MPA Student Research Symposium: MPA 8199 Advanced Statistics - Thursday, December 13, 2018
Students in Dr. Arapis' Fall 2018 MPA 8199 Advanced Statistics course presented upon their research findings. Students presented upon Pennsylvania Charter Schools as well as International Fiscal Transparency
Pennsylvania Charter School Symposium: For more than two decades now charter schools have become an integral part of the American education system. In Pennsylvania alone, as of 2016, 181 charter schools serve 128,701 students. Using a panel of post-recession data (2013-2017) the following two studies assess the fiscal savings behavior of charter schools and their impact on school district fiscal condition.
Student Presenters Included:
- Sean Brandon & Kevin Magee – “Accumulation and Maintenance of Fiscal Savings in Pennsylvania: The Charter School Approach”
- Elizabeth Svenson & Aaron Walizer – “Fiscal Gain or Drain? Examining the Impact of Pennsylvania’s Charter Schools on School District Fiscal Condition”
International Fiscal Transparency Symposium: Since the early 2000s, global institutions, including the IMF and the OECD, have linked fiscal transparency to better governance and improved economic performance. Fiscal transparency guidelines, therefore, have been established but without considering a country’s unique environment. Simply put, what works in developed or democratic countries may not work in developing or autocratic countries. To shed some light on the aforementioned, the following two studies use panel data (2006-2015) that cover 59 countries from all around the world.
Student presenters included:
- Max Kroschwitz & Tolu Omadara – “Fiscal Transparency in Developed and Developing Countries: What Matters and What Doesn’t”
- Sydney Camisa & Ann Riddle – “Studying Cross-National Fiscal Transparency: Does Democracy Matter?”
Watch the recording of the event here!
PAA Webinar: Emerging Technologies and their Implications for Public Administrators - Wednesday, November 14, 2018
This virtual event featured Rich Knoezer, MPA '14, Manager of Technology & Management Consulting at RSM US LLP. Rich discussed emerging technologies, leading companies in the field, and ways for public administrators to engage in new technologies for more effective management practices and more secured data.
Watch the recording of event here!
Career Chat: What Employers Want in the Public Sector - Friday, November 9, 2018
This virtual professional development event featured Christie Vuoto, Assistant Director of Industry Advising for the University Career Center. This webinar covers the top career readiness competencies employers seek such as critical thinking, communication skills, collaboration, and more. Additionally, the webinar helps you identify the competencies sought after in the public sector and how you can connect your skills and competencies to the mission of an organization.
Watch the recording of the webinar here!
ICMA Chapter Event: A Conversation with Michael DiBerardinis,Managing Director of the City of Philadelphia - Monday, October 22, 2018
The ICMA Chapter welcomed Michael DiBerardinis to discuss his career as a public service and what it takes to manage one of America's largest, oldest cities at the historic Arlen Specter Center on the campus of Jefferson University in East Falls. Michael DiBerardinis has been with the City of Philadelphia for a combined 17 years, serving as Managing Director since January 2016.
Nonprofit Spotlight: Sara Woods, Executive Director of Philadelphia Futures - Thursday, October 11, 2018
Sara Woods, MPA '05, spoke to students and alumni about her call to public service, path to a career in nonprofit leadership, and her role at one of Philadelphia's largest nonprofit organizations, Philadelphia Futures.
Watch a recording of the event here!
PAA Networking and Career Panel & MPA Open House- Thursday, September 27, 2018
The Fall 2018 PAA Spring Career and Networking Panel brought back two MPA alumni: Nick Tumolo MPA '14, Assistant Dean of Students, Villanova University and Karyn Baldini, '15, Lieutenant, Philadelphia Police Department.
Watch a recording of the event here!
Career Chat: Government Affairs and Public Policy featuring Jennifer Sweeney and Brian J. Flaherty - Friday, September 7, 2018
Undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, faculty, and friends were invited to participate in a lunch career chat featuring Jennifer Sweeney, Senior Manager, State and Government Affairs and Political Programs at the Campbell Soup Company and Brian J. Flaherty, Senior Vice President, Public Policy at the Connecticut Business and Industry Association. Our lunch career chat featured roundtable discussion of careers in public policy and government affairs, specifically within the private sector.
New Student Orientation and MPA Kickoff Picnic: Sunday, August 19, 2018
18th Annual MPA Dinner: Saturday, April 28, 2018
Speaker: Adam Thiel, MPA, Fire Commissioner for the City of Philadelphia
On May 16, 2016, Mayor James Kenney appointed Adam Thiel to serve as the 20th Fire Commissioner for the City of Philadelphia. Commissioner Thiel is responsible for leading the Philadelphia Fire Department’s 2,800-plus uniformed and civilian members in every facet of protecting our Nation’s 5th-largest city from fires and emergencies arising from all hazards.
Commissioner Thiel previously served as a Deputy Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security for the Commonwealth of Virginia. He has also served as the Governor of Virginia’s deputy Homeland Security Advisor (dHSA), deputy Chief Resilience Officer (dCRO), Statewide Interoperability Coordinator (SWIC), and FirstNet State Single Point of Contact (SPOC). In addition, he was the fire chief for the City of Alexandria, Virginia from 2007-2014 and chaired the Northern Virginia Emergency Response System (NVERS) Steering Committee.
Commissioner Thiel’s 26 years’ experience spans five states (MD, NC, VA, AZ, and PA) as a chief fire officer, incident commander, company officer, fire and emergency services instructor, hazardous materials team leader, paramedic, technical rescuer, structural/wildland firefighter, swiftwater rescuer, and rescue SCUBA diver; he has directly participated in planning, response, and recovery efforts for multiple Presidentially-declared disasters and National Special Security Events (NSSEs), including the 9/11 tragedy, hurricanes, tropical storms, floods, an earthquake, major blizzards, international sporting competitions, and political events.
Commissioner Thiel completed doctoral coursework in Public Administration and Public Policy at Arizona State University (ABD) and George Mason University, respectively; earned his M.P.A. degree from George Mason University; received his B.S. in Fire Science from the University of Maryland University College; and earned his B.A. in History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Watch a recording of Commissioner Thiel's address here!
ICMA Chapter Event - Macros Meet Metros: How Innovation and Technology are Shaping Local Government - Wednesday, February 21st
The ICMA Chapter event featured a lively panel discussion followed by a welcoming recpetion. The panel was moderated by ICMA Chapter President and MPA student, Nick Valla. Prof. Fran Burns also welcome participants and panelists to the event. The panel featured:
- Rosetta Carrington Lue: White House Exec Fellow and VA Senior Contact Center Advisor; Former City of Philadelphia Chief Customer Service Officer and Philly 311 Director
- Michael Daniel: President and CEO, Cyber Threat Alliance
- Jeff Friedman: Manager, Highland Consulting
- Rick Mellor: Township Manager, Whitemarsh Township
- Amanda Serock: Township Manager, Concord Township
Watch a recording of the event here!