|
The MPA Online Newsletter |
||
|
|
||
|
Faculty Publications Faculty Spotlight
Political Science
|
From the Director The spring semester is off to a good start with an exciting event on the horizon. Specifically, on March 20th the MPA programs at USC, the University of Charleston and Clemson University will co-host the first ever colloquium for alumni, faculty and students of the programs on the USC-Columbia campus. More on that later. This year the program is also undergoing a self-study in order to be reviewed for reaccreditation by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration. And, this spring semester we offered for the first time a new practicum course taught by one of our alumni, Katherine Doucett, who is a senior staff member of the Lexington County government team. She is teaching an applied human resource management course that is getting good reviews from the students who enrolled for it. Also, we heard from many of our alumni as a result of the initiation of this online newsletter. Starting with this issue we will share some of what we learned and continue to do so in forthcoming issues. Charlie Tyer, Director T he public administration faculty continues to be highly productive in their research and publication efforts. Below is a listing of published and forthcoming books and articles by some of the faculty within the past year. Bowman, Ann
Douglas, James
Hays, Steven W.
Sowa, Jessica “Testing a Multi-Dimensional Model of Organizational Performance: Prospects and Problems” (Accepted for publication in the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory). Co-author Sally Coleman Selden. “Staffing the
Bureaucracy: Employment Recruitment and Selection.” In Stephen E.
Condrey, ed. Handbook of Human Resource Management in Government,
Second Edition. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2004.
Co-author Steven W. Hays. Tyer, Charlie
Tompkins, Mark On October 23rd, Professors Graham and Tyer delivered a series of lectures to the South Carolina Education Policy Fellows in the 2003-04 program. The lectures focused on SC history and government. The policy fellows program is a leadership development program for mid-career professionals and stakeholders in education policy. For more information on this program visit http://www.scedfellows.org/ . January 3rd of 2004 saw Professor Tyer have breakfast with the Berkeley County Republican Party member in Goose Creek to talk with them about county government in South Carolina. A group in Berkeley County is interested in changing the form of county government there from the supervisor form to the manager form. A spirited discussion with lots of questions followed a brief presentation. Professors Graham and Tyer also completed their work on the Governors MAP Commission early in the fall. While their work focused only on one component of the overall Commission study, the final report has generated several recommendations by the Governor to the General Assembly which will receive attention this legislative session. If you are interested in the overall report of the Commission, visit this site for more information and a copy of the report: http://www.mapcommission.sc.gov/index.html . Congratulations to the following MPA graduates who graduated from the program at the end of the fall semester: Kristen Craven, Ayesha Gill, Aaron Hark, Courtney Hunter, Martha Kunkle, Russell Ott, Suzanne Sinclair and Debra Stevens. The response of alumni to our request for information on what they are doing was great! Beginning with this issue, we share some of what we learned. Because we heard from so many people, we will only provide a few responses at a time till we have covered everyone giving us information. And, you can continue to update us, or respond if you have not already! We'll provide information in the order in which it was received. Craig M. Wheeland, Ph.D. Chair and MPA Director, Villanova University. (Class of 1981) Craig joined the faculty at Villanova University in 1990. He currently serves as Chair of the Department of Political Science and is MPA Director. His research and teaching feature local government politics and professional management. He published an article in the Spring 2003 issue of the American Review of Public Administration on the implementation of Rock Hill, SC's community wide strategic plan. His book on Rock Hill's community-wide planning effort known as Empowering the Vision, and the plan's ten-year implementation, is forthcoming with University Press of America in March 2004. Craig is married and has two children. Tony Dukes, Director Office of Research & Evaluation, SC Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services. (Class of 1975) Tony is continuing to work with the State of South Carolina, but is also pursuing his Ph. D. degree at USC. Raymond C. "Trey" Eubanks, City Manager, York, South Carolina. (Class of 1995) . Upon graduating in December of ’95, Trey was appointed Town Administrator of Chesterfield and Jefferson. He became Manager of the City of York in June of ’97. He is a member of ICMA, Vice Chairman of the SC Municipal Insurance Trust Board (click here for information on the trust) and active in the SC City and County Managers Association. He is married and has two daughters. Roxanne Matthews, Research Analyst, Richland County South Carolina Administrator's Office. (Class of 2001)
