THE

New SPA Faculty Dr. Jooho Lee and Dr.Tara Bryan

From the Directors Desk:

Collaborating Across Curricula, Colleges, Campuses, Community and Countries By Dr. Ethel Williams

Greetings! This year has been an exciting one for the School of Public Administration (SPA). We have welcomed two new faculty members, Dr. Tara Bryan and Dr. Jooho Lee; we began the search for a senior-level professor in Health Care Administration, and launched the Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management. But, beyond these accomplishments, the 2012-2013 academic year marks the 40th anniversary for the College of Public Affairs and Community Service and the School of Public Administration. We celebrate this milestone in the history of the college and in the School. The theme of collaboration in this issue is truly appropriate for this time in the SPA’s history. The School, which started out as a department in 1972, has undergone tremendous growth and change, and most of it results from collaborative efforts. The first faculty of the department, Drs. Harry Reynolds, Harold Gordon, David Paulsen and David Scott, had the vision and foresight to establish collaborative efforts very early with city managers and public administrators across the state. They recognized that the discipline of public administration needed to be anchored in both theory and practice, and by so doing both the community and the academy could benefit. Their efforts developed partnerships that are still valued and used to strengthen public administration in the Omaha community, the state of Nebraska and beyond the borders of the United States while enhancing the education of students in the School.

From a solid beginning, we have built on those collaborative efforts with community stakeholders to establish the Nebraska Municipal Clerk Institute and Academy in 1976, the Nebraska Certified Public Manager Program in 2007 and the Church Administration Institute in 2010. There are numerous other projects and grants that provide the opportunity to team with community leaders and administrators.

In addition to work in the community the faculty and staff have worked across academic disciplines to develop the interdisciplinary B.S. in Emergency Management, and the joint MIS/MPA; and across disciplines, colleges and campuses to develop the Master of Science in Human Services Administration at UNL.

Collaboration in the SPA is not narrowly defined. Working across borders has always generated great interest, pleasure and faculty and student growth and development. Stories of cold winters in Moldova and wonderful spring and summer weather in Norway have also anchored research partnerships and practical public sector initiatives in those countries and here. Lecturing and other opportunities in China have resulted from Ph.D. graduates who have remained connected to the SPA through research and other collaborations. Faculty Fulbright Fellowships in Estonia, Brazil and the Czech Republic continue to generate teaching and research opportunities for faculty and doctoral students and provide practical case studies for masters students.

So, as we begin our 41st year we celebrate partnerships, team work and pooled resources and look for new opportunities to strengthen scholarship and public administration in Omaha and beyond.

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Newsletter of the School of Public Administration

Fall 2012/Winter 2013

University of Nebraska Omaha

exch

ange 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 BlairTara Bryan

Carol EbdonAngela Eikenberry

Mary HamiltonBryce Hoflund

Dale KraneKen Kriz

Jooho LeeGary Marshall

James B. MillikenBJ Reed

Chris ReedArwiphawee Srithongrung

Jay White

Ellen Freeman-WakefieldAmy Kelley

Rhonda Sheibal-CarverMeagan Van Gelder

AVIATION INSTITUTE(402) 554-3424

Scott Vlasek Director

David ByersBecky Lutte

Patrick O’NeilDavid Smith

Gayle LokeySara Martin

NASA OFFICE(402) 554-3772

Lulu FerdousDaneisha Hall

Mike Helgerson Michaela Lucas

“I not only use all of the brains I have, but all I can borrow.”Wilson, Woodrow 28th President of the United States (1856-1924)

32 SCHOOL NEWS SCHOOL

Collaboration: Omaha and Beyond

Collaboration is a trendy buzzword for many corporations and organizations but not for the School of Public Administration (SPA). “It’s really the nature of Public Administration,” says SPA Acting Director Ethel Williams, Ph.D. “Collaboration has always been integral to what we do, even before it became a priority for the University system. “Experience has shown us that we accomplish a whole lot more when we work across department and unit lines, as well as across disciplines. It yields solutions, and there is a shared pride that comes from being successful by working together.”

Collaboration at SPA comes in many forms: Within the school, as faculty members team with students and colleagues to devise new classes or conduct research;

Across disciplines within the University, in efforts such as the dual Master of Public Administration/Master of Social Work degree with the School of Social Work, the dual master’s degree with the College of Information Science & Technology, and the School’s partnership in the Master’s in Public Health degree. SPA also collaborates with colleges and departments including civil engineering, political science, criminology and criminal justice, business and community and regional planning; Through informational and educational outreach to the local and regional communities by providing valuable tools such as the Omaha Economic Index, professional training programs for municipal clerks, city administrators and county commissioners; and training leading to the Certified Public Manager® designation; And internationally, as graduates return to their native countries, they continue to work with faculty at the School. Through extraordinary teaching opportunities for faculty members that enable them to lecture and learn around the world, they bring their experiences back to the classrooms at UNO.

There are also significant opportunities for collaboration on the horizon, such as those that will result from the $24 million Community Engagement Center, now under construction south of the Criss Library and west of SPA’s home in the College of Public Affairs & Community Service building. When completed in 2014, the 60,000-square-foot center will support the expansion of university-community partnerships, help meet a growing demand for public meeting and planning space, and extend UNO’s logistical resources to its community partners.

‘Relates Perfectly’

The new Community Engagement Center represents “a terrific opportunity” for CPACS and the School of Public Administration, says CPACS Associate Dean Sara Woods.

“A lot of what will occur in the engagement center relates perfectly to SPA,” she says. “The center will enhance what Public Administration has been doing for many years, especially regarding nonprofit administration, building dialog on public policy issues and engaging citizens.”

Woods notes that B.J. Reed, Ph.D., senior vice chancellor in the Office of Academic and Student Affairs, was dean at CPACS when the Neighborhood Center, which is administered by UNO, was launched. “That idea, to support small nonprofits by providing access to university resources, students and faculty, is a model that has proven effective in helping nonprofits grow,” she says.

