University Aviation Association Seminar on Establishing Aviation Policy in Washington D.C. in January. Students were able to spend the week visiting with key stakeholders and policy makers as they explored how current aviation policies are shaped. NASA Nebraska Space Grant staff visited UNO’s Research and Creative Activity Fair this spring. Nearly 20 Space Grant and EPSCoR projects were showcased at this event.

NASA Nebraska Space Grant UpdateMichaela Lucas, Associate Director, NASA Nebraska Space Grant & EPSCoR

Plattsmouth High School Real World Design Challenge at Nationals

Rocket & Lunabot

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7SCHOOL

Aviation Institute - Year in ReviewScott Vlasek, MPA, Interim Director of the Aviation Institute

2011-12 has been another great year for the Aviation Institute. One unfortunate happening however was the departure of Dr. Scott Tarry from the faculty of the Aviation Institute. Dr. Tarry accepted a position with the Strategic Air and Space Museum as the Executive Director. Scott still maintains a connection to the university as Director of the NASA Nebraska Space Grant Consortium. All of the faculty, staff, and students wish Dr. Tarry the best of luck in his new position.

In October of 2011 the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) Flight Team, the Flying Mavs sponsored by Jet Linx Aviation, hosted the Region VI National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) Competition called SAFECON. This was the first time UNO had hosted the event in the 20 years they have competed in NIFA.

Currently, there are nine events consisting of four flying and five ground events. The teams that accumulate the highest number of total points are champions of that SAFECON. UNO won the Region VI competition for the third year in a row. Additionally this year student Tyler Klingemann won the Top Pilot Award for the Region. The Flying Mavs will leave May 9th for the national competition held at Kansas State - Salina.

The UNO Aviation Institute had five students participate in the UNO Research and Creative Activity Fair in February. These were the only undergraduate students from the College of Public Affairs and Community Service to participate. A senior group of students presented on a continuation project titled X-Band Radar for Monitoring the Airport Environment. These students included Peter Bokelman,

Greg Ries, Nghia Cao, and Ben Kroese. Additionally Brandon Denny submitted a project on using wind energy to power runway lights at airports.

A group of 15 students went to tour FedEx Express headquarters in Memphis, TN. The tour was sponsored by FedEx and funding was provided by the NASA Nebraska Space Grant Consortium. The tour consisted of each student flying a MD-11 Flight Simulator, a tour of the corporate flight department of FedEx, getting a behind the scenes tour of the sort facility and ramp areas, and a look at their global operations center.

The Annual Durham Distinguished Guest Lecture Series was held April 3, 2012 at the Strategic Air and Space Museum. This year’s speaker and recipient of the William F. Shea Award for Outstanding Contributions to Aviation was Captain Robert “Hoot” Gibson. The event was sponsored by Hawker Beechcraft. Gibson is a graduate of the Naval Flight Weapons School, “Topgun.” Gibson was also an F-14A instructor pilot. He went on to graduate from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent Maryland in 1977; from there he became involved in the test and evaluation of F-14A aircraft while he was assigned to the Naval Air Test Center’s Strike Aircraft Test Directorate.

Gibson was selected by NASA in 1978 and became an astronaut in August 1979. He flew five missions which accounted for 36 ½ days in space. His missions include: pilot on STS-41B in February 1984, spacecraft commander on STS-61C in January 1986, STS-27 in December 1988, STS-47 in September 1992, and his final mission STS-71 in June 1995. Gibson left NASA in November of 1996 to

pursue other interests. He was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame on June 21, 2003.

Finally, on April 12, 2012 the Aviation Institute held its annual Honors Convocation. The night not only honored our students but we also recognized Ms. Kailey Dwyer (2007) Alumnus of the Year and Dr. Scott Tarry was presented the Sorensen Award for his contribution to Aviation Education in the State of Nebraska. Over $20,000 in scholarships were awarded to students through our endowed scholarships and other internal scholarships. Winners included:

• Nebraska Business Aviation Association Scholarship – Deanna Stoddard, James Slabaugh, and Jeremy Martin • Kenneth and Patrick Chambers Memorial Scholship – Mallory Huntimer • David LaMar Memorial Scholarship – Deanna Stoddard • Robert E. & Rosita C. Wolsmann Scholarship – Zachary Lundeen • Donald Smithey Scholarship – Ethan Schaecher • Mutual of Omaha Aviation Scholarship – Jeremy Martin • Densel K. & Melba J. Acheson Enrichment Scholarship – Jeremy Martin • Chris A. Hawks Memorial Scholarship – Jeremy Martin and Zachary Lundeen • UNOAI Golf Classic – Carl Maida • Aviation Student of the Year – Luke Gabriel • Durham Scholarship – Deanna Stoddard • Robert Azer Memorial Scholarship – Jeremy Martin

The evening concluded with the presentation of Posthumous Degree for Robert Azer. Rob was one semester away from graduation when he died in a motorcycle accident in May of 2011.

Events

The NASA Nebraska Space Grant hosted a tour of NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) for over 40 Engineering students from UNL and UNO in March. Students were able to speak with NASA researchers, astronauts, and interns working on engineering and technology projects. Nebraska native and astronaut Clay Anderson spoke to the students in the space station mockup where astronauts train at JSC. Students also toured ExxonMobil and Kiewit Offshore industries where they spoke with University of Nebraska alums who are professional engineers.

