Stephanie Watkins-Cruz grew up in southeast Charlotte where, she said, “There were families and people of every shade, shape, and size. However, it looks much different now.” Observing these changes and how they impacted people drew her interest in community work early on.
The Master of Public Administration program hosted at the UNC School of Government is ranked among “America’s Best Graduate Schools” by U.S. News & World Report. The program improved two positions since 2017, tying for 23rd in the public affairs category.
In fall 2017, Professor of Public Administration and Government Maureen Berner traveled to Belgium to conduct research on food insecurity and poverty as a visiting scholar at Ghent University and its Centre for Global Studies. Berner also exchanged homes with University of Antwerp historian Maarten Van Ginderachter, who visited the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to work on his book and collaborate with faculty here in the United States.
The growing opioid epidemic in North Carolina has left local governments wondering how to construct an effective response. In partnership with BlueCross NC, the School of Government is offering a two-year program to ten teams across the state to support their policy efforts in combatting this crisis.
On February 22, 2018, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina announced a $50 million investment in community health initiatives across the state, including $390,000 to support the School of Government’s work in assisting local governments in addressing the opioid crisis.
Make a difference in your organization and your career. Join other driven public service professionals and take your interest in public service further by applying for the UNC School of Government’s Master of Public Administration program.
Apply by March 6 to start classes online in May 2018.
Alice Rivlin, former director of the Office of Management and Budget and founding director of the Congressional Budget Office, will deliver the 2018 Deil S. Wright Lecture at 3:15 p.m. on Friday, April 6 at the UNC School of Government. An expert in monetary and fiscal policy, Rivlin currently serves as a senior fellow in Economic Studies and the Center for Health Policy at the Brookings Institution and is a visiting professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown.
Each year, the UNC Visitors Center hosts a series of special tours related to Carolina’s history and landmarks, including the Black & Blue Tour, which focuses on African-American history of the University. At 3 p.m., Friday, Feb. 23, teaching assistant professor Robert Porter will lead this Priceless Gem walking tour, stopping by the UNC School of Government to view the SERVICE mural.
Nearly 200 are enrolled in MPA@UNC, the online format of the Master of Public Administration program housed at the UNC School of Government. One of those students, Lorrie Fair Allen, is returning to UNC more than a decade after her undergraduate tenure at Carolina, which included three NCAA women’s soccer championships.
On February 3, 2018, UNC Master of Public Administration alumna and current City of Rocky Mount Manager Rochelle Small-Toney was recognized and honored as a “Tar Heel Trailblazer” at the halftime of the UNC men’s basketball game.
On Thursday, March 8, the UNC School of Government will host a discussion on “Administrative Courts in the Polish Legal System” with Agata Hauser, PhD, a lecturer at the Constitutional Law Department of the Adam Mickiewicz University.
Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL), a national association founded by Carolina MPA alumni Kirsten and Kent Wyatt, will host a free event on Friday, March 2, to educate undergraduate women students about careers in local government. The event is co-hosted by the UNC School of Government, Carolina Center for Public Service, and the Carolina Women's Center and will include lunch, an afternoon of learning and networking, and a social hour.