The community service aspect of SPA is important to CPACS and ties in well with UNO’s metropolitan mission. “That’s what Public Administration is all about,” Woods says. “It’s the best of what a metropolitan university represents.” The new Community Engagement Center will enable SPA to build upon its teaching, research and outreach components.

32 SCHOOL NEWS SCHOOL

“The space may house student projects as well as collaborative planning sessions and meetings,” Woods says. “When SPA faculty secure grants for applied research with local nonprofits they may use that facility for their project. We could move Ph.D. students there part time to work on their collaborative research. “The engagement center will open a number of new doors and opportunities for SPA.”

Joint Degree Program

Collaboration between SPA and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has led to a new opportunity for students in the form of a graduate degree program, the Master of Science in Child, Youth & Family Studies with a specialization in Human & Family Services Administration. The 39 credit hour program is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding and the broad-based skills necessary for the development, administration and management of human service organizations.

The first students enrolled in the degree program are expected to earn their degrees in 2014 and interest from potential participants continues to grow, says Associate Professor Rochelle L. Dalla, Ph.D., with the Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies (CYAF) at UNL. “This joint degree with Public Administration will allow our graduates to move from direct service positions with families in crisis to become the directors and creators of these programs,” Dr. Dalla says. The degree is available completely online, although not all of the CYAF classes are available online every semester.

“SPA is in the forefront of online and distance education, and the School’s administration and faculty have been very willing to collaborate with us to serve our students,” she says. “It took a lot of brainstorming to bring these two elements together, and the Public Administration faculty have been fabulous about making certain the program and our students succeed.” Having the degree program available online is drawing interest from well beyond Nebraska. “We have a student from West Virginia who actually traveled to Lincoln just to meet some of the instructors,” Dr. Dalla says. “There are no physical limits to where our students are located.”

Information & Education

Collaboration for SPA faculty means teaching, research and service. Associate Professor Ken Kriz, Ph.D., is a good example of how far the School’s collaborative reach extends. He works with a group of financial professionals to deliver training sessions for nonprofit managers through the Nonprofit Association of the Midlands. “This has been going on about three years now and in that time, we have probably trained 100 nonprofit managers and board members,” he says. “We’re making quite an impact.”

He also works with fellow faculty members from SPA and the College of Business Administration (CBA) to provide budgetary and financial training for organizations, such as the sessions he and Associate Professor Carol Ebdon, Ph.D., conduct for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He developed the monthly Omaha Economic Index, which is compiled and analyzed by CBA Department of Economics Professors Chris Decker, Ph.D., and Mark Wohar, Ph.D.

To determine the latest index, Drs. Kriz, Decker and Wohar examine local economic activity for five counties: Douglas, Sarpy and Washington in Nebraska and Pottawattamie and Mills in Iowa, by measuring five factors: nonfarm employment, taxable sales, residential building permits, commercial building permits and industrial energy use. Dr. Kriz says the index is unique to the area because it is based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Omaha Public Power District and various other sources, compared to survey-based indexes that measure perceptions of business and may not be an accurate reflection of the economy today.

The index has been utilized and publicized by The Omaha World-Herald newspaper, and serves as an example of the University’s expanding efforts to inform, engage and educate the community. And he is engaged in several international collaborations. He has worked with nonprofit organizations in the Republic of Kazakhstan, and has served as a professor and Fulbright Scholar at the University of Tartu in the Republic of Estonia and as a Fulbright Senior Specialist in the Czech Republic, where he conducted training sessions and developed financial performance measurements.

The international collaborations provide more than an opportunity to teach foreign students and citizens, Dr. Kriz says. “The things I learn give me real-world examples from transitional countries that I incorporate into my classes,” he says. “Having been there, touched it and lived it allows me to say more in terms of the world beyond the classroom.”

Going forward, Dr. Williams says, the faculty and staff at SPA will continue to seek new avenues of collaboration that benefit students, faculty, the university and the community. “As we expand and grow our outreach,” she says, “our collaborations with our community partners and internationally will continue to expand as well.” Because, she says, collaboration at the School of Public Administration “just comes naturally for us.”

54 SCHOOL NEWS SCHOOL

Hamilton Elected Officer of National Certified Public Manager® ConsortiumBy Mary R. Hamilton, Founder and Director Emeritus, Nebraska Certified Public Manager® Program and Faculty

School faculty member, Mary R. Hamilton was elected Secretary of the National Certified Public Manager® (CPM) Consortium at their annual business meeting in Columbia, SC, October 13-14, 2012, and took office in late November of 2012. Traditionally, but not automatically, the Secretary moves to Vice Chair of the Consortium after one year and then, automatically, to Chair.

Formed in 1979, the National Certified Public Manager® Consortium establishes and preserves standards for the Certified Public Manager® (CPM) designation.

A Certified Public Manager® program is a nationally accredited comprehensive management development pro-gram specifically for managers in federal, state, and local government and in nonprofit organizations. The pro-gram’s primary goal is to improve the performance of public sector managers and the organizational performance of state, local and federal government. It is a comprehensive course of study by which public and nonprofit managers can acquire and apply the best practices and theory to their management behaviors and strategies us-ing prescribed sets of professional competencies. The curriculum uses theory as the foundation and applies it to practical problems facing the participant, their agency/department, and the citizens. Those who complete the pro-gram are awarded the Certified Public Manager® designation which is a registered service mark of the National Certified Public Manager Consortium.

The purpose of the Consortium is to promote CPM programs by providing and monitoring accreditation stan-dards, facilitating program development, encouraging innovation and developing linkages with programs and organizations with similar concerns.

Dr. Hamilton, was the Founder and Inaugural Director of the Nebraska Certified Public Manager® (CPM) Program sponsored by the School. She is currently a consultant and member of the Program’s Advisory Board.

CPM and Nebraska Clerks Institute and Academy UpdatesBy Ellen Freeman Wakefield, Director Professional Programs

The Nebraska CPM Program graduated its fifth class of Certified Public Managers® on December 7, 2012, at the UNO CPACS Collaborating Commons. Nebraska Lt. Gov. Rick Sheehy presided, assisted by UNO Senior Vice Chancellor BJ Reed.