The Nebraska Space Grant co-sponsored the Peter J. Hoagland Integrity in Public Service Lecture Series featuring Astronaut & U.S. Navy Captain Mark Kelly. Kelly shared stories about growing up in New Jersey, his career with the military and NASA, and life with now-former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) both before and after a horrific shooting in which she sustained a traumatic brain injury.

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Christine M. Reed, Ph.D., is a dedicated, well-respected teacher and researcher who not only photographs and studies wild horses, she learns from them as well. As Regents/Foundation Professor and Director of the Nebraska Municipal Clerks Institute and Master Academy from 2007-2012, Dr. Reed has considerable expertise in public and administrative law, environmental and animal law and ethics. Born in Springfield, Mass., she earned her master’s degree and Ph.D. in political science from Brown University. Her research in environmental policy and ethics explores the public management of wild horses in the U.S. and the Netherlands. In particular, she investigates whether wild horses are likely to flourish in U.S. Bureau of Land Management sanctuaries proposed to be set aside for horses captured during round-ups from herd management areas on federal range lands. She says her passion for horses dates back to her childhood. “I still have a lot of the books and drawings I did as a 10-year-old,” she says. “I would draw schematics of horse farms I was going to own.”

Dr. Reed’s grandfather was a horse racing commissioner with many friends in the thoroughbred business. “My mother and her sisters grew up around horses,” she says, “so it must be in the gene pool. But I’m the only one who is certifiably obsessed.” She took riding lessons in elementary school and later competed in dressage, an equestrian sport considered the highest expression of horse training. “You ride before a judge in an arena and complete specific movements that must be perfectly executed,” she says. “As a rider you work with a trainer. It’s a sport that requires patience and good temperament in the horse.” Riding and caring for horses, including her paint mare, Belle, got Dr. Reed thinking about how horses interact with each other, then how to translate that into human-horse interaction.

“Horses see, hear and respond to touch differently than humans do,” she says. “Our ability to communicate with them, with another species, is what fascinates me the most.” By studying wild horse management, Dr. Reed has taken on a controversial subject. “These horses are called wild but they are not wild life,” she explains. “Most of the horses roaming the 10 western states are descendants of horses that escaped the Conquistadors or the U.S. Cavalry or from ranchers settling in the West.” Some groups advocate to keep the horses “wild,” while others see their value and capacity to be trained. “When gathered and adopted out,” she says, “they actually do quite well.”

Dr. Reed says she disagrees with those who want the horses to roam and reproduce unrestricted. “Because of scarce water and food supplies, as well as boundaries around wild horse herd management areas, there is too great a danger they would suffer and starve,” she says. “Mine is not a popular position among wild horse advocates.” She also says the wild horses removed from the range but not adopted deserve better than simply being contained on U.S. Bureau of Land Management long-term holding pastures in Oklahoma and Kansas. “I don’t think separating family bands, gelding stallions, weaning foals, segregating them by sex and letting them graze all day is really allowing them to flourish.”

Dr. Reed has published several articles and presented papers based on the research she has conducted, in particular her studies at the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range, a nearly 40,000-acre refuge in Montana and Wyoming established for a historically-significant herd of free-roaming Mustangs. She will produce a book for the University of Nevada Press about the range. Her love for

photography is evidenced by a stunning collection of horse photographs from the range and other locales. She has exhibited in gallery shows in the Old Market. Her Web site is www.stillwildhorses.zenfolio.com.

Additionally, Dr. Reed has published research on institutional reform litigation and new governance reforms, the role of the state in public administration and an EPA-funded initiative to facilitate small local government participation in environmental rulemaking. She is currently the Principal Investigator for a grant funded by the NU Water for Food Institute to study governance of the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program and its impact on irrigated agriculture in Nebraska. Her fondness for teaching began as a teaching assistant at Brown. “I love it,” she says. “I try to see things from my students’ perspectives and find ways to help them develop the skills they need.”

After her graduation, she was working in Washington, D.C., when she met B.J. Reed. Both were representing organizations on community development issues and attended many meetings together. They were married in 1982. That same year, the Reeds came to Omaha to accept positions with the School of Public Administration, which she says was much different than it is today. “It was a small program staffed by former city managers and a few faculty members who moved to PA from the UNO Political Science Department.”

She credits the progress to a team effort led by former SPA Chairs and CPACS Deans David Hinton, Ph.D.; B.J. Reed, Ph.D., now Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs at UNO; and John Bartle, Ph.D., currently CPACS Interim Dean. Through the past 30 years, her roles have included chair of the College Personnel Committee and chair of the SPA Doctoral Program Committee. Between 1995 and 2000, she was Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, then Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Dean for Graduate Studies, both on an interim basis. “By recruiting faculty who are superstars, we made a conscious effort to ratchet up the academic standards,” she says. “I’ve seen the school grow its national ranking through the roof, largely because of the respect the program has earned.”