Sharon
Parks Mancuso, Budget Analyst,
Office of State Budget,
South Carolina Budget and Control Board. (Class of 1995) Working as a budget
analyst, Sharon deals with state health agencies. She is currently
searching for ways to include the word 'budget' on her resume a few more
times (that's a joke). Her supervisor is MPA grad Harry Bell, and current
MPA student Beth Jane McIntyre Barghothi, Director of Leadership Giving for the United Way of the Midlands, South Carolina. (Class of 1998) Jane has the primary responsibility for Leadership donors, Women in Philanthropy and the Alexis de Tocqueville Society. Prior to this Jane was the Director of the Volunteer Center in Charlotte, NC for 4 ½ years. Ashley Jacobs Bloom, Assistant to the County Administration, Richland County, South Carolina. (Class of 2001) Ashley supervises two MPA grads who are research analysts and oversees and implements special projects for Council. In the past two years, she has worked with historic neighborhoods on community redevelopment, guided bond requests through the SCDOT and the Budget and Control Board, assisted with transportation planning projects, developed zoning codes, helped create a wellness plan for employees, and established strategic plans and goals for County departments. Her biggest project has been trying to get the new State Farmers' located in Richland County. Her position requires serious multi-tasking and a lot of patience, but she says it's rewarding in many ways. She gets to help a lot of people solve their problems and that makes it worthwhile. Nancy Strine, Manager, Short Term Lending Program and Women's Business Advocate, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Office of the Secretary, U. S. Department of Transportation, Washington, D. C. (Class of 1984) Prior to her federal service Nancy worked in Local Government and administered a CDBG Program for the City of Hagerstown, MD. At DOT, she was a Community Planner for the Federal Transit Administration for 7 years before assuming her current position. Carol Seawright, Administrator Fiscal Affairs, S. C. Department of Juvenile Justice. (Class of 1995) Hank Domeracki, Chief Financial Officer, Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool, Austin, Texas. (Class of 1980) Hank's organization is a $430 million risk pool that serves over 2,400 local governments in Texas. It is a local government created by the state and composed of local governments (members) for the purpose of providing workers' compensation, liability and property insurance coverage. Before that, he was the Assistant City Manager for three years and the Finance Director for four years in Laredo, Texas. During his time there, Laredo was the second fastest growing city in the U.S. It went from a population of 78,000 when he arrived there in 1986 to 168,000 when he left in 1992. Prior to that, Hank was the Finance Director of Orangeburg, SC for three years and before that, the Acting City Manager/City Clerk/Treasurer of Abbeville, SC. Abbeville was his first job after graduating from the MPA program. When not a civilian, Hank is a Captain in the U. S. Navy Reserves where he is the Commanding Officer of the Strategic Joint Intelligence Command unit 0118. This command is located at Strategic Command in Omaha, Nebraska. Hank describes himself as a bit of a running nut. He runs a marathon a month. He started running marathons four years ago and has finished 45 of them in 28 states. He has two children, one who is a junior in the pre-med program at Baylor and the other is a senior in high school. Michael Thigpen, Director of Policy and Planning, Child Support Enforcement Division, SC Department of Social Services. (Class of 1993) Michael LeFever, Chief Operating Office, McAngus, Goudelock & Courie Law Firm. (Class of 1976) Prior to his current position, he was Deputy Chief of Staff for Executive Programs and Cabinet Affairs under Governor Hodges from 1999 to 2003. From 1986 to 1999 he was Executive Director of the SC Workers' Compensation Commission. During 1981 to 1986 he was Deputy Commissioner of the SC Department of Youth Services, and Interim Director in 1993. He was Deputy Director of the Department of Juvenile Placement and Aftercare from 1977 to 1981 when it merged with Youth Services. In the early 1970s he worked briefly with the SC Department of Social Services. Jerry Francis, SC Commission for the Blind. (Class of 1990)
Gregory
Birne, General Counsel of the
Massachusetts Office
Rusty Reed,
Vice
President of Business Development for
Palmetto Economic Robert George, Training Coordinator, SC Department of Social Services. (Class of 1995) Serves as Chair of the South Carolina State Government Improvement Network. More to come with the next issue!!! Attention Alumni!!! We need to hear from you. Let us know about events in your life, career, etc. and we'll include that in our online newsletter to share with your colleagues around the state, country and world. Photos are welcome.