The 2012 Nebraska CPM class includes six people from city, county, state government, and nonprofit. Participants have completed their major projects for the year and presented them on December 6, the day before graduation. Projects this year included topics on; Going Paperless in City Government, State Awareness of the Department of Corrections Honor Guard, Inventory Control at the University Library, State Grant Formula, Community Disaster Preparedness and Developing an Elementary School Booster Club and Its Vision.

Graduates of the program have completed a comprehensive year-long curriculum of hands-on, skills-based learn-ing that will help them lead and manage more effectively. Courses include: leadership, managing people and teams, managing information technology, and mediation skills.

The Nebraska Clerks Institute and Academy will take place March 18-22 at the New World Inn in Columbus, Nebraska. Educational sessions this year will address issues dealing with risk management, going paperless, and how municipalities can make use of social media safely. In addition, the opening key note speaker will be Police Constable Richard Watson, Public Order Division, New Scotland Yard, London, England. PC Watson will speak about working with local city, national and international governmental entities, and the general public to provide security during the Royal Wedding, Queen’s Jubilee, and the 2012 Olympic Games.

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SPA Hosts Fulbright Scholar from the Republic of Moldova By Dr. Dale Krane The School of Public administration welcomed Visiting Fulbright Scholar Dr. Tatiana Saptefrati, who is an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Instructional Development at the Academy of Public Administration in the Republic of Moldova. Her academic host is Dr. Dale Krane, Frederick W. Kayser Chair Professor. Dr. Saptefrati arrived in early September and is engaged in a six month study of the evolution of public administration science in the U.S.A, and the impact the discipline has had on the nation’s governing institutions. She is actively engaged in research, but this has not prevented her from traveling to other parts of the U.S. such as Reno, Nevada, to attend the Fulbright Visiting Scholar seminar on U.S. Elections in a Battleground State: Observing Democracy in Action. She also plans visits to offices of state and local government officials. Her research will serve as the foundation for a new course she will develop for the Academy.

Moldova, situated between Romania and the Ukraine, gained its independence with the demise of the Soviet Union, and is striving to construct a democratic political system. The Academy of Public Administration, located in Moldova’s capital city of Chisinau, is a special institution in the Office of the President of Moldova. The Academy offers the baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral degrees in public administration as well as providing training to public officials. Faculty and staff conduct research and convene scientific conferences. A team of UNO’s School of Public Administration faculty in 1995 and 1996 assisted the Academy in developing its programs for local government administrators. This project was funded by the Eurasia Foundation. It is gratifying to senior faculty such as Russell Smith, Dale Krane, John Bartle, and Jay White that the work of fifteen years ago has grown into a fully functioning institution devoted to advancing public service. Here at UNO we are excited about the renewal of our relationship, and we look forward to new ways of collaborating with Dr. Saptefrati and her colleagues at the Academy.

Dale Krane, Frederick W. Kayser Chair Professor, com-pleted a semester-long Fulbright Visiting Scholar assign-ment at the Federal University of Bahia (UFBa), Salva-dor, Brazil in 2011. Since then, he was invited to teach a graduate level course on comparative public policy implementation at the Sao Paulo campus of the Getulio Vargas Foundation. The foundation is both a private uni-versity and a think tank, and its College of Administration is home to Brazil’s premier programs in public adminis-tration and public policy. The two week intensive course in July 2012 was taught in English because the Founda-tion requires its graduate students in administration to be fluent in languages beyond their native Portuguese. Students in the course had diverse professional experi-ences in public and non-profit settings. Four students

were in the public administration doctoral program. It is interesting to note that the four doctoral students were supported by a combination of money from the Foun-dation and the national government. A requirement of financial aid for doctoral education in Brazil is students are expected to complete their degree in four years!

While in Brazil, Professor Krane also returned to UFBa to meet with Professor Sandro Cabral, School of Man-agement, and with Fagner Dantas, Urban Planning Ana-lyst, City of Salvador, to continue the research the three are conducting on the collaborative management of civic mega-events. Professor Krane also was invited to be a member of a committee reviewing a public administra-tion doctoral student’s dissertation proposal.

Fulbright Experience Leads to Continuing Collaboration By Dr. Dale Krane

NASA Student Projects Fly High During Husker Game By Lulu Ferdous, Research Assistant

Nearly 89,000 Husker game spectators shared in the excitement when three high-altitude balloons were launched during halftime of the Arkansas State football game in September. The initiative was an effort to promote student participation in science projects and high-altitude ballooning by the NASA Nebraska Space Grant, the Strategic Air & Space Museum, UNL, and Omaha and Lincoln Public Schools.

The balloons reached an altitude of approximately 18 miles and carried student payloads with GPS and video devices. The balloons took incredible footage during their ascent and return to earth. One of the balloons also took a small astronaut figure, Herbie Husker, to near space and back. Video footage of the entire flight has been uploaded and the data from the measurement devices has been posted online.

This launch was the first scientific balloon launch ever conducted as a part of an NCAA football game. The NASA Nebraska Space Grant Consortium conducts high-altitude ballooning projects across the state each year, engag-ing K-12 students, educators, and university students in hands-on research projects.

NASA Delivers Teacher Training By Lulu Ferdous, Research Assistant

Lulu Ferdous delivered an aeronautics presentation for Nebraska science teachers at the Science Training Day on October 9th. The presentation focused on the curriculum delivered through the NASA Summer on Innovation project. Teachers were engaged in hands-on activities they could implement in the classroom to create interest in aeronautics while improving math achievement. This effort is part of NASA's ongoing Summer of Innovation program. The project, Nebraska BLAST! (Building Lasting Afterschool STEM Teams), is a three-year effort to train teachers across the state in Cosmic Connections, Aeronautics, Robotics, and High-Altitude Ballooning. The Nebraska BLAST! project is a partnership between the Nebraska Department of Education’s 21st Century Community Learning Center Network, UNL Extension, NASA Nebraska Space Grant, and NASA.

