Editor Statement
We welcome you to our first edition of 2024 as the new co-editors. JPAE is the official journal of the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA).
The journal is dedicated to advancing the scholarship of public administration education and it would not be a success without our partnership with our remarkable editorial team, editorial board, partnership with Dr. Angel Wright-Lanier (NASPAA Executive Director), and NASPAA staff.
As we embark on our three-year term, we’d to continue the strong trajectory of the journal and continued success through the following goals and key initiatives.
Goals & Key Initiatives
Grow the scholarly discussion on new faculty development, post-COVID-19 pedagogy, technological innovations, and social equity in public affairs education
Promote increased attention on issues impacting women and marginalized communities/advancement in public affairs
Expand the representation of pedagogical practices, with a heightened focus on innovative teaching practices and technology in the classroom
Provide educational opportunities for developing SOTL scholars
Curate need-driven content for public affairs faculty through needs assessments and direct recruitment of manuscripts
Develop JPAE-specific ethical policies and processes (beyond the minimum standards set by the 2008 COPE Code of Conduct), including a journal policy manual and anti-harassment and discrimination statements
Maintain a strong relationship with NASPAA
Improve the journal’s reach to include even more international, new faculty, minority, and non-R1 scholars
Spotlight the great work of JPAE’s authors through focused and intentional social media engagement
Increase representation of JPAE at international conferences with prominent pedagogy sections
Partner with other SOTL journals to improve reach and content innovation
Improve JPAE’s inclusion on editor panels at key public affairs conferences
We cannot do this work without our partnership with you, our editorial team, and the board. We look forward to working with you.
Sincerely,
Sara R. Rinfret, Ph.D., & Sarah L. Young, Ph.D.
Co-Editors-in-Chief
Journal of Public Affairs Education
NASPAA Statement
Happy 2024! As we begin this new year, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome and thank our new editors, Dr. Sara Rinfret from Northern Arizona University and Dr. Sarah Young from Kennesaw State University. We appreciate their willingness to take on the monumental task of editing the Journal of Public Affairs Education. We are working to improve journal access by ensuring the domains are correct for each of our member schools. In the coming weeks, principal representatives will receive a survey to provide updated school domain information.
NASPAA’s commitment to JPAE is strong. We are redoubling our efforts to provide much-needed support to our editorial team. We’re working together to ensure that JPAE continues increasing its readership and quality. NASPAA will continue its commitment to teaching and learning in JPAE and other outlets like Publicases.org, the Champion Class, and our new Teaching and Learning Committee.
I look forward to working with Sara and Sarah to continue to publish scholarship that helps NASPAA reach its twofold mission: to ensure excellence in education and training for public service and to promote the ideal of public service. Thank you for your continued support of JPAE!
Angel Wright-Lanier, Ed.D.
NASPAA Executive Director
About our New JPAE Editorial Team
Co-Editor-in-Chief: Sara R. Rinfret, Ph.D., is an Associate Vice Provost, Faculty Affairs and Professor of Public Administration at Northern Arizona University. She has more than a decade of higher education leadership experience serving in roles such as Acting Dean, Associate Dean, Chair, and Master of Public Administration Director. Her scholarship is globally recognized in the areas of regulatory policy, environmental policy, women and government, public administration, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Dr. Rinfret is excited to continue the strong trajectory of JPAE, supporting the scholarship of teaching and learning.
Co-Editor-in-Chief: Sarah L. Young, Ph.D., is a Professor of Public Administration and Director of Research for CARE Services, a campus support program for students who experienced foster care or homelessness at Kennesaw State University. Dr. Young’s research uses systems-based approaches to study the intersection of nonprofit and public management, equity, and public crises. In 2022, Dr. Young won the American Society of Public Administration - Section on Nonprofit’s Best Paper Award, the Journal of Public Affairs Education’s Outstanding Article Award, and her university’s Emerging Leader Award. Dr. Young is passionate about the scholarship of teaching and learning, especially SOTL work focused on making academia a more equitable environment.
Pedagogical Practices Editor: Sean McCandless, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at the University of Texas – Dallas. His research centers on how accountability for social equity is achieved. Dr. McCandless co-edited several social equity books, which are highly respected and considered seminal to the field. He is also the co-founder of the Journal of Social Equity and Public Administration. Dr. McCandless regularly publishes in several top scholarly venues, including the top journals Public Administration Review and Public Administration and has edited seven scholarly journal special issues on social equity. Dr. McCandless was awarded the 2021 University Scholar Award, the highest faculty award in the University of Illinois System.
Book Review Editor: Michelle Pautz, Ph.D., is a Professor of Political Science and Associate Dean for Curriculum and Academic Student Success in the College of Arts and Sciences. Prior to her role in the College, she served as the Assistant Provost for the Common Academic Program and the director of the MPA program. Dr. Pautz teaches a range of undergraduate and graduate courses, focusing on environmental policy, government administration, and regulation, and film and politics. Dr. Pautz won the 2016 Alumni Award for Faculty Teaching and has published nine books and 30+ journal articles on topics ranging from the implementation of environmental regulations to the depiction of government in film to increasing information literacy through class projects.
Engagement Editor: Sungdae Lim, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Public Administration at Sam Houston State University. Dr. Lim’s research specializes in public and nonprofit management with particular agendas on public service innovation and governance, leadership and organization theory, organizational sensemaking, social equity, and community engagement. His research has appeared in multiple refereed journals, including Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Nonprofit and Management Leadership, Journal of Civil Society, Nonprofit Policy Forum, International Journal of Public Administration, Journal of Public Affairs Education, and Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs, as well as to be published book chapter series on public management and nonprofit governance.
Digital Engagement Editor: Ana Maria Dimand, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Administration in the School of Public Service, at Boise State University. She completed her Ph.D. in Public Affairs and a Graduate Certificate in Public Finance, Procurement, and Contract Management, at Florida International University, Miami. Prior to her graduate studies, she served as a legal advisor for a central government organization in Bucharest, Romania, specializing in public procurement. Dr. Dimand’s research focuses on public management and policy, specifically on issues related to government contracting, collaborative governance, innovation, and sustainability.
Assistant Student Editor: Noah Copeland is a first-year MPA student at Kennesaw State University. He received his Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Middle Georgia State University in 2023. Noah received special congressional recognition and a local government proclamation for his contributions as an Americorps alumnus.