Professor C. Blease Graham is the senior public administration faculty member in the MPA program. A native South Carolinian, he joined what is now the Political Science department and MPA faculty in 1970. He served as MPA director three times, from 1970 to 1973, from 1977 to 1979 and 1981-1982. He has held a number of other significant administrative appointments in the University. During 1997-1998 he was Interim Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, from 1994 to 2002 he was Interim Dean then Dean of the College of Criminal Justice. From 1991-1994 he was Associate Dean for Student Academic Affairs in the College of Liberal Arts. Throughout his tenure at USC Professor Graham has taught in MPA program and maintained a close relationship with its faculty. He is currently in charge of the capstone course for the program which all students must enroll in in their final semester. In addition to his teaching duties, Professor Graham is also Director of the John C. West Forum on Politics and Policy. Established in 2002, the Forum is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to the enhancement of South Carolina's political environment through promoting civic values and political leadership. Click here to visit their web page.
Pictured here with Professor Tyer, MPA director and Director of the SC Civic Education Project, Professor Graham lectures widely on SC government and politics to students as well as educators and citizen groups. This photo is of his presentation to a group of SC social studies teachers in a special summer course on SC government. He is regularly called upon by the print and electronic media for commentary on politics in the Palmetto State. Professor Graham's co-authored book with Professor William Moore of the College of Charleston remains a popular reference. It is entitled South Carolina Government and Politics and was published in 1994 by the University of Nebraska Press. Graham is a popular teacher among both undergraduates and graduate students know for his knowledge of SC history and political lore. He also has a keen wit and ready sense of humor. For instance, while working on this segment he was asked if perhaps we should "create" some past accomplishments or posts to "enliven" his resume. It was suggested, for instance, that we could say he was a national security advisor to the President during the Carter Administration. To which he quickly responded, "Oh yes, that's true. We used to meet at Owens Air Field, but only under the cloak of darkness!" Feel free to email Professor Graham with your recollection of his classes or conversations. (End of spotlight) Attention alumni in the Columbia area. We would like to issue a special invitation to you to come and join us on Saturday, March 20, 2004 in Gambrell Hall for the first joint MPA colloquium for faculty, students and alumni. It will be held from 10 AM to 2 PM. Lunch is included. There will be presentations by Professor Robert Becker, Director, Strom Thurmond Institute, Clemson University on SC, urbanization and the environment; Professor William Moore, College of Charleston on parties and election trends in SC; and Professor Robert Oldendick, Director, Institute for Public Service and Policy Research, University of South Carolina on public opinion in SC. There will be opportunities for questions and discussion. Special guests have also been invited representing various parts of the public sector and nonprofits in SC. Plan to attend. To register, simply email Charlie Tyer. tyer@sc.edu LET US KNOW WHAT YOU’VE BEEN UP TO One of the most challenging aspects of the MPA Program is maintaining contact with the hundreds of individuals who are among our alumni and friends. To help us in this regard, and to provide past classmates with updates on your lives, we would greatly appreciate it if you would take a few seconds to provide personal and/or professional feedback. And, with the advantages of on-line technology, it couldn’t easier to give us a quick snapshot of what you’ve been up to recently. Please take a moment to write us at the following email address: Any news concerning job changes, career accomplishments, families, and geographical relocations will help us to enlarge our next account of ALUMNI ACTIVITIES and to share in your achievements. Please be sure to include an email address and/or street address in your communications, and tell us what year you graduated. And, photos are encouraged!! THANKS!!
Page last updated: 02/10/2004
|
|
.gif){kind=small}
The University of South Carolina