SCHOOL 7 6 SCHOOL NEWS

SPA Faculty Participate in Transatlantic Dialogue

Professors Carol Ebdon and Dale Krane participated in the 8th Transatlantic Dialogue held on the campus of Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. The June 7-9, 2012 conference is co-sponsored by the Euro-pean Group for Public Administration and the American Society for Public Administration. The purpose of the an-nual conference is to create and expand dialogue between U.S. and European scholars who conduct research on public and non-profit management. The conference is organized into two-day long workshops on specific topics such as challenges and innovations in regulatory governance, accountability processes in modern government, and multi-level governance, which was chaired by Professor Krane. Professors Ebdon and Krane, along with Pro-fessor Aimee Franklin (University of Oklahoma), presented a paper titled “Multi-level Governance in the Municipal Budget Process in Brazil, China, and the United States.” The paper examines the emergence of citizen participa-tion in local government budget making in the three countries and offers propositions as to what factors facilitate or hinder citizen participation.

Save the Date: Professional Development Session on Ethics in Public Service: Your Professional Responsibility

and ASPA Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, April 3, 2013Contact Rhonda Sheibal-Carver 402 554-2625 for more information

Aviation Institute - Year in ReviewBy Scott Vlasek, MPA,Director of the Aviation Institute

The faculty, staff, and students of the Aviation Institute have been very busy over the past sev-eral months.

During a recent trip to Montreal, Scott Vlasek, Becky Lutte, and Pat O’Neil met with repre-sentatives from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The ICAO, a branch of the United Nations, was established to promote and develop safe aviation operations worldwide. As a part of that mission, ICAO and international partners are developing aviation initiatives for the future of the industry. The AI is work-ing towards research collaboration with ICAO to address the training needs related to these initiatives. The AI has also worked with ICAO on training initiatives in Africa. The training needs analysis currently being explored will allow the AI to further expand our work in international aviation safety. Additionally, they attended the Aviation Accreditation Board International meet-ing hosted by ICAO. Along with seminars and workshops the conference included a tour of the ICAO headquarters. It was also at the annual meeting that the Aviation Institute’s reaffirma-tion of the Bachelor of Science in Aviation with a concentration in Air Transport Administration was voted on by the Board and approved.

The start of the 2012 fall semester also marked the formal presentation of the

Loening Trophy to the Aviation Institute. In May the Institute was selected as the winner at the 2012 National Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference that was held in Salina, KS. The Loening Trophy Competition was founded by Dr. Grover Loening, an early innovator and pioneer in the aviation world. Dr. Loening foresaw that advancements in aviation would be vital in the years to come. He recognized that future talent would come from academic institutions, so he created the Loening Trophy Competition to rec-ognize the achievements of the most outstand-ing aviation university and more importantly, its current efforts at setting the standard for other collegiate aviation programs in the nation.

The Loening Trophy is a priceless piece of Americana. Considered the most prestigious award presented at the national collegiate avia-tion competition, the Loening Trophy is by far the oldest and rarest. Designed by Tiffany of New York in 1929, the trophy is fashioned of pure sterling silver. Among the first judges were avia-tion legends Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, Navy Commander John Towers, and Dr. Grover Loening himself.

The Loening Trophy is typically only in the pos-session of the winning collegiate aviation pro-gram for 48 hours due to its historical and mate-rial value. However, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) has been given the opportunity to house the trophy at the Strategic Air & Space Museum for the next year. UNO is proud to give Nebraskans the chance to view a rare piece of aviation history.

SCHOOL 7

Speaking from ExperienceRobert Blair, Ph.D., Associate Professor

Ask Associate Professor Robert Blair, Ph.D., about the issues and challenges his Public Administration students would face as city managers and he responds with the conviction of personal experience.

That is because Dr. Blair spent 14 years in city and state government positions before joining the academic world. After earning a Master of Public Administration (MPA) at UNO in 1975, he went to work in Grand Island as assistant to the city’s Public Works Director, then as City Personnel Director. In 1979, he became Assistant City Manager in Kearney. From Kearney he moved to Lincoln, where he served as Industrial Development Consultant (1981-‘85) and Coordinator of Community Assistance Programs (1985-‘89) at the Nebraska Department of Economic Development.

He came to UNO as a Senior Research Associate at the Center for Public Affairs Research (CPAR) in 1989, and joined the faculty of the School of Public Administration (SPA) in 1996, the year he earned a doctorate in political science from UNL.

“I tell my students I’ve changed careers three times now,” he says, smiling. “Each change has come with its own unique set of challenges.”

Dr. Blair puts his city government experience to work as a teaching tool he employs for his students, as a focus of his research, and in his extensive and active outreach. He is a longtime member of the International City/County Managers Association (ICMA) and is helping plan the 99th ICMA annual conference in 2013 in Boston. “We’ll draw people from 14 countries,” he says. “Our 50-person planning committee has 49 city managers and one college professor: me.”

Dr. Blair’s warm, welcoming nature makes him extremely approachable, a trait appreciated by his students, colleagues and the city managers and administrators who seek his advice and collaboration. “What I do today reflects why I got into this 30 years ago,” he says, “to work with local government. I stay involved through education.”

As associate professor of public administration and urban studies, and as director of local government programs, he is helping guide the next generation of city managers and administrators. “The greatest challenge is drawing people to the work,” he says. “I take particular pride that at least 15 of my former students are now city administrators or assistants in the U.S.”

Reaching beyond UNO, he imparts his knowledge to students in Lithuania, where in December he gave two

weeks of lectures at UNO’s sister institution, Šiauliai University.

“Twenty years ago it was a Communist country,” he says. “They are very eager to embrace public management, but so much of this is new to them.”

His research interests include policy implementation, policy specializations and public management. In 2009, he was awarded a visiting scholar fellowship by the University of Agder in Norway to conduct research in comparative local government management. The author of chapters in several public policy texts as well as monographs, applied research studies and articles in professional management publications, Dr. Blair also served as executive editor and is a member of the editorial board for Community Development: Journal of the Community Development Society.

