Public Administration

MPA Degree Info Sessions for Prospective Spring 2024 Students

Gearing up for a career in public policy, advocacy, or program management? Change the world with a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from San Francisco State University! Find out what the MPA degree offers! Join us for an hour via ZOOM and get your questions answered!

Our nationally recognized program will enhance your executive and managerial capacity to meet the human capital challenges confronting the nation today. A rigorous curriculum of public and nonprofit management and leadership blends with elective flexibility in areas like data analytics, sustainability studies, and crisis management. The degree provides a strong pathway to a service career within government, non-profit, and the community. MPA graduates routinely deploy their competencies in budgeting, human resource, and network management to lift up their communities.

Look forward to high-quality mentorship and job opportunities with our alumni network in the Bay Area and beyond. Located in the heart of San Francisco, California, grow with the MPA program steeped in diversity and social justice values! For more information, email pace@sfsu.edu or contact the Graduate Program Coordinator, Dr. Gen at sgen@sfsu.edu

The MPA Degree Info Sessions for Prospective Spring 2024 Students will be conducted via ZOOM on the following dates and times: All Pacific Time

  • Oct. k16, 6-7 p.m., hosted by Dr. Sheldon Gen
  • Zoom link
  • Meeting ID: 825 2627 6396
  • Passcode: 694653
  • One tap mobile
    • +16694449171,,82526276396# US
    • +16699006833,,82526276396# US (San Jose)

Experts in public affairs conduct speed mentoring events with MPA program

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) program successfully completed its first-ever speed mentoring project with the program’s board of advisors. On August 29 and September 14, graduate students and recent alumni took advantage of the advisory board’s in-house expertise in the fields of government, academic, business and nonprofit leadership.

Headshots of speed mentors

  MPA Program speed mentors

The events, conducted both at noon and in the evening, provided students nuggets of professional wisdom and lessons on civic engagement, organizational and public change management from experts such as Traci Lester, Lesley Miller, Regina Neu, Tina Olson, Maria Saguisag-Sid, Jim Schutz and Kenneth Songco. Some of the program’s advisors received their bachelor's or MPA degrees from SF State.

The speed mentoring project, led by Associate Professor Ernita Joaquin and the officers of the SF State University Chapter of the International City and County Management Association (ICMA) — Joana De Sousa, Sidney Bliss, Mikayla Denney, Yami Kofuma-Henry and Grant Miller — allowed participants to interact with the board through break-out Zoom sessions. Beside informing students of their professions and initiatives that supplement what MPA students learn from the program, the mentors shared their personal journeys, stories, job- and life hacks and trends that aspiring public executives should note.

While all mentors spoke of equity and public service values, each had unique tips to offer. Neu, for instance, talked about finding “your special sauce” in career decision making and selling it. Olson explained why people who are flexible are successful and the importance of learning to manage people remotely. Schutz emphasized equity in resume preparation and in working in diverse departments as one moves up an organization. Saguisag-Sid urged finding out what stakeholders deem important and recognizing when a job is no longer a good fit. Lester spoke on transitioning into new roles, battling the imposter syndrome and how through voluntary activities, one could get a position created just for them. Miller called attention to  supplemental training courses and applying for jobs that have training involved. Finally, Songco emphasized the importance of self-reflection, motivation and diplomacy in public service.

Attendees appreciated the sessions and the wealth of experience the board has to offer. The success of this project suggests a similar undertaking in the future.

Check out the MPA degree now and jumpstart your career!

Public Administration graduate students successfully compete in national contest on wildfire crisis management

Pictured (left) SF State MPA students; (right) winning team “Code Red”

On March 4, four SF State Master of Public Administration (MPA) students joined fellow graduate students from all over the country to participate in a wildfire simulation competition sponsored by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA), the accrediting body for SF State’s flagship graduate program in public affairs, the MPA.

Stephen Kraemer, Forest Kerstetter, Sally Mei and Shae Hancock (MPA candidate and chief of operations with SF State’s University Enterprises) all joined national task forces charged with developing a fire mitigation plan for the fictitious town of Westmount. 

Each player was assigned a role on a task force (mayor, forest service ranger, water authority manger, environmental organization representative or a local citizen coalition representative). All the roles had well-developed personal and professional motivations, but players had to negotiate a plan that would work for the citizens of Westmount as a whole. 

The scenerio was complex, and included immersive details players had to take into account such as wind, temperature and seasons — as well as the socioeconomic differences between the neighborhoods in Westmount. Every decision that was made could change each character’s performance measurement in real time — there were angry constituents, and even a harsh note of rebuke from a player’s boss! The final work product was a policy brief outlining the decisions and mitigation plan, as well as a presentation to the other groups. While the rounds went on, the judges would come around asking questions about the group’s decision-making process, and the answers would count toward the final score. 