The Reeds have a son and a daughter. Charley is a UNO graduate of the bachelor’s and master’s programs in the School of Communication who now is a part-time instructor at the school and Media Relations Coordinator for UNO. Brenda is completing her studies as an early childhood and elementary school teacher in the College of Education at UNO. “We’re all Mavericks,” Dr. Reed says. A fitting nickname, particularly in Dr. Reed’s case, for someone so fond of the unspoiled range and its horses, and a teacher and researcher who examines issues with an equally fresh, independent attitude.

8 FACULTY / STAFF NEWS

At Home on the RangeChristine M. Reed, Ph.D., Regents/Foundation Professor

9

Faculty/Staff Publications, Research and Presentations Van Gelder, M. & Dougherty, Jr. G. W. (2012). Do students with experience know that much more? Assessing in-service and pre-service difference in public administration students. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 18 (2), 349-374.

A. Bryce Hoflund, assistant professor in the School of Public Administration at UNO, published “Building a Network Administrative Organization’s Social Base: Lessons from the National Quality Forum,” in Administration & Society Online First in February. The paper presents the results of an empirical study of how one network leader built the social base of a network administrative organization that was created to improve health care quality. To view the full article, click on http://aas.sagepub.com/content/early/2012/02/14/0095399711433695

Carol Ebdon and Paul Landow, “The Balancing Act: Using Private Money for Public Projects,” Public Budgeting and Finance, Spring 2012.

Paul Landow and Carol Ebdon, “Public-Private Partnerships, Public Authorities, and Democratic Governance,” Public Performance and Management Review, forthcoming, June 2012.

Carl D. Ekstrom, Ph. D., Adjunct Lecturer in Public Administration served on the Editorial Advisory Board and wrote the “Forward” to the recently publish volume, Ed Downey and Matt Jones (ed.) Public Service, Governance and Web 2.0 Technologies: Future Trends in Social Media (IGI Global, 2012).

Faculty/Staff Fast Facts Ethel Williams, Acting School Director, was awarded the Chancellor’s Medallion for her service to the university. This prestigious honor was bestowed by Chancellor John Christensen at the May commencement convocation.

FAST FACTS

Dr. Dale Krane co-authored a paper entitled “Carnival in Salvador, Brazil: A Case Study of Inter-organizational Collaboration,” which was presented at the International Consortium for Comparative Policy Analysis held at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Nov. 18-19, 2011. Co-authors are Prof. Sandro Cabral, School of Management, Federal University of Bahia, and Mr. Fagner Dantas, Urban Planning Analyst, City of Salvador, Brazil.

The paper examines how municipal and state governments partner with private

corporations, artistic associations, and neighborhood organizations to plan and conduct Carnival, a week-long cultural festival of nearly three-quarters of a million revelers who account for between $200 and $250 million dollars of business volume in the city. Particularly problematic the normal condition of policy-making and administration in Salvador is conflict among agencies and organizations. The paper offers an answer to the question of how is the usual lack of cooperation overcome for decisions and activities related to Carnival.

Research for the paper was supported by the U.S. Council for the Exchange of Scholars which provided Prof. Krane with a Fulbright grant, by Brazilian National Center for Research (CNPQ) which provided Prof. Cabral with a research scholarship, and by the Research Fund of the UFBa Center for Graduate Studies with support for Prof. Cabral and for Mr. Dantas.Icatio et; et ad sidere ne ia nor que cridenitasta conis,

“It Is Not Just a Job”Pam Nielsen

I have been with the School of Public Administration (SPA) since December 2011. It is a constant learning experience to work with faculty, staff and students in the SPA and a great working environment. Everyone is so helpful and fun to work with. As a part time Office Assistant I perform various clerical functions such as filing, answering phones, sending out pamphlets, database entry, assisting faculty with documents and correspondence for the classroom and making room reservations. One of the best parts is the personal interaction with people working here and going to school in SPA. Working in the office I get to learn all aspects of not just SPA but all of the UNO and how it effects and guides students to a better future.

Carnival in Salvador, Brazil: A Case Study of Inter-organizational Collaboration Dale Krane, Kayser Chair Professor, School of Public Administration

Mary Hamilton, Senior Executive in Residence, received the Elmer B. Staats Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Public Service from the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) at their 2012 national conference in March. Mary also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the ASPA Nebraska chapter at their annual awards luncheon in May.

Pictured right: Mary Hamilton receiving Staats Award from ASPA President Erik Bergrud

10 STUDENT NEWS

The Aviation Institute hosted its annual Honors Convocation on Thursday, April 12th at the Alumni Center. This annual event is a way for the Institute to honor the accomplishments of its students and recognize those who have contributed to the Institute. Two awards were presented to members of the community who have contributed to the Aviation Institute. Kailey Dwyer (BSA, 2007) received the Alumnus of the Year Award and Dr. Scott Tarry, Executive Director of the Strategic Air & Space Museum, received the Sorensen Award for his contributions to aviation education in Nebraska.

