Greetings!

Fall is here, and there’s plenty to celebrate across our Government Contracting community!

From national recognition and exciting achievements among our students and alumni to new professional training opportunities and major program milestones, this season is a great reminder of just how much our community continues to grow and accomplish together.



In this edition, we’re celebrating the people and progress moving GovCP forward while also looking ahead to what’s next. As always, we’re grateful to our students, alumni, faculty, partners, and friends of the program who continue to make this community what it is.

We hope you’ll enjoy catching up with GovCP this fall!

Sincerely,

Sabra Tomb, Esq.

Director of Training Programs and Strategic Business Development

University of Dayton School of Law

Our third year at NCMA World Congress gave us an extra-special reason to celebrate! The Government Contracting & Procurement program was honored with NCMA’s 2026 Contract Management Education Award, recognizing our commitment to advancing contract management education and preparing professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the field.



Sabra Tomb proudly accepted the award on behalf of the program—a meaningful recognition of the faculty, staff, students, alumni, and partners who have helped GovCP continue to grow and make an impact within the contract management community.

Professor Molly Colaneri also represented GovCP on the World Congress stage, sharing her expertise with contracting professionals from across the country during her presentation, “Realizing the Commercial First Era of Acquisition: How to Move from Policy to Practice for NextGen Acquisition.”

From Online to In Person

The award may have been a highlight, but one of our favorite parts of World Congress was seeing so many members of the GovCP community in person!



We had the chance to reconnect with Professor Irvin Gray, alumna Emily Bowen, current student Christina Simmons, and Joelynn LaVan, former Director of Contracts at Parallax Advanced Research—an organization that has been a wonderful supporter of the program and has encouraged multiple employees to pursue their education through GovCP.

For a program that is 100% online, there's something especially meaningful about getting to step outside the virtual classroom and connect face-to-face. This year’s World Congress was a wonderful reminder that our community reaches far beyond Dayton—and that wherever GovCP takes us, there's a good chance we'll find a familiar face!

Thank you to everyone who stopped by, said hello, and helped make our third World Congress one to remember. We’re already looking forward to next year!

Our first feature introduced Hannelore Sammons-Ginger, whose journey into government contracting began with a career change and has since led her to her current role as a Contracts Administrator at DCP Corporation.

In her feature, Hannelore shares how practical coursework, experienced faculty, and connections through the GovCP and NCMA communities helped her build confidence and establish herself in the field.

And Hannelore’s story is just the beginning. Keep an eye out for more voices from across our growing community!

There’s no shortage of exciting accomplishments across the GovCP community! This fall, we’re celebrating an alumna stepping into a new leadership opportunity and a current student reaching an important professional milestone.

GovCP alumna Kendra Kelch was selected for NCMA’s 2026–2027 Contract Management Leadership Development Program (CMLDP), joining a competitive cohort of emerging leaders from across the profession.

Kendra continues to grow her involvement within the contract management community, including serving as Vice President of NCMA Puerto Rico (Pre-Charter). We’re excited to see where this next opportunity takes her!

Way to Go, Chris!

Current GovCP student Christopher Stouder, a Contract Specialist with the Air Force Research Laboratory, recently earned his Acquisition Professional Development Program (APDP) certification!

Roughly halfway through his GovCP M.S.L., Chris continues to build his expertise both in the classroom and on the job—and we’re proud to celebrate this latest accomplishment alongside him.

Learning with GovCP goes beyond our degree and certificate programs. This fall, we're continuing to expand professional development opportunities for the broader government contracting and acquisition community.

Coming Soon: Technology Transfer Training

Something new is coming later this month! GovCP is preparing to launch a new professional training program focused on technology transfer and its role at the intersection of government, industry, research, and innovation.



Full details and registration information are coming soon—stay tuned!

Looking for Ethics Training?

Our self-paced Ethics in Government Training is available now, covering conflicts of interest, post-government employment, industry engagement, and other essential federal ethics topics.

At $150, the course is eligible for University of Dayton CEU credit and CLE credit for practicing attorneys.

➡️ Explore Ethics in Government Training

New in Program Management

This fall brings exciting updates to our Project & Program Management (PPM) curriculum, creating even more opportunities for students interested in building their skills in acquisition and program management.



