Schaefer Center for Public Policy - University of Baltimore

Read about the Schaefer Center's work to evaluate Baltimore City's American Rescue Plan Act spending.

# PublicAffairs

UBalt Evaluates Baltimore's ARPA Recovery Spending Impact University of Baltimore evaluates city's $641M ARPA investment. UBalt's BNIA and Schaefer Center assess impact on neighborhoods, workforce, housing.

The Schaefer Center for Public Policy at the University of Baltimore is proud to announce the release of its 2025 Annual Report.

This year’s report highlights the center’s continued commitment to public service in Maryland through impactful research, leadership development, and informed decision-making. From policy solutions to expanding leadership development programs like the Maryland Certified Public Manager® Program and the NextGen Leaders for Public Service, the 2025 report reflects another year of meaningful progress. Explore the full report to learn more about the center’s achievements.

Read the report here: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:us:4fe2c4ba-960a-4c1f-b5d8-77a3400560f6

Applications are now being accepted for the Class of 2027 Maryland Certified Public Manager® Program!

The Maryland Certified Public Manager® Program (CPM) is a leadership development program accredited by the National Certified Public Manager® Consortium. The 300-hour academically grounded, job-relevant program requires participants to complete a Capstone Project for their agency to improve a service, reduce costs, or increase revenue. The program is open to Maryland managers and executives from state, local, municipal government, and nonprofit organizations in Maryland.

To learn more and apply, please visit the Maryland CPM website at: https://marylandcpm.ubalt.edu/

Are you a communications professional looking for an impactful career? Passionate about public policy and strategic communications?

The Schaefer Center for Public Policy is hiring for our Communications Liaison position. This role is a great opportunity to manage diverse communication projects. Learn more and apply with the link below.

📍 Location: Baltimore, MD The University of Baltimore / The University of Baltimore College of Public Affairs

🔗 Apply here: https://marylandconnect.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/UBaltCareers/details/Communications-Liaison--Schaefer-Center--grant-funded_JR101785

Yesterday, our Maryland Certified Public Manager® Program Cohorts 21-23 participants had a luncheon facilitated by Jason Michael Perry, Founder and Chief AI Officer for PerryLabs and Entrepreneur in Residence at The University of Baltimore, Merrick School of Business.

Participants learned about how Artificial Intelligence can be beneficial in the workplace and the different fundamentals of AI.

Thank you, Jason, for facilitating!

Last week, our NextGen Leaders for Public Service Internship Program held a social event for current NextGen Leaders around the topic Transferable Skills & Career Pivots.

Thank you to Alexa Hinds, Career Specialist, University of Baltimore Career and Internship Center , for presenting on how you can navigate career pivots and how personal skills are transferable to the workplace.

The Volcker Alliance

Today, our Maryland Certified Public Manager® Program Cohort 24 had their first luncheon!

The luncheon featured a panel discussion with distinguished speakers, including Kendall Abu-Hakim, CPM, Bureau Head of Solid Waste, Baltimore City Department of Public Works; Mark Millspaugh, CPM, Director, Baltimore County Department of Social Services; and Stacy Rodgers, Executive in Residence, Schaefer Center for Public Policy, who shared invaluable insights from their leadership journeys.

Thank you to our speakers!

Yesterday, some of our NextGen Leaders for Public Service attended the first NextGen Essentials of Public Service course for the semester, led by Dr. Heather Wyatt-Nichol, Associate Professor for the School of Public and International Affairs, at The University of Baltimore

Over the next few weeks, these emerging leaders will dive into the foundations of public service, building the skills and knowledge they need to create lasting impact in their communities and organizations across Maryland!

The Volcker Alliance The University of Baltimore College of Public Affairs

We are very honored and excited to announce the Schaefer Center's Executive Director, Dr. Ann Cotten, as one of the recipients of The Daily Record 's 2026 Maryland's Top Women Honorees!

"The 2026 Maryland’s Top 100 Women are trailblazers who demonstrate extraordinary leadership. These women elevate, educate, mentor, support, and empower other women and work to make Maryland a wonderful place to live and work," said Suzanne Fischer-Huettner, managing director of BridgeTower Media/The Daily Record.

Congratulations to all the other honorees and to Ann, a well-deserved honor for all her dedication to the Schaefer Center and public service in Maryland! You can read more here: https://thedailyrecord.com/2026/03/06/the-daily-record-2026-top-100-women-honorees/

The University of Baltimore College of Public Affairs The University of Baltimore

The Schaefer Center for Public Policy is currently accepting applications for a limited number of graduate fellowships available to full-time The University of Baltimore graduate or doctoral students.

Schaefer Center Graduate Fellows work 20 hours per week and work directly with the research team on projects that include collecting and reviewing primary and secondary data, assisting staff with field interviews, and conducting research for policy reports, and more!

To be eligible canidates must be enrolled at the University of Baltimore with at least 9 credits per semester (Master’s level) or 6 credits per semester (Doctoral level) and a minimum undergraduate or graduate GPA of 3.0.

To learn more and apply, visit: https://schaefercenter.ubalt.edu/graduate-fellowships/