Kimberly L. Nelson named to 2022 Class of National Academy of Public Administration Fellows

The National Academy of Public Administration announced this week that School of Government faculty member Kimberly L. Nelson has been named to its 2022 Class of Academy Fellows.  The award is one of the most prestigious in the field of public administration. Nelson is one of 35 leaders to earn the honor this year and joins a roster that includes more than 950 Fellows all time. Fellows are former cabinet officers, members of Congress, governors, mayors and state legislators, as well as prominent scholars, business executives, nonprofit leaders, and public administrators. Article continues in link.

School of Government Diversity Gazette

Truly inclusive spaces, places and hearts by faculty member Amy Wade

So often, in raising our collective conscious, we become hyper aware of the visible forms of - isms such as sexism and racism, while other isms, such as ableism, are quietly operating under the radar. I am learning through my personal journey to be more mindful of less direct, albeit still challenging forms of -isms.

This year, my very handsome, funny, athletic and truly enjoyable (well, as enjoyable as a 15-year-old teenager can be!) son, Malcolm, was diagnosed with epilepsy. I will forever remember the moment I got the call about his first seizure and again the way my heart broke months later when an official diagnosis came. However, I am among “the lucky ones,” a person living with privilege and who possesses the social capital necessary to advocate for her child. I had this handled, right?

Before even processing his feelings or my own I instantly starting mapping out how my advocacy would tangibly play out in a 504 medical plan for school, at his work, and any other necessary protections he would need.

Then, I was blind sighted. My child was refusing to meet with a counselor, school nurse and teachers, and was adamant about not being put on a medical 504. He didn’t want me to tell friends, his basketball coach, or extended family members. He was also in denial talking as if he could get a driver’s permit soon which I knew was impossible. I could not understand why he was so resistant to owning this journey and stepping into a place of “despite this challenge.” After all, he is a scholar, an athlete, and a budding leader the community. I felt unappreciated for all the work I did to show up as the best parent I could. And then the words hit me, “Mom, did you know that epilepsy can be considered a disability? Do you know they call it seizure disorder?”

“Ableism is the discrimination of and social prejudice against people with disabilities based on the belief that typical abilities are superior. At its heart, ableism is rooted in the assumption that disabled people require ‘fixing’ and defines people by their disability. Like racism and sexism, ableism classifies entire groups of people as ‘less than,’ and includes harmful stereotypes, misconceptions, and generalizations of people with disabilities.” (Accessliving.com) Malcolm was very sensitive to this and while my initial response was for him to stand in his power, he didn’t want to be labeled or known as a kid possessing a “health impairment” that made him eligible for any special services. Being a teenager is hard enough. He didn’t want his friends, his teachers, his coaches to see him as less than.

And in that moment, I realized I too need multiple iterations of learning when it comes to -isms. While we have settled into a successful academic year with Malcolm making the varsity basketball team, working, and doing a great job at making friends with kids who can drive (whew!), I hope this story encourages you to engage in self-reflection of the many -isms our friends, colleagues and communities visibly and invisibly negotiate and that you, too, can be even more open to reflecting on all those who benefit, whether visibly or invisibly, from truly inclusive spaces, places and hearts. 

Marking Latinx Heritage Month among graduate and professional students at UNC

As a high school student, Ana Gutierrez Ramirez wanted to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, but immigration policies prevented her from leaving Texas, where her family relocated after leaving her native Venezuela. Now, Gutierrez Ramirez is pursuing her second year of study at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and leading the Latine Graduate and Professional Student Association (LGPSA) in its first year as a student-led organization. Article continues on website.

Carolina Collaborative for Resilience

The Carolina Collaborative for Resilience provides caring and compassionate support by pairing undergraduate and graduate students with Resilience Coaches. We aim to provide the individualized support that each student needs to thrive at every level of our campus. Resilience Coaches are a team of diverse faculty and staff who have received specialized training to support students as they cope with the challenges related to identity, race, belonging, and resilience.

