Welcome from the Director

Welcome to the School of Public Administration at the University of New Mexico. Founded in 1969 under the leadership of UNM President Ferrel Heady, for four decades the school has provided a quality graduate education to those interested in public service.

The school provides a solid academic foundation to prepare students for leadership and management positions in the public and non-profit sectors. From public management and organizational behavior to public policy evaluation and health policy and management, our faculty provide insights into the numerous challenges facing our society and government and how they can best be managed. Our mission is to advance the policy knowledge and train our students in the matters affecting public service and prepare them to take on the challenges of an increasingly complex and diverse global environment.

Our students come from diverse backgrounds. Some come from years of professional work experience, some are recent college graduates, and others are mid-career professionals interested in advancing in their current careers or exploring new career opportunities. No matter what their background, our students pride themselves in fostering debate on important issues, encouraging one another, and creating a vibrant learning environment.

I am very pleased to welcome two new faculty member to SPA this year. Professor Will Hsieh received his Ph.D. from the Askew School of Public Administration and Policy at Florida State University and Professor Gao Liu received his Ph.D. from the Martin School of Public Policy and Administration at the University of Kentucky. Professor Hsieh's research focuses on public service delivery, human resource management, organizational dynamics, and non-profit governance. Professor Liu's research and teaching interests focus on public budgeting and finance, public economics and research methods.

The 2009-20010 school year promises to be an excellent one for SPA. This year, we celebrate our 40-year anniversary, and our incoming class is one of the largest in the school's history. We hope that you will consider us as a school that can provide you with challenging and rewarding educational experiences. If you are already a SPA student, I want to encourage you to get involved in the myriad of activities the school has to offer.

I invite you to share your ideas and concerns about the school with me.

- Dr. Uday Desai