The School of Public and Environmental Affairs should take a moment to celebrate its No. 1 ranking, but the school shouldn’t and won’t treat it as a final destination, graduate student Dan Esposito said.
The U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate Schools rankings placed SPEA’s graduate program in public affairs at the top this March. Students, faculty and staff gathered in the SPEA Atrium for a reception service to celebrate the school’s accomplishments.
SPEA specializations in environmental policy and management, nonprofit management, and public finance and budgeting also received No. 1 rankings. In addition, the public management and administration program was placed in the top three.
“With this news, we’re in a good position to attract a lot of people to our programs,” Esposito said. “Combined with the internal changes our school is going through, along with what our school has to offer, we are experiencing progress.”
Rankings are determined by surveys sent out to all 272 public affairs schools in the country, said Jim Hanchett, director of marketing and communications at SPEA. He said the surveys are filled out by deans and program directors in the universities and returned to the U.S. News & World Report for evaluation.
Esposito said he chose SPEA because of its strong, flexible programs. He said SPEA’s high ranking was an important factor in choosing the school, but the reason behind the ranking was an added incentive.
“The multiple programs here work well together,” Esposito said. “I’m able to combine my interests and become a more research-oriented student, collaborating with faculty who act as mentors and push students to become involved.”
After submitting a paper for class, Esposito said one of his professors saw something promising in his report, and has worked with other professor to publish an analysis of risks associated with natural gas and renewable resources.
“The professors and students care about making a difference,” Esposito said. “We don’t wait until we get the degree to start initiatives and research that can be carried through to help our community and the world.”
SPEA graduate student Alexis Cureton serves as the new member development chair for the International Public Affairs Association. He said he believes SPEA’s promotion of support and service, along with its constant goal of advancement, gave the school its top ranking.
“I believe this is just the beginning,” Cureton said. “SPEA will continue building its internal structure, which will allow for further expansion in regards to recruitment, funding, resources and impact.”
