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 Kansas, 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