A native of Omaha, he and his wife, Barbara, have been married “40-plus” years. Their only child, Andrew, died four years ago from complications after a lifetime of cardiac disease and cerebral palsy. He was 31.

In his honor, the Blairs have established the Andrew Blair Memorial Fellowship through the University of Nebraska Foundation. The fellowship is for MPA students who plan careers with the disabled or nonprofit human service organizations. “Barbara and I have incredible admiration for what people do in this field.”

In his free time, the 63-year-old follows the Chicago Cubs and Bears, and participates in sprint triathlons – endurance events that combine a 500-meter swim, a 12-mile bicycle ride and a three-mile run.

“I always place in my age division,” he says, smiling once again, “because there’s no one else in my division.”

98 FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

98 FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

Faculty Fast Facts:Dr. Angela Eikenberry, associate professor in the School of Public Administration, is starting a new research project with Dr. Beth Breeze, from the University of Kent, to study giving circles and giving collaboratives in the UK. This research extends Dr. Eikenberry’s work on giving circles, which has focused mainly on the U.S. and has been published in her book Giving Circles: Philanthropy, Voluntary Association, and Democracy (Indiana University Press, 2009) and elsewhere. Giving circles or collaboratives are groups of individuals who pool funds, knowledge, and/or other resources to support social purpose activities. This summer, Dr. Eikenberry will spend about a month conducting interviews and observations in the UK to examine the landscape of giving collaboratives in the U.K. and how it compares to giving circles in the U.S. For more information about Dr. Eikenberry’s research in this and other areas go to: http://myweb.unomaha.edu/~aeikenberry/.

Dr. Arwiphawee Srilthingrung attended the “2012 Thailand Conference in Public Administration and Public Affairs,” August 30-31, 2012 in Bangkok, Thailand and presented a paper on the topic of budget reform effects in Asia.

Dr. Arwiphawee Srithongrung and Dr. Ken Kriz traveled to the Czech Republic at the end of November. They both gave a 50-minute lecture to the Master’s students in Thomas Bata University in Zlin, Czech Republic.

Dr. Ethel Williams was named Vice President of the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA).

Faculty/Staff Publications, Research and Presentations;

Dr. John Bartle, professor in the School of Public Administration and acting dean in the College of Public Affairs and Community Service co-authored the updated edition of “Management Policies in Local Government Finance” textbook, 6th Edition.

Dr. Jooho Lee. assistant professor in the School of Public Administration with M. Jae Moon and Cheol Yong Roh. (Forthcoming). “The Evolution of Internal IT Applications and E-government Studies in the Public Administration Discipline: Research Themes and Methods” Administration & Society (doi:10.1177/0095399712459723).

Lee, Jooho. 2013. “Exploring The Role of Knowledge Networks in Perceived E-government: A Comparative Case Study of Two Local Governments in Korea” American Review of Public Administration, 43(1): 89-108.

Kim, Soonhee and Lee, Jooho. 2012. “E-Participation, Transparency, and Trust in Local Government” Public Administration Review, 72(6): 819-828.

Lee, Jooho and Soonhee Kim. 2012. “E-Participation in the Era of Web 2.0: Factors Affecting Citizens’ Active E-Participation in Local Governance,” Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance, Edited by J. Ramon Gil-Garcia, Natalie Helbig and Adegboyega Ojo, pp. 44-47. New York, NY: ACM Press (Nominated for the Best Paper Award at the 34th EGPA Annual Conference, Bergen, Norway, September 5–8, 2012).

Eikenberry, A. M. (2012). Social networking, learning and civic engagement: New relationships between professors and students, public administrator and citizens. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 18, 449-466.

Eikenberry, A. M., & Jensen, C. (2012). Voluntary associations, nonprofit organizations and civic engagement. In Civic engagement in a comparative perspective, edited by Hindy Lauer Schachter and Kaifeng Yang. Information Age Publishing.

Eikenberry, A. M., & Cooper , T. (2012). Nongovernmental organizations networking in disaster. In Behavioral Health Response to Disas-ters edited by Martell L. Teasley and Julie L. Framingham. CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group.

Srithongrung, A. & Kriz, K. A. (2012). From Public Infrastructure to National Economic Growth: Do Systematic Investment Practices Matter?. International Public Management Review, 13(2) , pp.19-50

Srithongrung, A.(Forthcoming, April 2013 ). The Dynamic Impacts of State Revenue Capacity on Highway Investment. Public Works Management & Policy 1087724X12447934, first published on June 3, 2012 as doi:10.1177/1087724X12447934.

Awards:

Dr. Angela Eikenberry received UNO Student Government Curulis Award, in recognition of a UNO faculty member who demonstrates concern for students beyond instruction, May 2012 and Friend of the Environment award, Omaha Earth Day Coalition, May 2012.

Research Grant:

Dr. Angela Eikenberry received an award from Faculty Research International for $4,025, for research on giving collaboratives in the U.K. (with Beth Breeze, University of Kent).

Recognition:

Mary Hamilton and Jack White were recipients of the Big Couple of the Year award from Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Midlands. They were nominated by their Little Brother Matthew.

FAST FACTS

1110 STUDENT NEWS

Student Fast Facts

Lulu Ferdous, Research Assistant in the NASA Nebraska EPSCoR office, received the UNO Student Leader of the Month Award for September 2012. Lulu has been involved with Women in Aviation UNO ‘Mav-erick’ Chapter since her freshman year in 2007. Lulu was recognized for her role in mentoring other students in the profession-al organization, and for organizing group meetings, events on campus, and trips to national conferences.

Changsoo Song, PhD Student in Public Administration, presented a paper, titled “Designing Evidence-Based Micro-Enter-prise Development Programs: An Empiri-cal Investigation of Significant Factors for Effective Information Technology Interven-tions,” at the Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management (APPAM) annual conference, Baltimore, MD, November 7-10, 2012.

