2025 NASPAA Award Winners

Alumni Spotlight Award:

Mohamed Kadry Ibrahim, The American University in Cairo, School of Global Affairs and Public Policy

 

Committee:

Amarachi Orimma, Southern University and A & M College Alka Sapat, Florida Atlantic University Mandi Stewart, NC State University-Raleigh Nicole Ngo, University of Oregon

 

Dissertation Award:

Shuwen Zhang, University of Macau, Department of Government and Public Administration

 

Committee:

Charmaine Williams, Southern University Jane Beckett-Camarata, Penn State University Jessica Terman, George Mason University Xuhong Su (Su Su), University of Tennessee, Knoxville

 

JPAE Best Reviewer Award:

Sun Gue (Susan) Yang, University of South Carolina, Department of Political Science

 

Committee:

Sara Rinfret, Northern Arizona University

Sarah Young, Kennesaw State University

 

JPAE Outstanding Article Award

J. Brandon Philips, California State University East Bay, Department of Public Affairs and Administration

• Article Title: Hood Academics and the Strength of Street Knowledge: The Role of Educators and Practitioners from Marginalized Backgrounds in Nonprofit Education

 

Committee:

Sara Rinfret, Northern Arizona University Sarah Young, Kennesaw State University

 

JPAE Spotlight Author:

 

Bacha Kebede Debela, Oromia State University / Ethiopian Public Administration Association

Barleen Brans, KU Leuven, Public Governance Institute    

Kiflie Worku Angaw, KU Leuven, Public Governance Institute

• Article Title: Evaluating the Impact of Public Administration Programs on Governance Competencies in Ethiopia

 

S. Mohsen Fatemi, The University of Kanas, School of Public Affairs and Administration

• Article Title: A Pathway Toward Activating Social Equity in Public Administration Education from the Bottom Up: The Case of the Energy and Environmental Justice Education and Advocacy Program  

Julieta Marotta, Maastricht University, United Nations University-MERIT Mindel van de Laar , Maastricht University, United Nations University-MERIT

• Article Title:  Education as an E-resilient System: Empirical Insights from Stakeholder Perspectives in Public Affairs Education

    Meril Antony, University of Chicago, Consortium on School Research  Rachel Emas, The George Washington University, Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration Shahrin Upoma, University of Minnesota, Humphrey School of Public Affairs

• Article Title: Teaching Future Faculty: Pedagogical Training the Public Administration PhD Programs in the US

Diana F. Al-Fayez, University of Jordan, School of Business, Department of Public Administration  Imane Hijal-Meghrabi, "The University of Texas Permian Basin, Department of Social Sciences 

Meghna Sabharwal, The University of Texas at Dallas, School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences

• Article Title: The Current State of Public Administration Education in the MENA Region     

Committee:

Sara Rinfret, Northern Arizona University Sarah Young, Kennesaw State University

 

JPAE/TPA Award for Excellence in Public Administration Education:

Meghna Sabharwal, The University of Texas at Dallas, School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences

 

Committee:

Sara Rinfret, Northern Arizona University Sarah Young, Kennesaw State University

 

Leslie A. Whittington Excellence in Teaching Award

Douglas Carr, Oakland University, Department of Political Science

 

Committee:

Alison Jacknowitz, American University Andrea Pierce, University of Delaware Brady Baybeck, Wayne State University Maja Holmes, The University of Kansas

 

Nadia Rubaii Distinguished Scholar Award

RaJade M. Berry-James, Virginia Commonwealth University, L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs

 

Committee:

Atta Ceesay, Buffalo State University Mandi Stewart, NC State University-Raleigh Sara Rinfret, Northern Arizona University

 

Outstanding Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Book Award: 

Jaclyn S. Piatak, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Department of Political Science & Public Administration

Jessica E. Sowa, University of Delaware, Joseph R. Biden Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration

• Book Title: Volunteer Management: A Strategic Approach 

 

Committee:

Cynthia Lynch, Hawaii Pacific University David Blanding CHAIR, Brown University Eric Zeemering, University of Georgia Jessica Terman, George Mason University Megan Hatch, Cleveland State University Sarah Young, Kennesaw State University

 

Pi Alpha Alpha Best Chapter Award Southern University and A&M College, Pi Alpha Alpha Chapter

Pi Alpha Alpha Best Advisor Award Mary Bruce, Governors State University

Pi Alpha Alpha Best Master’s Manuscript Award Raghdah Abdulkareem Mayoub Al-Jebzi, Hamad Bin Khalifa University

• Manuscript Title: Disaster Risk Management in Turkiye and the World Bank: Analyzing Policy and Implementation Alignment with Global Standards

 

Pi Alpha Alpha Honor Society Steering Committee:

Richard Greggory Johnson III, PAA Chair, University of San Francisco Atta Ceesay, SUNY Buffalo State University Julie Olberding, Northern Kentucky University Kaisheka Juree Capers, Georgia State University Bok Jeong, Kean University Sophie Lee, Metropolitan College of New York Philip Nufrio, Metropolitan College of New York Abdul-Akeem Sadiq, University of Central Florida Elizabeth Overman, University of Central Oklahoma Shin Kue Ryu, Idaho State University Richard Funderburg, University of Illinois at Springfield

 

Professional Staff Award:

Tracy Appling, North Carolina State University, School of Public and International Affairs, Department of Public Administration

 

Committee:

Angelina Delgado, Baruch College Marxe Brad Heim, University of Central Florida Heather Hamilton, American University

 

Social Equity Award:

University of Connecticut, School of Public Policy, MPA & MPP Programs

 

Committee:

Jolene Sedita, University of California, Riverside Heather Wyatt-Nichol, University of Baltimore Shahrin Upoma, Humphrey School of Public Affairs

Social Justice Curriculum Award

Karen D. Sweeting, University of Rhode Island, Department of Political Science

 

Committee:

Kim Moloney, Hamad Bin Khalifa University Kristen Crossney, West Chester University Shahjahan Bhuiyan, The American University in Cairo

 

Staats Emerging Scholars Award

Emma Northcott, The George Washington University, Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration

Raul Gutierrez Meave, University of Illinois Chicago, Department of Public Policy, Management, and Analytics Sun Gue (Susan) Yang, University of South Carolina, Department of Political Science

 

Committee:

Daniel Scheller, Texas Tech University Lilliard Richardson, Penn State Shahrin Upoma, Humphrey School of Public Affairs Trent Davis, Georgia Southern University

William Duncombe Excellence in Doctoral Education Award

Sanjay K. Pandey, The George Washington University, Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration

 

Committee:

Brad Heim, University of Central Florida Heather Wyatt-Nichol, University of Baltimore Jessica Sowa, University of Delaware Jolene Sedita, University of California, Riverside Jyoti Aggarwal, University of Texas at Dallas Kim Moloney, Hamad Bin Khalifa University Lorenda Naylor, University of Baltimore Meagan Jordan, Clinton School of Public Service Shahrin Upoma, University of Minnesota Trent Davis, Georgia Southern University