For Immediate Release
March 22, 2022
Contact:
Karen Garrett
Chief of Communications & Marketing
(202) 585-4313

ASPA Recognizes Outstanding Contributions to Public Service Practitioners and Scholars Honored at 2022 Annual Conference

Washington, DC – More than 40 top practitioners, scholars and organizations were recognized for their contributions and extraordinary commitment to public service at the American Society for Public Administration’s 2022 Annual Conference in Jacksonville, Florida, March 18-22, 2022. Individuals will be recognized for their contributions promoting integrity in public service, lifetime scholarship and service to ASPA, among other areas. 

This year’s recipients represent a diverse mix of individuals working in the public, nonprofit and academic arenas, as well as the next generation of public servants who are completing their public affairs degrees or beginning their public service careers. 

“Public service is about commitment to others. Those dedicated to the public good invest countless hours to making their communities and the world around them a better place to live, work and thrive. As the leading organization dedicated to advancing public service excellence, ASPA stands at the forefront in honoring their work and commitment to a cause greater than their own,” said ASPA Executive Director William Shields. 

In recognition of lifetime contributions, scholarship and dedication to the public service and public administration, ASPA will present the following awards:

The National Public Service Awards, recognizing outstanding public servants, were awarded to Sylvia Mathews Burwell of American University, Hung Cao, retired from the U.S. Navy, William H. Leighty of Virginia Commonwealth University and James M. Shuler of the U.S. Department of Energy. The NPSA Rosslyn Kleeman Keeper of the Flame Awards, recognizing those who continue to contribute to public service after their retirement, were awarded to Mary Hamilton of the University of Nebraska Omaha and Joseph Vass of the Virginia Capitol Police.

The Nesta M. Gallas Award for Exemplary Professionalism in Public Service was awarded to Mary Ellen Guy of the University of Colorado Denver. 

The Gloria Hobson Nordin Social Equity Award, honoring lifetime achievements in advancing social equity, was presented to Blue Wooldridge of Virginia Commonwealth University.

The Public Integrity Award, which recognizes an individual or organization who has made outstanding contributions to responsible conduct in public service, was presented to William Hazeltine of ACCESS Health International. 

The Elmer Staats Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Public Service, honoring an individual’s contributions to public service over a lifetime, was presented to Lyle Wray of Capitol Region Council of Governments.

The Paul Van Riper Award for Excellence and Service, honoring an ASPA member who has made significant contributions as both an academic and a practitioner, was presented to Kenneth Meier of American University.

The Donald C. Stone Service to ASPA Awards were presented to Diane Disney, retired from Penn State – Harrisburg and Gina Scutelnicu Todoran of Pace University.

The Dwight Waldo Award, honoring outstanding contributions to public administration scholarship, was awarded to Donald F. Kettl of the University of Maryland.

The John W. Gaston award for excellence in public service management was awarded to Thomas Liu of the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

The Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Exemplary Practice Awards, presented to individuals and organizations who have made outstanding contributions to a more equal society, were given to the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Sacred Heart Center of Richmond, Virginia.

Public Administration Review (PAR), the premier journal for those in public management and administration, presented awards for the best submissions, commentary and book review during the 2021 publication year. 

For PAR’s William E. and Frederick C. Mosher Award: Thorbjorn Sejr Guul (Aarhus University), Mogens Jin Pedersen (University of Copenhagen) and Niels Bjorn Grund Petersen (Aarhus University).

Burchfield Award for Best Book Review: Staci M. Zavattaro (University of Central Florida).

Louis Brownlow Award: Agustin Leon-Moreta (University of New Mexico) and Vittoria R. Totaro (University of New Mexico).

Chester A. Newland Award for Best Commentary: Faisal Ali Baig (World Bank Group), Xu Han (University of Maryland), Zahid Hasnain (World Bank Group) and Daniel Rogger (World Bank Group).

ASPA presented the H. George Frederickson PA TIMES Best Article Award for the writer of the article judged most informative, critical and contributing to new knowledge published in ASPA’s quarterly magazine. This year’s recipient is Bill Resh from the Sol Price School at the University of Southern California.

The International Public Administration Award, presented to Alikhan Baimenov and The Astana Civil Service Hub, recognizes his efforts to strengthen the public sector and understanding of public service internationally. 

Two student scholarships, the Wallace O. Keene Conference Scholarship and the Walter W. Mode Scholarship, were presented. Ose A. Agho of University of Colorado Denver, Intae Choi of the University of Missouri, Adam Croft of the University of Colorado Denver, Mingean Park of Pennsylvania State—Harrisburg and Kayla Schwoerer of Rutgers University—Newark received the Wallace O. Keen Conference Scholarships; Kayla Schwoerer of Rutgers University—Newark received the Walter W. Mode Scholarship. 

ASPA’s South Asian Section for Public Administration received the Oveta Culp Hobby Award for the best Section programming in 2021; the Students and New Administration Professionals Section was presented with the Patricia Yearwood Section Award for the best newsletter in 2021.