Jan Glenn, LaVista Nebraska, has been appointed by Governor Dave Hieneman to serve a four year term as Public Member on the State Public Accountancy Board. Ms. Glenn is currently the Director, Business Services ESU#3. Ms. Glenn is a graduate of the University of Nebraska, College of Business and of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, School of Public Administration Certified Public Manager Program, 2008.

PhD Student Catherine Brown passed field exams and got an Emerging Scholar Award from ARNOVA.

Christian Janousek, a doctoral student in Public Administration, attended and pre-sented at both a regional and national con-ference. In September, Christian presented on professional orientations in local govern-ment management at the Great Plains Polit-ical Science Association annual conference in Hastings, Nebraska. In October, Christian presented research related to his disserta-tion in professional local government man-agement among U.S. states at the Interna-tional City/County Management Association annual conference in Phoenix, Arizona.

InCommon won a $50,000 grand prize from Tom’s of Maine (50 States for Good) compe-tition. Christian Gray a Master of Science in Urban Studies student is the executive director of inCommon.

Melissa Trueblood was named 2012 Employee of the Year by Nebraska Depart-ment Economic Development.

MPA Capstone Projects

Our MPA students complete a “capstone” research project as part of their degree requirements. The research includes a variety of topics and methodolo-gies, and the findings are valuable for public and nonprofit agencies. Here are the projects from the Fall 2012 semester:

• The Make/Buy Decision: A Case Study in Landfill Operations (Louis Jarvis)• The Effect of Airport Surface Detection Equipment (ASDE-X) on the Number

of Runway Incursions (Bernadette Klatkiewicz)• Implementing Responsibility Center Budgeting at Kansas State University: A

Feasibility Study (Alyson Rome)• Analysis of Sustainability Practices in UNMC Policy (Melanie Stewart • Preference in Public Hiring: The Employees’ and Hiring Officials View on

Veterans Preference (Johnny Wakefield)• Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Wilderness Programs for At-Risk Youth

(Andrew Wardle)• Effectiveness of the Heading Home Hennepin Network (Jessica Kasper)• Interagency Collaboration of Animal Welfare Agencies in Benton-Franklin

Counties, Washington (Stephanie McCarl)• Texas Child Welfare Privatization (Hope Moss)• The St. Joseph Safety Council’s Safety Town Program: A Program Evalua-

tion with Recommendations (Jackie Spainhower)• Mutually Beneficial Partnerships: The Merging of the Private and Non-Profit

Sectors (Crystal Bayliss)• Service Learning Academy’s Impact on Pre K-12 Students’ Attitudes (Krystal

Boose)• The Identification and Examination of Various Unplanned Pregnancy and

Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention Models (Tess Larson)• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Returning U.S. Military Veterans and the

New Challenges Faced by the Veterans Health Administration: A Case Study of the Omaha VA Hospital (Matt Parsons)

• Policy or the Lack Thereof – The Development of Policy for the Use of Un-manned Drones in Public Spaces (Keith Reagan)

• Developing Software Applications for Medical Service Providers (Alan Watts)

• The Reluctance of Implementing Behavioral Based Pay Systems: A Review of Pay for Performance Adoption at the Local Government Level (Valerie Boukal)

• City of Fremont, NE Capital Improvement Plan (Rian Harkins)• The Impact of State Historic Preservation Tax Credits: A Review of Efforts in

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Colorado (Adrian Hernandez)• Understanding and Responding to NIMBYISM: A Case Study of Low In-

come Housing (Matthew Roth)• The Aging of the Public Works Workforce: Preparing a New Generation of

Public Employees (Al Vacanti)• The Effect of Omaha, Nebraska on the City Planning & Development of

Council Bluffs, Iowa (Morgan Wade)

1110 STUDENT NEWS Student News

Catherine Humphries Brown and Dr. James Young In November, the Association for Research on Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Action (ARNOVA) named Catherine Humphries Brown, a doctoral candidate in the School

of Public Administration at UNO, and Dr. James Young, assistant professor in the Department of Social Work at the University of Nebraska-Kearney, as recipients of the Emerging Scholars Award. These awards, given annually, are designed to help develop the next generation of scholars, foster dissemination of research into practice, and enhance practitioner involvement in the creation of usable knowledge. With the support of this award, both attended the 41st Annual ARNOVA Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. Catherine was also thankful to UNO’s Office of Graduate Studies for additional travel support through their Graduate Student Travel Grant. The theme of this year’s conference was philanthropy-

specifically, what is philanthropy, and how do we develop and encourage a broad and diverse approach to understanding philanthropy in theory and in practice? As part of a larger conversation about this topic, Catherine presented a paper on philanthropic support to nonprofit organizations in the form of nonprofit capacity building programs. She also chaired a panel exploring discourses in the field of nonprofit and philanthropic studies. Dr. Young presented two papers-one entitled “Exploring the Current Status of Social Media Use Among Nonprofit Human Service Organizations” and the other about the efficacy of online learning. Additionally, Dr. Young chaired a panel examining innovation at the intersection of multiple sectors.

Two University of Nebraska System Members Honored as Emerging Scholars By Catherine Brown

Nebraska Students Explore Careers at Johnson Space Center By Michael Helgerson, Grants Specialist

Undergraduate students from three Nebraska schools travelled to Houston, TX, to take part in a pilot Career Exploration Workshop hosted by the NASA Nebraska Space Grant Consortium. Students from Metropolitan Community College, UNO, and UNL took part in the August workshop at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

The workshop was created to expose Nebraska students to the career opportunities available at NASA through a hands-on engineering activity. Students participating in the workshop were given a challenge to a Mars rover that was able to complete certain mining tasks. The seven-person student team worked in a team environment that simulated the way which NASA scientists and aerospace contrac-tors develop new space technologies. The Career Exploration workshop also provided Nebraska students with opportunities to meet with NASA scientists who serve as mentors in JSC’s internship program. This pilot program was an innovative collaboration between NASA Nebraska Space Grant and the JSC Education Department and is a model that will be used in future years.