PPM I is now offered year-round, providing greater flexibility for students as they begin and progress through the PPM course sequence. PPM II and PPM III now incorporate uCertify PMBOK® training, built around the Project Management Institute’s industry-recognized framework and giving students additional project management resources and preparation alongside their GovCP coursework.

Together, these updates continue to strengthen the PPM curriculum while connecting students with tools, frameworks, and knowledge they can carry into their professional roles.

From the Pentagon to the Classroom: Meet Dr. David Morgan

One of the faculty members helping move our Program Management offerings forward is Dr. David Morgan, whose career spans government acquisition, program management, contracting, industry, and higher education.

Dr. Morgan currently serves as Deputy Director, Program Management Career Field Team, Space Systems Command, U.S. Space Force, at the Pentagon and has held program management and acquisition roles across the Air Force and Department of Defense.

He has taught since 2011 and has been part of the GovCP faculty for six years, where he helped develop and launch PPM II and PPM III. A University of Dayton alumnus himself, Dr. Morgan also holds advanced DAWIA certifications in both Program Management and Contracting and is a PMI® Project Management Professional (PMP®).

We’re grateful for Dr. Morgan’s continued leadership and the real-world expertise he brings to the GovCP classroom!

This summer, our very own Director of Training Programs & Strategic Business Development Sabra Tomb was honored with the 2026 Leadership Ohio Professional Excellence Award, recognizing alumni whose achievements, professional contributions, and leadership distinguish them within their fields.



Selected from a record number of nominations, Sabra was recognized alongside leaders from across the state during Leadership Ohio's Alumni Homecoming Awards Dinner in August.

The Professional Excellence Award recognizes the broader impact of Sabra's work across the legal field, education, professional training, strategic partnerships, and the government contracting community.

After years of planning, development, and course-by-course implementation, Fall 2026 officially marks the first semester that the entire GovCP program is offered in the FlexCourse format!

This milestone means students across the country can now experience the same flexible approach throughout the program: 100% online learning that combines self-paced coursework with live weekly instruction at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Students have the flexibility they need to balance graduate education with their careers while still benefiting from real-time conversations, faculty interaction, and connection with classmates.

For an online program serving working professionals across the country, this is an exciting step forward—and one that has been years in the making.

A huge thank you to the faculty and staff who worked behind the scenes to make this transition possible, and to our students who provided valuable feedback along the way. We’re excited to see where this next chapter of GovCP takes us!

With the full FlexCourse experience officially here, there's never been a better time to take the next step with GovCP.

Whether you're looking to deepen your expertise in your current role, prepare for new opportunities, or build a stronger foundation in government contracting and acquisition, GovCP offers flexible pathways designed with working professionals in mind.

Choose from the Master in the Study of Law (M.S.L.) or graduate certificates, with specialized coursework in Government Contracting & Procurement and/or Acquisition Program Management. You'll learn from experienced government and industry professionals while connecting with classmates who bring their own perspectives and real-world experience to the classroom.

Spring 2027 applications are now open!

📅 Priority Scholarship Deadline: December 14

📅 Standard Application Deadline: December 28

📚 Classes Begin: January 11, 2027

Your next step doesn't have to wait. Make this spring the season you get started.

• Nov 23: Last Day of Classes
• Nov 24 - 30: Reading/Study Period
• Nov 26 - 27: Thanksgiving Break
• Dec 1 - 7: Final Exams
• Dec 14: Priority Scholarship Application Deadline for Spring 2027
• Dec 12 - Jan 10, ‘27: Christmas Break 
• Dec 28: Standard Application Deadline for Spring 2027
• Jan 11, ‘27: First Day of Spring 2027 Classes

Our Government Contracting Program offers two convenient start dates each year— Spring and Fall.

Apply by December 28 to start this Spring on January 11, 2027!

Keep an eye out for more details about our upcoming term and stay connected with us on LinkedIn for the latest updates, insights, and program highlights.

We love celebrating the achievements of our Government Contracting community ... and that means you, too!



Our prospective students, current students, alumni, and faculty have all expressed interest in knowing more about our community's successes and accomplishments.

If you have a new position, accolade, or professional achievement you'd like to share, please let us know.