Overall, it was a rigorous day, but many of the students felt like they really were an intergovernmental task-force. There were roadblocks, setbacks and complicated situations that took everyone working together in order to deliver a service for the public good. SF State MPA candidate Shae Hancock was on the winning team, “Code Red,” which will have its presentation and policy brief submitted to a global competition later this year. 

Code Red Team:

  • David Arguelles, San Diego State University
  • Ashley Brittner Wells, University of Montana
  • Marisa McCarthy, University of San Francisco
  • Beth O’Leary, University of San Francisco
  • Shae Antonette Hancock, San Francisco State University 

SF State MPA Graduate Student Contingent:

  • Stephen Kraemer
  • Sally Mei
  • Forest Kerstetter
  • Shae Antonette Hancock

MPA Degree Info Sessions for Prospective Fall 2023 Students

Gearing up for a career in public policy, advocacy, or program management? Change the world with a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from San Francisco State University! Find out what the MPA degree offers! Join us for an hour via ZOOM and get your questions answered!

Our nationally recognized program will enhance your executive and managerial capacity to meet the human capital challenges confronting the nation today. A rigorous curriculum of public and nonprofit management and leadership blends with elective flexibility in areas like data analytics, sustainability studies, and crisis management. The degree provides a strong pathway to a service career within government, non-profit, and the community. MPA graduates routinely deploy their competencies in budgeting, human resource, and network management to lift up their communities.

Look forward to high-quality mentorship and job opportunities with our alumni network in the Bay Area and beyond. Located in the heart of San Francisco, California, grow with the MPA program steeped in diversity and social justice values! For more information, email pace@sfsu.edu or contact the graduate director at ejoaquin@sfsu.edu

The MPA Degree Info Sessions for Prospective Fall 2023 Students will be conducted via ZOOM on the following dates and times:

February 1, 2023, 5-6 p.m., hosted by Professor Jennifer Shea

March 7, 2023, 6-7 p.m., hosted by Professor Sheldon Gen

March 22, 2023, 12-1 p.m., hosted by Professor Janey Wan

Info Session ZOOM Link
 

MPA Degree Info Sessions for Prospective Fall 2023 Students

Gearing up for a career in public policy, advocacy, or program management? Change the world with a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from San Francisco State University! Find out what the MPA degree offers! Join us for an hour via ZOOM and get your questions answered!

Our nationally recognized program will enhance your executive and managerial capacity to meet the human capital challenges confronting the nation today. A rigorous curriculum of public and nonprofit management and leadership blends with elective flexibility in areas like data analytics, sustainability studies, and crisis management. The degree provides a strong pathway to a service career within government, non-profit, and the community. MPA graduates routinely deploy their competencies in budgeting, human resource, and network management to lift up their communities.

Look forward to high-quality mentorship and job opportunities with our alumni network in the Bay Area and beyond. Located in the heart of San Francisco, California, grow with the MPA program steeped in diversity and social justice values! For more information, email pace@sfsu.edu or contact the graduate director at ejoaquin@sfsu.edu

The MPA Degree Info Sessions for Prospective Fall 2023 Students will be conducted via ZOOM on the following dates and times:

February 1, 2023, 5-6 p.m., hosted by Professor Jennifer Shea

March 7, 2023, 6-7 p.m., hosted by Professor Sheldon Gen

March 22, 2023, 12-1 p.m., hosted by Professor Janey Wan

Info Session ZOOM Link
 

MPA Degree Info Sessions for Prospective Fall 2023 Students

Gearing up for a career in public policy, advocacy, or program management? Change the world with a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from San Francisco State University! Find out what the MPA degree offers! Join us for an hour via ZOOM and get your questions answered!

Our nationally recognized program will enhance your executive and managerial capacity to meet the human capital challenges confronting the nation today. A rigorous curriculum of public and nonprofit management and leadership blends with elective flexibility in areas like data analytics, sustainability studies, and crisis management. The degree provides a strong pathway to a service career within government, non-profit, and the community. MPA graduates routinely deploy their competencies in budgeting, human resource, and network management to lift up their communities.

Look forward to high-quality mentorship and job opportunities with our alumni network in the Bay Area and beyond. Located in the heart of San Francisco, California, grow with the MPA program steeped in diversity and social justice values! For more information, email pace@sfsu.edu or contact the graduate director at ejoaquin@sfsu.edu

The MPA Degree Info Sessions for Prospective Fall 2023 Students will be conducted via ZOOM on the following dates and times:

February 1, 2023, 5-6 p.m., hosted by Professor Jennifer Shea

March 7, 2023, 6-7 p.m., hosted by Professor Sheldon Gen

March 22, 2023, 12-1 p.m., hosted by Professor Janey Wan

Info Session ZOOM Link

 

MPA alumni elected to U.S. Congress and local public offices

Three San Francisco State University alumni of the Master of Public Administration program won seats in the U.S mid-term elections on November 8.