Thanks to MPA student Valerie Sauer for alerting us to this new resource!

Join the American Society for Public Administration

This time of year is perfect for you to invite your students to become members of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) so they can connect with our networks of fellow students, professors and practitioners. This email provides some information you can share about what they can expect from an ASPA membership. If you would like to promote ASPA membership to your students even more and need additional materials to do so, let us know and we can provide them!

Student members can depend on ASPA to provide needed resources for building careers, keeping up with the latest issues in the field and continuously focusing on professional development. More, they also benefit from services and resources focused on their unique needs to help them get started in the discipline. Here are a few examples of the services we can provide:

• Local Chapters with which they can engage to meet others in the field
• A Student and New Professionals Section to help them connect with others who are new to public administration
• An archive of premium webinar programs to help jumpstart their careers and give them new ideas—like creative research options, mentoring options, job-search assistance and more
• Presentation opportunities (and discounted student registration rates) at ASPA’s Annual Conference next spring—and our annual Student and New Professionals Summit to help them focus on the next steps in their career
• Access to Public Administration Review—the premier professional public administration journal in the field—and PA TIMES magazine, the premier resource for practitioner-based learning
• An e-news digest of public administration news to help inform the rest of their scholarship

ASPA membership also will foster community building within your program, as students collaborate to make the most of our programs and integrate them into their ongoing learning experiences.

Students can apply for membership online at www.aspanet.org/join. You also can access a PDF of our membership application, which you can distribute to your students, here (https://www.aspanet.org/common/uploaded%20files/ASPADocs/membership/ASPAMembershipApplication.pdf).

We continue to offer group memberships (made up of 10 or more new or renewing members) that enable students to join as a cohort and get a discount on their membership dues. (Some programs will even provide complimentary ASPA memberships to their students through this group discount.) Should your school be interested in a group membership, feel free to reach out so we can get you set up!

YNPN Triangle NC Board is Recruiting

The Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of the Triangle NC is recruiting new board members. The Board application is live on the website. The application will close at midnight on 10/21 with interviews taking place shortly after. Learn more about serving on the board and about the positions available on their website. 

• Gain valuable professional experience and skills
• Connect with your nonprofit peers
• Help create an inclusive and sustainable Triangle nonprofit community driven by emerging leaders

Apply for the Judy Ikerd Endowed Scholarship to the NC Local Government Association Winter Conference

We are pleased to open the first application period for the Judy Ikerd Endowed Scholarship program.

In partnership with CIVIC Federal Credit Union, the $1,000 scholarship is dedicated to advancing students pursuing degrees in accredited North Carolina Master of Public Administration/Affairs/Policy programs. Any active full-time student is eligible to apply. The scholarship will provide $1,000 for the student in addition to attendance and lodging costs at the Winter Conference in Winston-Salem, NC December 7^th-9^th. 2022. The awarded student is expected to attend the conference to receive the award and check. Please share this with those you know who may be interested in the program. Applications are due to ikerdscholar@nclgba.org no later than October 28^th, 2022, at 5:00pm EST. Please title the subject line “Ikerd Scholar 2022”. The application is also made available on the NCLGBA website.

This scholarship is named for Judy Ikerd, (retired) Budget Manager of Catawba County and our third Jack Vogt award winner in 2008. She is one of the first members of the Association, joining in 1989, and has served on the Board of Directors from 1992 through 1997, when she was President. Speaking with those who knew her, Judy was an early adopter of new ideas and was one to innovate. She started the outcome-based budgeting (reinventing government) program in Catawba County which still has some facets in place today. She went on to teach this method to other governments in North Carolina. She served on the original steering committee for the UNCSOG performance management project. She applied for and received the first GFOA Distinguished Budget Award for Catawba County. She has taught classes at the UNC School of Government, and she has mentored many NC local government professionals. This scholarship reflects her efforts to advance good local government in North Carolina and we are excited to share this opportunity with students. Please encourage their interest and applications.

Please direct any questions or comments to ikerdscholar@nclgba.org.