News

Mon, 12/16/2024

Gound-Level Environmentalism: Trumpism's Unexpected Outcome Part Two

Part Two foresees that Americans’ shared commitment to environmental health, beauty, and conservation will incite a response unseen in most of our lifetimes: localized, ground-level, grassroots citizen mobilizations.  Similar upwellings of emotion, activism, and politicking founded, over a half-century ago, our system of using law and science to safeguard our natural environment.
Thu, 12/12/2024

Gound-Level Environmentalism: Trumpism's Unexpected Outcome Part One

America’s current environmental protection enterprise – the complex but effective blend of institutions, laws, and personnel at every governmental level – will not survive the Trump presidency unscathed. Trumpism’s Project 2025 pledged to favor profits over protection.  Part One of this article anticipates how its implementation will remodel agencies, rewrite laws, and exile federal experts.
Mon, 12/02/2024

KC Star Guest Commentary: Federal Remote Work Works for America

Karl Brooks is Professor of the Practice at the University of Kansas' School of Public Affairs and Administration and was EPA Regional Administrator in the Heartland from 2010 to 2015, then EPA national operations manager from 2015 to 2016.
Mon, 09/30/2024

Study: Conflicting goals, focus on economic development lead to underperforming streetcar systems

Streetcar systems that prioritized taking people to highly desired locations tended to outperform those whose goals were economic development, a new University of Kansas study shows. Understanding this goal tension can help future systems meet public needs.
Fri, 09/27/2024

Thom Allen named as Fall 2024 Service Learning Instructional Mini-Grant recipient

The Center for Service Learning has recognized Thom Allen, assistant professor of the practice of urban planning and associate director of the University Honors Program, as a Service Learning Instructional Mini-Grant recipient for fall 2024.
Tue, 07/30/2024

KU experts can comment on 2024 elections, related topics

LAWRENCE — As a contentious U.S. election season heads toward November, University of Kansas experts are available to discuss with media the candidates, key issues, procedures and narratives of the 2024 races. Read on for experts by topic; some experts appear under multiple categories.
Thu, 07/18/2024

The Story I Want to Tell of Me: Speculative Fiction meets Speculative Non-fiction

2024 ACSP Junior Faculty of Color Workshop Hosted by the University of Kansas
Mon, 07/01/2024

Strengthening Democracy through Accountability with Dr. Chris Koliba - NAPA Management Matters Podcast

In this Management Matters podcast episode, Chris Koliba, Distinguished Professor at the University of Kansas School of Public Affairs and Administration and Academy Fellow, discusses liberal democratic accountability standards, inclusive governance, and ways to strengthen democracy in today's environment.
Thu, 05/30/2024

SPAA Professor Chuck Epp Wins Law & Society Mentorship Award (Opens in new window)

This article was published by the Law & Society Association on May 30, 2024 and written by Crissonna Tennison. ...

Thu, 05/30/2024

SPAA Professor Chuck Epp Wins Law & Society Mentorship Award (Opens in new window)

This article was published by the Law & Society Association on May 30, 2024 and written by Crissonna Tennison. ...

Thu, 05/23/2024

New grant will fund study on preemption's effects on health, economic disparities in Kansas City

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Urban Institute’s Policies for Action program has awarded more than $382,000 to researchers at KU and the National Academy of Public Administration for a study of how preemptive public policies may contribute to economic insecurity and health inequities in the Kansas City area.
Mon, 05/20/2024

School Celebrates Accomplishments of Graduates

LAWRENCE – On May 11, 2024, the School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA) celebrated its graduates with its annual graduation recognition ceremony which celebrates those who graduated in summer of 2023 as well as fall and spring 2024. To view photos from this event, visit here and if you...

Wed, 05/08/2024

Leading Edge Program Finds a New Permanent Home at the University of Kansas Public Management Center (Opens in new window)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE...

Mon, 05/06/2024

Accountability standards based on rules of democracy needed in times of rising political violence, scholar argues

Populism, violence and democratic backsliding are all reasons to establish accountability standards for government administrators and public administration scholars, a KU professor writes in new work for the journal Public Administration Review.
Wed, 04/24/2024

Jayhawk Planners Take On the National Planning Conference 2024

#JayhawkPlanners were everywhere at this year’s National Planning Conference amongst the over 4,000 attendees and 200 sessions and mobile workshops. The in-person conference was April 13-16 in Minneapolis. Twelve current students attended, and we spotted alumni and KU Urban Planning Advisory Board members out and about, but especially at the...