Many student awards were presented at the event, including over $20,000 in scholarships. The recipients were:

Nebraska Business Aviation Association Jeremy Martin, junior, Hillsboro, MOJames Slabaugh, graduate student, Omaha, NEDeanna Stoddard, graduate student, Kingsley, PA

Aviation Institute Student of the YearLuke Gabriel, senior, Bellevue, NE

UNOAI Golf Classic Scholarship Carl Maida, junior, Omaha, NE

Durham Scholarship Deanna Stoddard, graduate student, Kingsley, PA

David LaMar Memorial Scholarship Deanna Stoddard, graduate student, Kingsley, PA

Don Smithey Aviation Scholarship Ethan Schaecher, junior, Columbus, NE

Chris Hawks Memorial Scholarship Jeremy Martin, junior, Hillsboro, MOZachary Lundeen, junior, North Platte, NE

Mutual of Omaha Flight Scholarship Jeremy Martin, junior, Hillsboro, MO

Kenneth & Patrick Chambers Scholarship Mallory Huntimer, freshman, Omaha, NE

Robert & Rosita Wolsmann Scholarship Zachary Lundeen, junior, North Plate, NE

Densel & Melba Acheson Scholarship Jeremy Martin, junior, Hillsboro, MO

Robert Azer Memorial Scholarship Jeremy Martin, junior, Hillsboro, MO

In addition to the scholarship awards, the Institute was able to present a posthumous degree to the family of Robert Azer. Rob was a senior in the Bachelor of Science in Aviation-Air Transport Administration when his life was cut short last May.

2012 Aviation Institute Honors ConvocationSara Martin, Student Services Specialist, Aviation Institute

Student Fast FactsChangsoo Song (PhD student) has been awarded a FY 2012 Graduate Research and Creative Activity (GRACA) grant ($5,000) to support his dissertation research. Megan Edwards (MPA Student) and Yan Xiao (PhD student) also received funding.

Michael Pippin, doctoral student in the School of Public Administration, presented the conference paper “Creative Destruction in Information Technology Adoption by Microenterprises: Three Case Studies in Global Development” at SIG Global Development Workshop August 4 in Detroit. Dr. Sajda Qureshi, professor in the College of Information Science and Technology, co-authored the paper which was well received by the workshop participants. The workshop held under the auspices of the Association for Information Systems Special Interest Group for ICT in Global Development and was part of the American Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS).

Megan Edwards, MPA student, was awarded a UNO Graduate Research and Creative Activity grant to conduct research in Bolivia this summer and fall. Megan will be studying the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in civic engagement. She will also be interning for a local NGO in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

Christian Janousek, a doctoral candidate in Public Administration, successfully completed his field examinations and defended his dissertation proposal pertaining to the impact of Master of Public Administration degree programs on professional local government management in U.S. states. Christian also presented a paper on the role of local governments in community sustainability at the UNO Center for Collaboration Science annual seminar.

11

Dr. Robert Blair and I recently attended the Urban Affairs Association Conference in Pittsburgh. We presented a paper titled, “Rethinking How We Teach Future Urban Managers for a Post-Industrial Era”. We discussed selected societal values from the Industrial Era such as standardized, scientific management, hierarchical and mechanical values. We also described societal values from the Post-Industrial Era: customized, participatory, horizontal, and organic. The changes allow us to think about the needs of today’s student who live and work in a Post-Industrial Society.

Most urban observers would agree that the economic base of cities in North America and Europe are moving away from a manufacturing, assembly line-oriented (Fordism), and industrial-based structure toward one that is “post-industrial” in nature. The industrial era fueled the economy through massive factories and efficient assembly lines often located in cities.

As the economy evolved, the massive factories and industrial concentrations became less prominent in cities, as information and knowledge-based industries began to fuel the economy. Of course, one of the prime examples

of a city morphing from the industrial to the post-industrial economic base is Pittsburgh. Many urbanists would include information, services, and creativity in their characterization of the post-industrial urban economic environment. Clearly, the roles, values, and expectations of citizens in this economic environment differ from an industrial urban society. For instance, rather than speeding up the assembly line, the post- industrial society calls for skills of creativity—moving things forward, with rewards given to creators since many tasks can be formulated from templates, computers, and rules.

Considering this steady movement towards a post-industrial society in the United States and elsewhere, we consider the impact of these changes for the academic preparation of people who will manage the cities of the post-industrial age. What does this mean for the current and future professional urban manager who works within this changing environment? What new skills are needed for urban managers to function in a post-industrial society? Which current skills are still relevant? In a post-industrial city, urban managers work more and more with community agencies and nonprofit organizations, and managing resources, partnerships, and networks are critical

skills. Should educators be teaching future urban managers how to administer their government agencies while collaborating with other organizations and agencies, ideally in a symbiotic relationship. These questions lead us to two general propositions posed by this paper. Are public administration education programs teaching the right skills for managers in a post-industrial urban world? What should urban management education curricula for teaching for urban managers in a post-industrial era look like?

Drawing on their work with the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA), and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), and examining research and commentary on the nature of the post-industrial city and public administration education processes and trends, we will discuss how current educational programs in public administration often fall short in taking a post-industrial perspective. We will offer suggestions on how educators can prepare future urban managers to be successful in a post-industrial era, describing the roles and skills needed to address changing values and expectations in a post-industrial city.

Rethinking How We Teach in a Post-Industrial EraBy Dr. Meagan Van Gelder

In a globalized world, collaboration between academic institutions expands knowledge about best practices and stimulates mutual learning from yet unresolved public issues. An online discussion between faculty representatives of School of Public Administration at University of Nebraska at Omaha (U.S.) and students and professors of the Public Administration department at V. Dahl East-Ukrainian National University (Ukraine) took place on Thursday, January 26. The event covered the latest challenges which Ukrainian state and local government employees face in their daily activity though the lens of American experience in public administration.