MPA Program Update By Carol Ebdon, Ph.D., Professor, MPA Program Chair These are challenging and uncertain times for public administrators. The news is full of stories about the fiscal cliff, natural disasters, and tragic shootings. We are so proud of our students and graduates who are dealing with these issues and are at the forefront of lead-ing public and nonprofit organizations effectively, ethically, and democratically.

Several of our students have recently expanded their horizons through international study and research experiences. For example, Sarah Wernimont studied at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands last summer, while Catie Miller spent the summer at the University of Agder in Kristiansand, Norway. Megan Edwards received a UNO Graduate Research and Creative Activity grant which allowed her to spend the summer and fall in Bolivia, where she is conducting research on the role of non-governmental organizations in civic engagement. These students enjoyed the tremendous opportunity to learn about public administration in other countries.

Our MPA program has been reaccredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA). Thanks again to the students, alumni, advisory board members, staff, and faculty who assisted in reaccreditation. The faculty is currently going through an extensive process to redefine the competencies expected of our students when they graduate from the program. We will be working with various stakeholder groups in this effort to ensure the continued strength of the MPA degree.

Congratulations to our recent graduates, and good luck in your careers!

1312 ALUMNI NEWS

Mellisa Wragge name Employee of the Month

Melissa Wragge, Grants Program Manager for NASA Nebraska Space Grant and EPSCoR, was named Employee of the Month in November 2012. As a longtime member of the NASA team, Melissa has constantly offers to assist others on projects during critical times. She is always pleasant to be around and she works with constituents across campus and with the NASA statewide network of affiliates. Wragge earned her Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) degree from UNO in 2007 in Aviation Studies.

Leadership Collaboration By Paul E. Bryant

Paul Bryant has been on a mission to change the world, one person at a time ever since the release of his book, The Purpose Living Leader. The evalua-tions from the students who have taken his course PA 2000 Leadership and Ad-ministration inspired Paul to expand the reach of his leadership philosophy past the boundaries of UNO and Omaha, Nebraska.

No stranger to the concept of educa-tional collaboration; locally Bryant's Leadership Institute for Urban Educa-tion partners with CPACS and HPER every other Saturday to empower 25 youth through his College for Kids program. Partnerships with the Douglas County Youth Center and Buffett Middle School enabled Paul to reach roughly

200 students annually. His curriculum resonates with incarcerate youth as well as high achieving 7th and 8th grade students.

Several new collaborations this semester have enabled Paul to reach into other areas of the city. One of them is the Victory Boxing Club in South Omaha. Every Friday Paul teaches a leadership course at the center primarily servicing Hispanic and Sudanese youth. Another is Franklin Elementary School in North Omaha. Paul will teach leadership to sixth grade students in their After School Program. Another partner is Heartland Workforce Solu-tions; Paul will create and deliver a seminar on Customer Service for companies and job seekers. He will be the first contractor to present in their new location at 5752 Ames Avenue.

On the national level, Paul has two exciting new collaborations on track for 2013. One is with mPWR10 Partners, an organization that focuses on helping individuals and teams thrive and achieve their goals. Paul is a Master Trainer for the organization and will introduce the company to the South East Region of the US. Another partner is Allan Houston, Assistant General Manager for the New York Knicks professional Basketball team. Paul is help-ing develop a leadership program for the NY players. Twenty-five copies of Paul’s book have been ordered for the team and mPWR10 training will follow.

Internationally the Purpose Living body of work is reaching 500,000 students in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, through his partnership with the Opportunity Education Foundation, Bryant serves as an Academic Advisor for the

1312 ALUMNI NEWS ALUMNI

Alumni News

(if you have a new job or professional news to share, please let us know at: rsheibalcarver@unomaha.edu)

Larry Burks (MPA, 2007 ) was awarded the Emerging Leader of the Year. He received the award July 11, at the 2012 Iowa City/County Managers Association’s Summer Conference.

Tessa Gifford (MPA, 2009) is the Director of Development – UNO College of Public Affairs and Community Service for the University of Nebraska Foundation.

Jan Glenn (CPM, 2008) as the newest member of the Nebraska Board of Public Accountancy. Appointed by Gover-nor Heineman, Mrs. Glenn was sworn into office on August 9, 2012.

Sarah Hanify (MPA/MSW, 2011) is a Permanency Specialist with the Nebraska Families Collaborative.

Dawn Hove (MPA, 2001) Childcare Director at UNO’s Childcare Center received a new five-year term NAEYC Accreditation.

Elizabeth Kraemer (MPA, 2008), UNO Alumni Association Programs Coordinator, received the Rising Star Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education in December 2012.

Tess Larson (MPA/MSW, 2012) joined the Sherwood Foundation in January and was awarded the Mentor of the Year Award.

Hillary Nather-Detisch (MPA, 2003) is the Sr. Vice President, Community Impact, for the United Way of the Midlands.

Jessica Rial Scheuerman (MSUS, 2010) is the Carver Bank Program Coordinator, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts.

Brittany Sill (MPA, 2009) is the Legislative and Policy Analyst for the Association of Washington Cities.

Amy West (MPA/MSW, 2012) is the Policy Coordinator for the Child Welfare System Accountability Program at Nebraska Appleseed.

2012 Nebraska Certified Public Manager© (CPM) Program Graduates

From Left to right: Marc E. Gordon, Building Service Manager, University of Nebraska Omaha, Criss LibraryAnn Fritz the Resource Development Manager of North Central District Health DepartmentMegan Cruickshank, Canine Corporal, Tecumseh State Correctional Institution, Nebraska Department of CorrectionAaron J. Barrow, Police Lieutenant, City of Blair Police DepartmentGuest presenter, Rick Sheehy, Nebraska Lt. Governor Guest presenter, B.J. Reed, UNO Sr. Vice ChancellorLinda M. Douglas, Village Clerk/Treasurer, Village of ArlingtonJennifer Dreibelbis, Community Services Block Grant Program Special-ist, DHHS-Child and Family Services

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 2012 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.