Headshots of Kevin Mullin, April Chan and Shamann Walton

Left to right: Kevin Mullin, April Chan, Shamann Walton

Winning the 15th Congressional District election to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives is Kevin Mullin (MPA, ’98). Mullin will represent the Peninsula and parts of San Francisco in the seat previously held by Democrat Jackie Speier. Mullin previously served in California’s Assembly as Assembly speaker pro tempore and on the City Council for South San Francisco. 

April Chan (MPA, ’95) will represent Ward 7 on the Board of East Bay Municipal Utility District. Chan chairs the Fairview Municipal Advisory Council and previously served on Alameda County Fire Advisory Commission. After her MPA degree, she built a career in public finance and transit. 

Shamann Walton (MPA, ’10) was just re-elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He currently serves as the board president, representing District 10. He is the former executive director of Young Community Developers.

Other MPA alums have also served as elected officials. John Baker (MPA, ’12) is currently president of the South San Francisco Unified School District. Baker first served on the board in 2016 and has been re-elected ever since. Juslyn Manalo  (MPA, ’14) is a member of the City Council for Daly City and has also served as mayor. Alex Randolph (MPA, ’12) was a member of the City College of San Francisco Board of Trustees from 2015 to 2020 and has since worked in government affairs for Uber and currently at The Gap.

Webinar: Inclusionary and Emergency Housing Policies in California during the COVID-19 pandemic

AHRI Forum speakers

The Applied Housing Research Initiative (AHRI) at SF State announces the upcoming release of three working papers on the emergency housing policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the advancement of equity.

AHRI will also be hosting an upcoming Zoom webinar on Wednesday, October 5, 12-1 p.m. to discuss the findings of these papers. The papers were written by AHRI’s research team consisting of Professor Ayse Pamuk, Professor Jennifer Shea, Professor Laura Mamo, Professor XiaoHang Liu and AHRI research associate and MPA graduate student Temur Umarov (pictured above, left to right).

Liu’s working paper examines the association between a city’s inclusionary housing program, its vulnerability to COVID-19 and its change in racial residential segregation. Shea and Mamo analyze the results of a survey distributed to 482 local California governments to better understand the relationship among housing policy and three interrelated dimensions of equity goals and targets in areas of economics, race, and public health. Pamuk and Umarov provide an overview of the emergency housing policies implemented in California and a preliminary analysis of their reasons for implementation, effectiveness and potential issues. Additionally, three interactive mapping platforms created by Liu visualize COVID vulnerability, emergency housing policies, and racial residential segregation throughout California.

To read the working papers, explore the dashboards and register to attend the Zoom webinar, please visit the AHRI website. 

SF State student chapter of local government association wins contest for best event

The SF State student chapter of the International City and County Management Association (ICMA) won the association’s Best Chapter Event Contest for its “Breaking into Public Service” virtual panel.

Each year, the ICMA contest awards a select few ICMA student chapters with travel funds to attend the ICMA Annual Conference. Chapters present their most successful event to members of the ICMA Executive Board, highlighting topic, involvement and impact, with a special focus on innovation this year. The SF State chapter, which is advised by Associate Professor of Public Affairs & Civic Engagement Ernita Joaquin, was one of three student chapters to win the contest.

The SF State chapter’s virtual panel introduced students to the experiences of four public service panelists and allowed the 26 attendees to gain insights into career direction and tips for landing roles. SF State ICMA Chapter President Steven Lee moderated the panel, composed of Jim Schutz, city manager of San Rafael, California; Jessica Paran, Social Services Division director of Marin County, California; Aaron Zavala, senior management analyst for Petaluma, California and Ahmad Anderson, director of people and culture at SF JAZZ in California. The conversation ranged from concrete, technical tips for new graduates, to the acknowledgment of a changing post-pandemic workplace, to inspiring reflections on a core value of public administration.

MPA Informational Sessions

The Public Administration Program (MPA) Faculty will be hosting information sessions for prospective students during the Fall semester; all are invited to attend via zoom to learn more about our Program and how to apply for admissions.   The deadline for Spring 2023 admissions is November 1st; completed applications will be processed on a rolling basis. The application filing period begins on August 1, 2022.

Dates of Prospective Student Information Session:

Sept. 1, 6-7 p.m.

Sept. 13, 6-7 p.m.

Sept. 27, 12-1 p.m.

Oct. 5, 12-1 p.m.

Oct. 12, 6-7 p.m.

ZOOM link to join any of the sessions (Meeting ID 825 2627 6396; Passcode: 694653)

Please attend for lots of good information!

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