Dr. Ken Kriz and Dr. Robert Blair from School of Public Administration at UNO not only described the organizational, legal, financial and budgetary aspects of Public

Administration functioning in the U.S., but also answered the questions of Ukrainian public administration practitioners and academicians. “Dr. Blair and I were very pleased to engage in conversation with the students and faculty of Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University. It was a very productive conversation. We learned much about the current situation in public administration and public finance in Ukraine, and we hope that our comments on the situation in the United States were enlightening and helpful for the Ukrainian participants. We are looking forward to many more opportunities to collaborate with our new friends,” said Dr. Kriz.

Main organizer of the event in Ukraine, professor Viktor Philippovsky, provided his feedback on the event: “Online communication with American experts in

different areas of public administration was interesting and important. For instance, in Ukraine, there are no real mechanisms to recall elected representatives who do not meet public’s expectations and it was surprising that the U.S. communities have not only formal procedures of recalling elected officials, but real examples of how these procedures are practically applied. Sharing experience in public administration is an essential part of its improvement and we believe that collaboration in these areas between universities will continue in future.” The event was facilitated by Yuliya Rashchupkina, Muskie fellow 2010 from Ukraine.

Sharing American Experience in Public Administration with Ukrainian University Yuliya Rashchupkina

12 ALUMNI NEWS

The 2012 CPACS Alumni Awards was held on Wednesday, April 4 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the William Thompson Alumni Center.

Honorees from the School of Public Administration:

Joy LaChelle Bailie, Ph.D., was born and raised in Omaha, the daughter of Judy and Thomas Kear-ney, Jr. A 1991 graduate of Burke High School, she earned a bachelor of arts degree in sociology from UNL in 1995. Joy earned a master of public adminis-tration degree from UNO in 1999. Her capstone proj-ect was entitled “Strategic Planning Model for the Im-plementation of a Nonprofit Resettlement Agency for

Sudanese Immigrants and Refugees in Omaha, Nebraska.” In May, 2010, the New School University in New York City granted LaChelle a Ph.D. in public and urban policy. Her dissertation was titled “the Role of Ethnic Cultural Brokers in Access to Refu-gee Resettlement Services.”

LaChelle’s work combined her interests in various cultures and the policies that affect recent immigrants and refugees. While attending UNO, she worked for the Omaha Housing Authority and Employment First of Nebraska, focusing on case management. She later served as a research specialist at the Public Policy Center at UNL. While in Lincoln, she was appointed to the Mayor’s Committee on Lincoln’s Cultures which addressed issues of immigrant incorporation and refugee arrival. In the New York area, LaChelle served as a policy research assistant and a Ph.D. researcher at The New School University and a policy analyst at Safe Horizon, the country’s largest victims’ assistance organization. At the Policy Research Institute of the Legal Services of New Jersey, she worked as a social Science analyst/research Interviewer providing expert advice on issues related to welfare administration, low income housing and programming related to new immigrants.

LaChelle began her career in the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as an immigration services officer while completing her Ph.D. work. She moved to Washington, D.C. in November, 2010 to serve as a policy analyst in the Office of Policy and Strategy, Research and Evaluation Division of the Department of Homeland Security.

LaChelle’s daughter, Alora-Anne Aishatu Dogonyaro, was born June 1, 2011, and lives with her father in the Houston area. LaChelle passed away from an undiagnosed heart problem on June 11, 2011.

Pete Festersen graduated from Connecticut College before earning his master of public administration degree from UNO in 1999.

Born and raised in Omaha, and a graduate of Central High School, Pete was elected to the Omaha City Council in 2009. He is president of his own small business, Strategic Business Development, LLC. Prior to serving on the city council and starting his company, Pete helped shape Omaha’s future in senior management positions with the Peter Kiewit Foundation, the Omaha Mayor’s Office, the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, and Alegent Health, one of Omaha’s largest private employers.

Pete served as chairman of the Omaha Planning Board for three years and on various community boards including the Omaha Children’s Museum and the Benson-Ames Alliance. He is a graduate of Leadership Omaha and has been recognized for his work as a business leader by the Midlands Business Journal.

Pete and his wife, Paige, have two children, Anna and Caroline. They attend Dundee Presbyterian Church and enjoy racing sailboats together. Pete also plays drums and percussion and is a former Nebraska state champion in both soccer and curling.

CPACS Alumni Award for Excellence in Public ServiceBy Sara Woods, Associate Dean, UNO College of Public Affairs and Community Service

Save the Date

All school reception will be held on Friday, October 26, 2012 for SPA students and alumni, from

5:30 to 7:30 in the Alumni Center.

Please plan to attend!

13ALUMNI

UNO alumna Jessica Rial Scheuerman (MSUS ’10) has secured $90,000 in Temporary Urbanism funds from the local government for projects located in the District of Columbia.

In 2010 the District of Columbia’s Office of Planning (planning.dc.gov) launched a new Temporary Urbanism initiative to spur creative placemaking. Under the initiative, the District solicits requests from

individuals and organizations to convert underutilized and vacant properties into temporary venues. These neighborhood-based projects have met the city’s goals of supporting creative entrepreneurs, activating commercial corridors and highlighting their retail potential, providing residents with unique services and activities, and promoting neighborhoods.

