The 2018 Annual Conference will feature a full-day Student and New Professional Summit, providing this special group of public administrators with a great opportunity to learn together on a range of subjects of particular value to them.
Check out the program below and make sure you register for this event!
8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
Introductions, Ice Breakers, Student Awards, Relevant ASPA News
We'll kick off the 2018 Student and New Professional Summit with some time to introduce ourselves and get to know each other before we spend the day taking a deep dive into our career aspirations and how to get there. Ice breakers will be involved!
Presenter
Andrea Headley, Ph.D. Candidate, Florida International University, Miami, FL
8:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
The Choice is Yours: Practice vs. Academia?
The first step in your career is to determine which path you will take. While most doctoral candidates are encouraged toward an academic career, it is not right for everyone. Jos Raadschelders will help set the stage for the big decisions on your horizon, as well as the content you will hear throughout the rest of this day.
Presenter
Jos C.N. Raadschelders, Professor, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
9:15 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Engaging, Not Explaining: Improving Professional and Research Presentations for Your Audience
Polished presentations mean more than just slick graphics, transitions and embedded video. They also mean presenting the right data for the right audience, using the right vocabulary. Know your room and cater to it – you’ll be far more successful! Our presenter will walk you through the finer points of crafting an excellent PowerPoint, including the critical rules that must be followed to ensure your presentation is compelling as well as on-message. Make the most of this session so your first on-the-job presentations wow your audience.
Presenter
Stephanie Dolamore, Research Analyst, University of Baltimore, College Park, MD
10:15 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Building Your Research Portfolio: The Science behind Publishing in Academia (Academia)
You may have an excellent research paper but that does not mean getting it published will be easy. The first step is having excellent academic mentors supporting your efforts and giving you pointers along the way. Yet there is more to this process. Learn about the importance of choosing the right publications, what editors are looking for, bouncing back from the R&R process, transforming papers into books and more.
Presenters
R. Paul Battaglio, Co-Editor, Public Administration Review and Professor and MPA Director, University of Texas-Dallas, Dallas, TX
Kirk Emerson, Editor, Perspectives on Public Management and Governance and Professor, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
After You Get the Job: Transitioning from “Dissertation Candidate” to “Assistant Professor” (Academia)
There’s a world of difference between being a dissertation candidate and an assistant professor. It’s critical that you get out of the student mindset and mentally push yourself into the professor role. While many of your responsibilities may feel similar or the same as they were before, it’s important that you treat them differently. Two new assistant professors – who were in your shoes not long ago! – will share with you their lessons learned and tips for success.
Presenters
Sebawit Bishu, Assistant Professor, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO
Angela Kline, Assistant Professor, Bowie State University, Bowie, MD
11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Crafting CVs (Academia)
Learn from our presenter as he covers the finer points of crafting an academic CV. You’ll learn the differences between a CV and a resume, what kinds of publications are important, how long is too long, what formatting works best for this kind of information and more. Take lots of notes: You’ll want to remember everything Jeremy has to share!
Presenter
Jeremy Hall, Professor and MPA Director, University of Central Florida, Science Hill, KY
12:45 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Lunch Break and Workshop: Effective Writing
We’ll “lunch and learn” as our speaker explains two tools students can use to write excellent research papers. The first, the Step by Step notebook method, transforms writing a paper into managing a project. Student scholars will learn how to manage their time, materials and ideas. The project management system also helps address many writers’ block issues. The second tool, the conceptual framework, is designed to ensure empirical research is coherent across the research question, scholarly literature, theory, methods and results. These techniques have led to award-winning student papers cited by public policy foundations, academic journals and international organizations.
Presenter
Patricia Shields, Professor, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX
1:45 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Will Your Resume Get You the Job? (Practitioner)
Your resume is important. It introduces you to a potential employer, sells your skills and attributes and hopefully gets you to the next step. But there are a number of considerations to take into account when constructing it: what should be on it, what should not, how long it should be. This session will help you learn how to put together your perfect resume, learn the rights and wrongs and keep you from making big mistakes.
Presenter
William P. Shields, Jr., Executive Director, ASPA, Washington, DC
2:30 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Making a Direct Impact: State and Local Jobs (Practitioner)
Now that you have your MPA, how do you get started in public service? As is the case with getting any job, it’s not as easy as it looks. Where do most state and local servants begin their careers and how do you get your foot in the door? Our panelists will talk about their career trajectories, how they’ve used their networks for success and lessons they’ve learned in public service.
Presenters
Mark Deven, City Manager, Arvada, CO
Michael King, Assistant Director, Richland County Emergency Services, Columbia, SC
3:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Navigating the Federal Hiring Process (Practitioner)
If you are planning to pursue a practitioner career, make sure you are in the audience for this session. There are millions of federal jobs, many of which are open to young graduates, but first you have to get through the interview process. Our presenter will take you beyond USAJobs.gov to master the art of getting your application through the door, to the interview and beyond.
Presenter
Leigh Epsy, Doctoral Candidate, University of Colorado Denver
4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
L. Frances Liddell Student Policy Debate
This workshop is an adjudicated competitive policy debate. It affords young professionals, undergraduates and graduate students an opportunity to present and defend positions on current public policy issues. Participants enhance communication skills, including their manner of delivery and persuasion. It also serves to assist in embracing those attributes and qualities desired of future public administrators: speaking competently and confidently.
Presenter
L. Frances Liddell, Retired Associate Professor, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS