UCF School of Public Administration

🎉 Congratulations to SPA alumni and IDignity Program Assistant, Nelson A. Medina on celebrating his first anniversary with the organization!

We are proud to see our students making a meaningful impact in the community while advancing their professional careers.

Thank you, Nelson, for your dedication to service and community engagement. 👏

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👏🏼Congratulations to Emergency Management student Daisy Cadet for her recent article featured in Domestic Preparedness!

Her piece, “Bridging the Accessibility Gap in Emergency Management,” highlights the importance of inclusive practices and accessibility in disaster preparedness and response.

See article: https://www.domesticpreparedness.com/articles/bridging-the-accessibility-gap-in-emergency-management/?utm_source=DomesticPreparedness&utm_campaign=72d0647eb6-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2026_1_14_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-bea7c13990-604836561&mc_cid=72d0647eb6

We are proud to see our students contributing meaningful perspectives to the field of emergency management. 🌎🚨

🚨🌴 The School of Public Administration is heading to the Florida Training for Emergency Management Symposium next week!

Three of our faculty members will be presenting our school, Dr. Claire Connolly Knox, Ph.D. Dr. Romeo Lavarias, and Dr. Sanam Aksha, Ph.D.

📍 Be sure to stop by Booth 505 on Tuesday and Wednesday to learn more about our Emergency Management programs, connect with our faculty, and explore the impactful work happening at SPA.

👉 Learn more here: https://web.cvent.com/event/ceb90fe1-0519-4d89-95e1-708fc564583b/websitePage:353a7424-bfd6-4ea0-bad4-20e1534f303b

We look forward to connecting with emergency management professionals, students, and partners from across the state!

🌏🇰🇷 Learning beyond the classroom!

Last week, our graduate students participated in the Governance Field Study: Metropolitan Governance in Seoul through the Seoul Case Study Program (SCSP), an immersive international experience hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the University of Seoul.

Through site visits, policy discussions, and firsthand exposure to Seoul’s innovative governance and city management strategies, students are gaining a global perspective on public administration, urban leadership, and metropolitan governance. 🌆📚

Experiences like these prepare future public service leaders to think globally, lead strategically, and create meaningful impact in their communities. ✨

Pictures from Day 1 - Cultural Orientation - Korean Cultural Experiences
Faculty Lead Dr. Seongho An

🌏🇰🇷 Learning beyond the classroom!

Last week, our graduate students participated in the Governance Field Study: Metropolitan Governance in Seoul through the Seoul Case Study Program (SCSP), an immersive international experience hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the University of Seoul.

Through site visits, policy discussions, and firsthand exposure to Seoul’s innovative governance and city management strategies, students are gaining a global perspective on public administration, urban leadership, and metropolitan governance. 🌆📚

Experiences like these prepare future public service leaders to think globally, lead strategically, and create meaningful impact in their communities. ✨

Pictures from Day 1 - Cultural Orientation - Korean Cultural Experiences
Faculty Lead Dr. Seongho An
Group: Ashley Benedict, Rhianna Botelho, Lindy Madden Anderson, Gianna P. Suchana P.
Selena Slaughter

🎓✨ May is a month of celebration, milestones, and well-deserved recognition as we continue honoring the incredible achievements of our students.

Congratulations to our Spring graduates from the Master of Science in Urban and Regional Planning (MSURP)! 🌎🏙️ 💛
Your hard work, dedication, and passion for shaping stronger and more sustainable communities have led you to this exciting accomplishment.

We are proud to celebrate this milestone with you!

🌟 A proud moment for the School of Public Administration!

During our Spring celebration, we also had the honor of recognizing and inducting our newest members of Pi Alpha Alpha (PAA) and Epsilon Pi Phi (EPP)—students who have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership, and a strong commitment to public service. 🚀

Congratulations on this well-deserved achievement. Your dedication to excellence continues to inspire our SPA community, and we can’t wait to see the impact you will make. 💛 👏

Inductions by Dr. Akeem Sadiq and Dr. Romeo Lavarias

PublicService StudentEngagement PiAlphaAlpha EpsilonPiPhi UCFGraduates

🌟 A proud moment for the School of Public Administration!

During our Recognition Day celebration, we also had the honor of recognizing and inducting our newest members of Pi Alpha Alpha (PAA) and Epsilon Pi Phi (EPP)—students who have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership, and a strong commitment to public service. 🚀

Congratulations on this well-deserved achievement. Your dedication to excellence continues to inspire our SPA community, and we can’t wait to see the impact you will make. 💛 👏

Inductions by Dr. Akeem Sadiq and Dr. Romeo Lavarias

👏🏼👏🏼 Congratulations to Dr. Knox and Dr. Emrich! Charge on!

UCF School of Public Administration professors Claire Connolly Knox and Chris Emrich have been hand-selected by FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency for its Vanguard Executive Crisis Leaders Fellowship — a senior-level leadership program focused on strengthening emergency management and crisis leadership across sectors.

Emrich joins the 11th cohort and Knox the 12th, making UCF one of the only universities to place two faculty members in the program across consecutive cohorts. The two also play instrumental roles in UCF's Homeland Security and Emergency Management graduate program, which was named U.S. News and World Report's top-ranked program of its kind for the third consecutive year.

See what's next for these leaders in emergency management 👇
https://www.ucf.edu/news/ucf-emergency-management-faculty-selected-for-prestigious-fema-fellowship/