In 2010, she secured a $15,000 Temporium grant and served as the project manager for the neighborhood-based urban economic development project, the Mt. Pleasant Temporium, (mtptemporium.com). The project grossed more than $31,000 in sales and was open for six weeks in early 2011 in a vacant storefront in the heart of the community’s commercial corridor. The temporary pop-up space housed 34 D.C. artisans and crafters, attracted 6,800 visitors, gained coverage in national media, and supported two-dozen community events—which included storytelling, crafting, book readings, and live music.

Scheuerman, then-chair of her neighborhood’s Main Street economic development committee, fostered partnerships with local business owners, the arts community, and community-based groups to implement the project.

Leveraging successful projects, such as the Mt. Pleasant Temporium, the D.C. Office of Planning recently received a grant of $250,000 from an unprecedented new private-public collaboration called ArtPlace (www.artplaceamerica.org). ArtPlace is a collaboration of eleven of the nation’s top foundations, eight federal agencies including the National Endowment for the Arts, and six of the nation’s largest banks. The new foundation invests in art and culture at the heart of a portfolio of integrated strategies that can drive vibrancy and diversity so powerful that it transforms communities.

This month, Scheuerman secured a $75,000 grant from the DC Office of Planning for an Arts and Culture Temporium based in one of D.C.’s oldest African-American communities. The new project will open this summer and feature collaborations with artists, arts organizations, schools, D.C. agencies, and social service providers.

Scheuerman is currently a Senior Program Officer at a D.C.-based nonprofit, Partners for Livable Communities. For more information, please contact jscheuerman@livable.org. This month, Scheuerman secured a $75,000 grant from the DC Office of Planning for an Arts and Culture Temporium based in one of D.C.’s oldest African-American communities. The new project will open this summer and feature collaborations with artists, arts organizations, schools, D.C. agencies, and social service providers.

Scheuerman is currently a Senior Program Officer at a D.C.-based nonprofit, Partners for Livable Communities. For more information, please contact jscheuerman@livable.org.

Making space for art: UNO alumna receives grants for creative placemaking

When Andy Bradley, MPA (96) stepped up a few years ago and volunteered to lead the Public Administration Graduate Organization (PAGO), no one envisioned the difference he would make in connecting alumni with the students of the School of Public Administration. During this time, Andy has led a visionary strategic planning process for PAGO, provided support and space for meetings and volunteered his own time to enact several of the initiatives adopted in the new plan. In addition to mentoring students, hosting a Lunch & Learn and serving on the SPA Advisory Council, Andy has also rolled up his sleeves to encourage his fellow alumni to participate as donors to the Centennial Scholarship Fund. In the last 12 months, Andy has contributed $1,000 to the fund, helping reach the goal to become an endowed fund. But he did not stop there -- his 2012 gift is intended to match the amount of the first endowed scholarship to be awarded in the fall semester of 2012, making it possible for SPA to support the education of more deserving students.

Andy Bradley is one of the reasons SPA is so well respected on the local, regional and national fronts. For the last 23 years, he has worked at Goodwill Industries, where he currently serves as executive vice president. Andy is also vice governor of the Nebraska-Iowa District of Kiwanis International. As he nears completion of his tenure as PAGO president, his current passion is to develop a giving circle among like-minded people dedicated to making Omaha a better place to live. It is an honor to have served on the PAGO board under the leadership of Andy Bradley and we extend our very best wishes as he pursues his future endeavors serving our community!

PAGO President Andy Bradley Donates Time, Talent and Treasure to SPA StudentsBy Mary Lopez, MPA (1998)

Andy Bradley

Store Front photo by Brian Tropiano

Shelby Buettner (MPA, 2009) a Ph.D. student at UNL, was accepted to Duke University’s Program on Global Policy and Governance. She’ll spend the summer months in Switzerland working with the United Nations on environmental and sustainable development issues. When she returns to the United States in August, Shelby will enroll in law school to pursue dual degrees in environmental law and natural resource science.

Jessica Clem-McClaren (MSUS, 2010) is currently working as the Project Manager for Delinea Design, a multi-media creative firm in downtown Omaha. Prior to this position, she dedicated a year of service as an AmeriCorps VISTA, working as the Neighborhood Restoration Director for Omaha. She is also a freelance writer for The Reader, and has current published work in Praire Fire, The Omaha World Herald , and the Ms. Magazine blog.

Neil Gabrielson (MPA, 2011) is an Operations Agent for the Midland International Airport.

Alec Gorynski (MPA, 2009) is Assistant Vice President for Community Affairs for Bank of the West.

Laura Larsen (MPA, 2011) is a Budget Management Analyst for the City of Baltimore, Maryland.

Dean Orren (MPA, 2012) was selected to be the College of Public Affairs Community Service Graduate Student Marshall for the Graduation Ceremony at UNO’s Spring Commencement. Dean was nominated because he is an exemplary student and accomplished great achievements in the military. Dean served in the United States Air Force and received several awards for his military service. Presently, Dean is an Information Technology Specialist for the 55 Security Forces Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base.

Shannon Oster (MPA, 2009) is a Budget Analyst for the City of San Antonio, Texas.

Alumni Fast Facts

SPA Alum Serves as 2011 Fulbright-Nehru Senior Scholar in India By Patrick McNamara, Ph.D. 2007

I recently returned from serving as a 2011 Fulbright-Nehru Senior Scholar in India. For 20 years, I dreamt about being a Fulbrighter. It seemed the time was never right to apply – starting a new job, going to grad school, getting married, moving, having kids – but finally I just did it! I left my job after five years at the Omaha Community Foundation and this Fulbright turned out to be a life changing opportunity to grow personally, professionally and spiritually.

My family was with me for the first two months. Experiencing the overwhelming sensory overload that is India through the eyes of my daughters, who had never before seen such heights of opulence displayed next to such depths of destitution, was an awesome adventure for us all. Because we had kids, we were often invited into homes to

hang out with other families. We celebrated Leora’s 8th birthday in Jaipur and Ilana’s 10th birthday at the Taj Mahal in Agra.

The Fulbright program is a cultural exchange of academics, artists and professionals meant to build bridges between the people of the USA and other countries. My main program included: (1) teaching social entrepreneurship; (2) doing a case study of conflict resolution of water disputes then guest lecturing at the International Water Management Institute in Sri Lanka (www.iwmi.cgiar.org); and (3) helping to strengthen the community foundation movement in partnership with the Sampradaan Indian Centre for Philanthropy (www.sampradaan.org).

I would strongly suggest other UNO alumni, faculty and students consider a Fulbright. Currently, the program in India offers the most Fulbright slots in the world. For more information see: http://www.iie.org/fulbright

14 ALUMNI NEWS

The Public Administration Graduate Organization (PAGO) continues to meet to provide support for the school of PA and its students. The organization recently participated in the school’s re-accreditation process, and co-sponsored the April 26 awards luncheon for the Nebraska Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration. In addition, alumni have donated over $10,000 to support a new scholarship fund for students. The school is now accepting its first applications for the Centennial Scholarship, which will be awarded for the fall semester. If you would like to get involved with PAGO, please contact Andy Bradley at (402) 231-1910 or Rhonda Sheibal-Carver at the school at (402) 554-2625.

15

Louis Jarvis, MPA Distance student from Chico, California, is the first recipient of the new Lopez Fellowship for Professional Development. Endowed by Mary and Rodrigo Lopez, the fellowship was first announced in Fall 2011 for spring semester funding.

Louis is using the $500 award to participate in the prestigious and highly competitive Emerging Leaders Development Program sponsored by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). The program began on April 1, 2012 and will finish May 31, 2014. Louis has worked in county government in California for four years and plans to devote his career to public service.

In the Emerging Leaders Program, Louis will be placed with an ICMA credentialed manager who will serve as his mentor and career coach and help him build his management skills. The program also includes face-to-face class meetings, regular teleseminars, and the completion of a Management Application project. Topics included are: staff effectiveness; functional and operational expertise and planning; service delivery management; performance measurement/management and quality assurance; budgeting; financial

analysis, human resource management; and knowledge of the ICMA Code of Ethics. Upon completion of the program, Louis will be awarded the Essential Management Skills certificate from ICMA.

Louis Jarvis is exactly the kind of person Mary and Rodrigo had in mind when they endowed this fellowship. He has consistently spent his own time and money to puruse professional development. For example, while working on his MPA at UNO, Louis has also been pursuing the Certified Public Finance Officer (CPFO) designation from the Government Finance Officer Association (GFOA). To date he has passed four of the five exams toward that goal. About the Lopez Fellowship

Thanks to a generous donation from Mary and Rodrigo Lopez, MPA and Ph.D. students currently enrolled in the UNO School of Public Administration (SPA) can apply for funding to engage in significant professional and career development activities. Mary Lopez was, until September 1, 2011, the Career Services Director for the School. She is also an alum of the MPA Program.

The purpose of the Mary and Rodrigo Lopez Fellowship for Professional Development is to encourage graduate public administration students to engage in professional development and to provide selected awardees with up to $500 to do so.

To be eligible, students must be currently enrolled in either the School of Public Administration MPA or Ph.D. program. First preference will be given to MPA students; second preference is to Ph.D students.

In the selection process, preference is given to students who have demonstrated an interest in and commitment to participating in professional and career development activities related to their concentration area while studying at UNO. For example, students might be doing an internship or practicum, or participating in professional conferences to present research or be a member of a panel, etc. Applicants are encouraged to think creatively about how these funds could be used to promote professional development.

If you want to learn more about the Fellowship, please contact Dr. Mary Hamilton at mary.hamilton@cox.net.

First Lopez Fellow Named Emerging Leader by ICMABy Mary R. Hamilton, Senior Executive in Residence

Thanks to very generous donors, we are pleased to have new scholarship/fellowship opportunities available for students. We appreciate this tremendous support for our programs and students. Specific information on application criteria and deadlines will be announced through emails and on the SPA website.

Many students struggle financially to complete their graduate program, so assistance is very important. Please consider a gift to support scholarships for the School of Public Administration by visiting http://nufoundation.org.