Wed, 04/10/2024

KU #1 in Latest Local Government Management MPA Program Rankings

Continuing Its Legacy of Excellence: KU SPAA Reaffirms Its Status as the Premier Choice for Local Government Management Education ...

Mon, 03/25/2024

ASPA Announces 2024 Class of Founders’ Fellows, Inaugural Underwriting Sponsors of Flagship Program (Opens in new window)

Mon, 03/11/2024

Discussion Series on the ‘Future of Democratic Governance:’ Takeaways from the First Lecture of the Series and Looking Ahead to the Next Conversation

You can watch a recording of Al Robert's lecture here. ...

Mon, 02/19/2024

National League of Cities Kicks Off ‘Roadshow’ Celebrating Organization’s 100th Anniversary in Lawrence, KS

LAWRENCE, KS – One hundred years ago, in 1924, the National League of Cities (NLC) was founded in Lawrence, Kansas at the University of Kansas in the original Fraser Hall. To commemorate this historic milestone, NLC, the University of Kansas School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA), the League of...

Tue, 02/13/2024

Associate Professor Zachary Mohr Advocates for Election Administration Funding Reform at US House Committee Hearing

On Wednesday, February 7, 2024, Associate Professor Zachary Mohr, from the KU School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA), made significant contributions to the discourse on election administration funding by providing expert testimony during a hearing held by the United States Congressional Committee on House Administration. ...

Fri, 01/19/2024

SPAA and IPSR Launch Discussion Series on ‘The Future of Democratic Governance’

The KU School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA) and the Institute for Policy and Social Research (IPSR) are proud to announce the launch of a discussion series on ‘The Future of Democratic Governance.’ This timely series will commence with a thought-provoking lecture titled, “The Challenge to Democracy: Is the...

Mon, 12/04/2023

School of Public Affairs and Administration Announces New School Director

LAWRENCE – The University of Kansas School of Public Affairs & Administration (SPAA) will welcome new leadership in 2024. Maja Husar Holmes has been named director of the school, effective Jan. 1. ...

Thu, 11/30/2023

School of Public Affairs & Administration announces new director

LAWRENCE – The University of Kansas School of Public Affairs & Administration (SPAA) will welcome new leadership in 2024. Maja Husar Holmes has been named director of the school, effective Jan. 1. ...

Thu, 11/16/2023

SPAA Professor Partners in the Creation of #Landback Website, Advocating for the Return of Land to Indigenous Communities

SPAA Associate Professor Ward Lyles has partnered with fellow KU Professor Sarah Deer on the creation of #Landback North America, a website dedicated to documenting instances of land restitution to sovereign tribes, offering resources for those interested in pursuing land back, and fostering connections among researchers, advocates, and individuals interested...

Tue, 10/31/2023

SPAA Alumni Recognized as Emerging Leaders

SPAA congratulates alumni Chanté Martin and Whitney Morgan on receiving the Emerging Leaders Award! The University’s Alumni Association Black Alumni Network recently announced the eleven recipients of the Emerging Leaders Award. The award is bestowed based on professional achievements and community service.
Tue, 08/29/2023

De-Coding "Oppenheimer": People, Politics, and Places of the Movie

Are you ready to learn, grow, and develop your understanding of the people, politics, and places from the movie Oppenheimer? The award-winning film has dazzled audiences with its portrayal of historical items…but did you leave perplexed about the context? ...

Thu, 07/28/2022

KU researchers part of program to give communities equal voice in switch to renewable energy

Thu, 04/21/2022

SPAA Welcomes Assistant Professor Hala Altamimi to Faculty

The School of Public Affairs and Administration is pleased to welcome Hala Altamimi to the faculty as an assistant professor. Altamimi’s research centers on public and nonprofit management and finance with specific interests in organizational behavior, decision-making, and result-oriented approaches to performance, including performance measurement, auditing, and evaluation. 
Tue, 04/19/2022

Zachary Mohr Returns to SPAA as Associate Professor

The School of Public Affairs and Administration is pleased to welcome associate professor, Zachary Mohr to the faculty.  Mohr’s research focuses on cost analysis and accounting practices in government, which includes examining the costs of administering elections in the United States.  His upcoming book project, The Cost of Democracy looks at the cost of conducting elections in the over 8,000 local election jurisdictions around the country.
Tue, 11/05/2019

Professor's "Retirement Project" Investigates KU Athletics Ticket Scandal in New Book (Opens in new window)

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Media Contacts

Sydney Bannister

Communications Manager