News
Colt Jensen joins School faculty to work in local government management
September 9, 2025
The School of Government is excited to welcome Colt Jensen to its faculty. Jensen joined as an assistant professor of public administration and government in the summer of 2025 and works in the general area of local government management. He came to the School faculty after recently serving as a faculty member for Georgia Southern University.Read More
School welcomes Catherine Wilson to faculty to work in decedents’ estates and trusts
August 27, 2025
The School of Government is pleased to welcome a new faculty member into its ranks. Catherine Wilson, assistant professor of public law and government, joined the faculty in summer 2025. In her role at the School, Wilson teaches, advises, and writes about decedents’ estates and trusts, supporting the work of clerks of superior court and other North Carolina judicial officials in these areas of the law.Read More
Remembering longtime School faculty member Frayda S. Bluestein
August 21, 2025
The School of Government is saddened to share the news of the passing of former faculty member Frayda Bluestein. Bluestein joined the Institute of Government in 1991 and served as a trusted member of the faculty for three decades.Read More
Two School faculty members win Best Book Award from ASPA for joint publication
August 8, 2025
The School of Government congratulates faculty members Whitney Afonso and Kimberly Nelson, who were honored with receipt of the 2025 Best Book Award from the American Society for Public Administration’s (ASPA) Section on Public Administration Research.Read More
ncIMPACT partners with NC Department of Commerce to facilitate state's Strategic Economic Development Plan
July 30, 2025
In partnership with the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the School of Government's ncIMPACT Initiative is excited to support the development of the state’s next Comprehensive Strategic Economic Development Plan by facilitating regional public listening sessions. These sessions will be held in each of North Carolina’s Prosperity Zones, along with a statewide webinar, to gather valuable input, elevate local voices, and ensure the plan reflects the needs and goals of communities across the state.Read More
Placement of Lead for NC Fellows in western NC aims to support Helene recovery
July 25, 2025
The School of Government is pleased to share the continued work of Lead for North Carolina Fellows. As the western region of the state continues to respond to the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the School placed Lead for NC Fellows in each of the five western Councils of Government in North Carolina as well as 10 other fellows in the western region of the state.Read More
Webinar Series Helps NC Communities Tackle Disruption
July 11, 2025
The new Drivers of Change webinar series, launching July 16th, will share tools and knowledge with local government leaders confronting big issues shaping their communities. The series offers expert insights, stories of local response, and practical strategies to build more resilient communities.Read More
20 Years of Improving Local Government Workplaces
July 9, 2025
The Local Government Workplaces Initiative (LGWI) at the UNC School of Government is the only university-based center in the country dedicated to local government workplace climate research. The center is led by Dr. Leisha DeHart-Davis, professor of public administration and government and director of the Local Government Workplaces Initiative.Read More
From Student to Public Servant
June 13, 2025
In August 2024, Paloma Garcia-Serrano stepped into the Foothills Regional Commission for her first day of work as a Lead for North Carolina Fellow. Lead for NC is a leadership development program that places aspiring public service leaders in fellowships at local government offices across the state.Read More
David Ammons answers questions about new benchmarking publication
June 11, 2025
Former School of Government faculty member David Ammons, Albert Coates Professor Emeritus of Public Administration and Government, has authored a new publication. Published in May 2025, Improving Local Government Performance through Benchmarking describes the two types of benchmarking used by local governments—metrics benchmarking and best practice benchmarking—and cites examples and lessons learned across the nation and around the globe, including prominently lessons from the North Carolina Benchmarking Project.Read More
School updates impact website with new feature, data
June 2, 2025
The UNC School of Government is pleased to announce a new addition to our impact website: an interactive map displaying our work in all 100 counties across North Carolina. Hover over the map to see how the School has worked with each county, and click on a county to pull up a printable fact sheet.Read More
UNC MPA students graduate in spring 2025 MPA Commencement
May 27, 2025
Recent graduates from the UNC Master of Public Administration program gathered with faculty, family, friends, and staff on Saturday, May 10, 2025, to celebrate their commencement and coming next chapter in their public service careers.Read More