SPA Alum Continuing Global Engagement in IndiaBy Patrick McNamara, Ph.D. 2007UNO International Studies Research Associate / Consultant & Facilitator

After serving as a 2011 Fulbright-Nehru Senior Scholar in India, I have had multiple invitations to return. After some negotiations on the home-front , I did just that. I said goodbye to my wonderfully supportive wife, Aviva Segall, who serves as Music Director of the Omaha Area Youth Orchestras and our two daughters, who are in 4th and 6th grades, and ventured out for five weeks of travel.

I spent one week in London where I led a conflict management training for Faith in Leadership (http://faithinleadership.org) which prepares the next generation of clergy from all the world’s major religions with skills that will help with coexistence. A few days later, I joined a group from this program and religious dignitaries from around the world at a dinner hosted by the then-Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend Rowan Williams. (See my photo outside the gates of his residence and offices, the medieval Lambeth Palace, on the banks of the River Thames across from the Houses of Parliament.)

I then spent a month in India teaching, consulting and conducting research. I traveled north and south. Two of the places I taught were invitations from institutions where I taught as a Fulbrighter. But another four were new places based on relationships that UNO is trying to build with institutions abroad. (See photo of me in front of publicity poster for a guest lecture.) I even had dinner in the Delhi area with UNO Chancellor John Christensen and his wife who happened to be traveling in India at the same time.

My main area of research is on conflict resolution of water disputes. Whether looking at India or Nebraska, water disputes are growing in frequency and complexity. One river system – where many conflicts exist – that is important to Indians for agriculture, transportation, fishing, energy and religious purposes is the Ganges. I spent some time on this ancient River. (See photo of one scene of life on the Ganges River.)

There is great potential for University of Nebraska to continue to build up partnerships with institutions in India. It is a fertile time for this incredibly dynamic country and UNO. Global engagement is not just what we say here at UNO, it is the most exciting thing we can do for students, faculty and the communities we serve!

14 ALUMNI NEWS

15

Generous Donors Provide Scholarship/Fellowship Opportunities for Students

ENGAGEMENT

Thanks to our generous donors, the School of Public Administration has five endowed funds available for student scholarships/fellowships. Application criteria and deadlines are announced through emails and on the SPA website.

Please consider a gift to support scholarships for the School of Public Administration by visiting http://nufoundation.org. • The Mary and Rodrigo Lopez Fellowship for Professional Development provides funding to engage in significant professional

and career development activities. Mary Lopez retired as the School’s Career Services Director in 2011 and is an MPA alum-nus.

• The Andrew Blair Memorial Fellowship was established by Associate Professor Robert Blair and his wife Barbara, in memory of their son Andrew. Preference is given to individuals planning work with nonprofit organizations or the disabled.

• The Centennial Scholarship Fund was endowed primarily from alumni and students, for use by graduate public administration students.

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

• The Nebraska City/County Management Association (NCMA) Scholarship is funded by the NCMA, and is designed for MPA students in the Local Government concentration who have completed at least 12 hours in the program and are Nebraska residents.

UNO Ranked in Top Six in New Report from“The Military Times”

UNO was recently ranked one of the nation’s top six universi-ties for military veterans according to a new report from “The Military Times” magazine. This recognition is an increase from last year’s ranking of ninth-place. In April, UNO of-ficially opened its Military and Veterans University Services Office (MaV USO), which serves as a one-stop location where students can access programs and services specifically de-signed for active military, veterans and their families. Some of the services offered include GI Bill assistance, in-processing, deployment assistance and academic support. “MaV USO pro-vides a holistic approach to services for military and veteran students with support from program selection to enrollment to graduation and beyond,” said Hayley Patton, the office’s direc-tor and a UNO MPA graduate. “It is an office staffed by people with a military affiliation who understand veterans and want to make sure they are successful at UNO.” UNO is also a full participant in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Yellow Ribbon Program. This means eligible students, who are using the Post-9/11 GI Bill, will have their tuition and fees covered while at UNO.

Summer 2012Kyle Buschelman, MPAGreta Chapman, MPAMatthew Chesnut, MPAMeleah Gamvroudis, MPAElizabeth Gilbert, MPAMaureen Grace, MPAValerie Lefler, MPAValerie Nordstrom, MPALaura O’Connor, MPAJessica Warren, MPA

Fall 2012Crystal Jean Bayliss, MPAKrystal Nicole Boose, MPAValorie Boukal, MPANathan Dittman, MSCody J. Griner, MPAAshleigh L. Hicks, MPASikarn Issarachaiyos, PhDLouis Anthony Jarvis, MPAJessica Bjorlin Kasper, MPATess Larson, MPAWhitney J. Mastin, MPAStephanie Ann McCarl, MPA

Hope Marie Moss, MPAKristina Muhhina, PhDZacheriah E. Nelson, MPAPeter Carl Nielsen, MPAMatthew Richard Parsons, MPARebecca Rochelle Roggen-buck, MPAAlyson Louise Rome, MPAMatthew Richard Roth, MPAJackie Lee Spainhower, MPAAlfred Charles Vacanti, MPAMorgan Richard Wade, MPAJohnny Jay Wakefield, MPAAndrew Rex Wardle, MPAAlan Wayne Watts, MPA

The School of Public Administration Congratulates the following Graduates:

Pi Alpha Alpha Inducts New Members

Pi 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:

Summer 2012 Pi Alpha AlphaValerie Suzanne Nordstrom

Fall 2012 Pi Alpha AlphaJessica Bjorlin KasperAlfred C. Vacanti

SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING NEWSLETTER CONTRIBUTORS: Lead article and faculty focus article by Nick Schinker.

Other contributors not noted within:John Bartle, Robert Blair, Angela Eikenberry, Dee Hall, Christian Janousek, Jooho Lee, Rhonda Sheibal-Carver, Changsoo Song, Arwiphawee Srithongrung and Meagan Van Gelder.

Design and layout by Rhonda Sheibal-CarverEditing by Anthony Campbell, Amy Kelley, Rhonda Sheibal-Carver and Meagan Van Gelder.

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