UIS's School of Public Management and Policy

Congratulations to the 13 newly inducted members of the University of Illinois Springfield chapter of the Pi Alpha Alpha Honor Society for the UIS's School of Public Management and Policy.

Pi Alpha Alpha is the national honor society for public affairs and administration, recognizing individuals who have demonstrated strong academic achievement and/or made meaningful contributions through public service. The organization promotes excellence, integrity, and leadership among those committed to careers in public service.

On May 9, 2026, new members took part in the induction process at the Illinois State Library. This distinguished honor marked by a formal ceremony includes a keynote speaker, recognition of member achievements, and participation from chapter officers, making it a meaningful milestone for new inductees.

Ken Kriz, University Distinguished Professor of Public Management and Policy at , knows firsthand the challenges first-generation students can face. Encouraged by parents who believed in higher education, he stayed motivated to earn his degree. Looking back on his college experience, he encourages students to take full advantage of academic advising and campus resources along the way.

Each spring, the University of Illinois Springfield hosts a program to recognize faculty and staff with service awards. The Recognition Ceremony celebrates our colleagues for their service to the university and milestone achievements of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 years of service.

The UIS's School of Public Management and Policy would like to recognize and wish a heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Junfeng Wang. Since joining as an Assistant Professor in 2010, Dr. Wang earned promotion to Associate Professor by 2016. During her career, she has also taken on roles such as the Academic Program lead for the MPA Program, as well as Interim Director for SPMP.

View the full list of recipients: https://www.uis.edu/hr/retirement/retirement-recognition-program

On Friday, May 8, 2026, the UIS's School of Public Management and Policy held this year’s Doctor of Public Administration (DPA) Hooding Ceremony.

While this ceremony recognizes graduates for completing the highest level of academic achievement, it also marks the beginning of their continued leadership in public administration.

Congratulations to all of our DPA graduates! 🎓

On May 5, 2026, the University of Illinois Springfield held its annual Faculty Honors Celebration. During this ceremony, faculty within the UIS's School of Public Management and Policy were celebrated for the following:

Early Career Scholarship Award
✳ Suyang Yu

Center for Faculty Excellence programs recognized recipients of the Provost’s Certificate for Excellence in Professional Development:
✳ Joseph Schweickert, Public Management and Policy

Faculty recognized for their contributions to the Guiding Lights New Faculty Peer Mentoring Program:
✳ Rick Funderburg, Public Management and Policy
✳ Youngjin Kang, Public Management and Policy
✳ Jun Wang, Public Management and Policy

Completed the UIS Peer Review of Teaching Program
✳ BJ Fletcher, Public Management and Policy

Faculty recommended for promotion to full professor:
✳ Ty Dooley, Public Management and Policy
✳ Arwi Sai Kriz, Public Management and Policy

View the full list here: https://www.uis.edu/news/uis-honors-faculty-2026-faculty-honors-celebration

The 2026 U.S. News and World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings are out, and the UIS School of Public Management and Policy is ranked #92 out of the 266 top schools for Best Public Affairs Programs.

These rankings are based on peer assessments of academic quality, collected in early 2026 from deans, directors, and department chairs at accredited public affairs programs nationwide. Respondents rated programs on a 1–5 scale, and scores were calculated using an averaged peer review method to ensure fairness and balance.

While rankings are just one factor to consider, this recognition reflects ’s strong reputation for academic quality in public affairs education. 🎓

Explore the rankings here: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-public-affairs-schools/public-affairs-rankings

Congratulations to Freeport city manager Rob Boyer, Graduate of our Master's of Public Administration program.

Please join us for a lunch-and-learn on Tuesday, December 21, to discuss the 2025 federal government shutdown.

Register: https://forms.uofi.uis.edu/sec/259399528

Through a collaboration with UIS Center for State Policy and Leadership, the School of Public Management & Policy invited a group of 9 students from Knox College, led by Dr. Andrew Civettini, Department Chair of Political Science and International Relations and Tiffany Springer, Associate Director of Career Exploration & External Relations, to UIS for a program information session after their participation at the Constitution Day event.