Andrew Blair Memorial Fellowship Robert Blair, Associate Professor, and his wife Barbara set up this fellowship in 2009 in memory of their son Andrew who passed away at the age of 31. The newly endowed fellowship is for MPA

students. Preference will be given to individuals planning work with nonprofit organizations or the disabled. The first award from the Blair Fellowship will be made in the next academic year.

Centennial Scholarship Fund Fundraising for the Centennial Scholarship began in 2008, and the fund is now endowed. Members of the Public Administration Graduate Organization (PAGO), assisted by members of the Waldo Society (an association of SPA doctoral students), spent countless hours of their time making phone calls to alumni to solicit donations to this fund. Special thanks go to Andy Bradley and Mary Lopez for spearheading this effort, and to those of you who have donated to the Centennial Fund. The first scholarship from this fund will be awarded to an MPA student in the next academic year.

Mary Cornett Scholarship This scholarship honors Mary Cornett, a longtime Omaha City Clerk who served over 50 years in public service. The scholarship is awarded to an MPA degree student with a concentration in Public Management. Preference is given to students with a demonstrated financial need.

Nebraska City/County Management Association (NCMA) Scholarship

This scholarship is funded by the Nebraska City/County Management Association. The award is for MPA students in the Local Government concentration. Applicants have completed at least 12 graduate hours in the MPA program and are Nebraska residents.

Generous Donors Provide Scholarship/Fellowship Opportunities for Students

PHILANTHROPY

Spring 2012Alicia Andry MSMarcus Barlean MPACarmen Barnes MPA/MSWNeal Bedlan MPAHillary Bobys MPANathaniel Booth MPAErin Bottger MPAKeshia Bradford MPARebecca Bravo MPAAnthony Brown MPAKyle Clary MPAMolly Connolly-Murphy MPAIrina Dedova MPAAgne Dizona MPAKarissa Dominisse MPACory Fralick MPALisa Groves MPANevr Hasratyan MPAKristina Haynie MPA/MSWAndrew Jensen MPAJessica Jones MPATiffany Korth Shepherd MPAJo Lowe MPAJason Melton MPACindy Meyer MPADerek Miller CertificateDean Orren MPAHeather Poulsen McClure MPAYuliya Rashchupkina MPARhonda Redden MPA/ MISRonna Sears-Fritz MPA/MSWChad Slaney MPAKathleen Torpy MPAWilliam Vodvarka MPAJill Westfall MPA

Fall 2011

Andrew Baker MPAAyanna Boykins MSPatrick Cullen MPACynthia (Cindy) Doerr MPAChristopher Ferretti MPAMarilyn Huckenpoehler MPAEjay Jack MPA/MSWApril Jacobs MPADavid Klug MPATara Knapp MPAShannon Lakin MPASarah Lucas MPAStephen McCoy MPAAmanda Messersmith MPAJames Nelson MPAKari Vasquez CertificateWilliam (Ty) Wheeler MPA

Summer 2011

Sarah Brandon MPAHeather Gardner CertificateCassie Greisen MPATara Harper MPAKristen Hendershot MPA/MSWElizabeth How MPARyan McClure MSErin Mullenix MPAHassan Omar MPA/MSWTyson Prusse MPAFaiz Rab MPAJeffrey Rank MPAEric Roth MPA

Spring 2011

Abiola Ayodele MPATarvis Banks MPAKristi Delozier MPACrystal Dunekacke MPASusana Escudero MPANeil Gabrielson MPAVictoria Kovar MPALaura Larsen MPAAndrea McClintic MPACatherine Payne CertificateDouglas Peters MPAChristopher Shewchuk MPAJoshua Shirk MSJill Wanderscheid MPANicholas Weander MPAWalter Wendolowski MPA

The School of Public Administration Congratulates the following Graduates:

Pi Alpha Alpha Inducts New MembersPi Alpha Alpha is the national honor society for the field of public affairs and public administration. The purpose of this society is to encourage and recognize outstanding scholarship and accomplishment in public affairs and administration. The society seeks to promote the advancement of quality in the education and practice of the art and science of public affairs and administration.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Carol Ebdon

The School of Public Administration recognized the following graduates who were nominated and accepted membership into Pi Alpha Alpha:

Spring 2012 Pi Alpha AlphaJames Patrick BegleyHillary M. BobysYuliya RashchupkinaChad Joseph SlaneyKathleen Elizabeth Torpy

Fall 2011 Pi Alpha AlphaAndrew Michael BakerMarilyn Beth HuckenpoehlerEjay L. JackAmanda Catherine Messersmith

Summer 2011 Pi Alpha AlphaErin Julie Mullenix

Spring 2011 Pi Alpha AlphaSusana Gabriela EscuderoDouglas L. Peters

SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING NEWSLETTER CONTRIBUTORS: Nick Schinker, Ellen Freeman Wakefield, Carol Ebdon, Ken A. Kriz, Mary A. Ferdig, Rhonda Sheibal-Carver, Mary R. Hamilton, Michaela Lucas, Scott Vlasek, Dale Krane, Pam Nielsen, Sara Martin, Meagan Van Gelder, Yuliya Rashchupkina, Sara Woods, Mary Lopez, Andy Bradley, Patrick McNamara

The Exchange is published twice a year for the alumni, students and friends of the University of Nebraska Omaha School of Public Administration.