News & Events

Event: Reflection on the Inauguration on Thursday, Jan. 21st

Join Public Affairs Student Ben Szalinksi, Moderator, and Political Science Faculty Dr. Matthew Geras & Dr. John Transue, for this UIS Event on Thursday, January 21st, 2021, at 6:00 PM at:

go.uis.edu/inauguration

Click here for info on the one-year masters program in Public Affairs Reporting.

Click here for info on the Political Science degrees and programs.

Posted 01 20 2021

Ron Koehler, PAR Grad, called from retirement to return as Kent interim superintendent

Click here to read the School News Network article.

“Koehler, who has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s in public affairs [reporting] from the University of Illinois-Springfield, started his professional career in journalism. He served as Grand Rapids bureau chief for the international news agency United Press International. He also worked for former Governor James Blanchard’s office in the communications department and at one time, owned an ad agency.”

Posted 01 20 2021

Prof. Gary Reinbold on Safety of In-Person Learning

UIS professor Gary Reinbold, Associate Professor of Public Administration, said data he reviewed from nearly a dozen different studies indicates in-person education is safe.

“When I say in-school that doesn’t necessarily mean back to going to school all the time because most of the data is coming from places that are doing some form of hybrid schooling,” Reinbold told WMAY. “But having them in school at least part of the time doesn’t seem to be leading to new cases.”

Posted 01 20 2021

Congratulations to Danielle Stanley, CPAA Alumn, on her new job with Voices for Illinois Children!

Posted 01 19 2021

Dean Smith Welcomes Everyone Back for Spring 2021 Semester!

Posted 01 19 2021

Dean Smith’s Commentary on NPR Illinois

“Well I must say 2021 has not started the way I and many others had hoped! As a dean of a college of public affairs, a former chair of a department of political science and international affairs, a candidate for public office, an aide to a US Senator and a bureaucrat in local and state government, but mostly as a citizen of the United States of America… I am distraught, disgusted and disappointed by the rioting that occurred on Wednesday, January 6 in our Nation’s Capital.”

Click here to read the rest of Dr. Smith’s commentary.

Posted 01 15 2021

MPH Students – MPH 503 Biostatistics available Spring 2021

Provides a general overview of statistical methods commonly used in the collection and analysis of health research data. Topics include descriptive statistics, basic concepts of probability, statistical inference, analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation, regression, distribution free methods, and introduction to use of a statistical software. Emphasis is on understanding and applying statistical concepts intuitively to the interpretation of health research data.

Course Information: Core course. Prerequisite: Undergraduate statistics course.

4.00 Credit hours – Online and Remote options available

Prof. Brian Chen

Register now!

Posted 01 14 2021

Looking for a fun class? Political Science (PSC) 483: Model United Nations

This course prepares students for the National Model United Nations conference, which will be held virtually this year due to COVID-19.

The course increases the understanding of the United Nations, global problems, negotiation techniques, and role-simulations.

Course Information: Students may take the course once as credit for the Political Science program and undergraduates may repeat the course once as a non-political science elective.

3.000 Credit hours

If you are interested, please, contact Dr. Adriana Crocker.

Click here for more information about Political Science classes and degrees.

Click here for more information about Global Studies classes and degrees.

Posted 01 14 2021

Submit articles for the 2021 Illinois Municipal Policy Journal now through February 15, 2021

The IMPJ is an annual publication that features timely research and public policy analysis relevant to municipal government within Illinois. Emphasis is placed on articles with supported conclusions on laws, rules, programs, policies, and ordinances that affect municipal governments. The journal is distributed to members of the Illinois General Assembly; the Illinois Congressional Delegation; Illinois Constitutional Officers; Mayors and City Councils as well as City Administrators throughout Illinois. The Illinois Municipal Policy Journal is a collaboration of the Illinois Municipal League and the College of Public Affairs and Administration at the University of Illinois at Springfield.

Click here to read the 2020 IMPJ.

Posted 01 13 2021

Register now for Spring 2021 – PAD 511: Collective Bargaining

3.000 Credit hours

6:00 pm – 8:30 pm Tuesdays

Lecture-Discussion

Instructors: Kimberly Stevens & John Hartnett

Click here to learn more about the Master’s in Public Administration.

Posted 01 13 2021

New MPH Students – Register now for MPH 501 Introduction to Public Health

An introduction to population-based public health in the U.S.

This course provides an introduction to public health concepts and practice by examining the philosophy, purpose, history, organization, functions, tools and results of public health practice at international and local levels.

It also provides an overview of basic concepts/core functions of public health practice, the scope of applications, and the variety of service organizations that shape public health.

Click here to register.

Posted 01 12 2021

MPA Students – PAD 582 Public Procurement Process, Ethics and Law Available Spring 2021

Registration is available this Spring 2021 for PAD 582 Public Procurement Process, Ethics and Law.

This course is an introduction to the concepts and skills required for strategic planning, implementation and evaluation of public policy. The course emphasizes the role of public service organizations in public policy processes.

3.000 Credit hours – Online

Prof. Evelyn Trammell

Posted 01 11 2021

Congratulations to Prof. Keyria Rodgers, CPAA Alum!

Congratulations to Prof. Keyria Rodgers, who was appointed by Gov. Pritzker to the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission!

Prof. Rodgers earned her Bachelor’s in Criminology and Criminal Justice and her Master’s in Legal Studies from UIS. She is currently working on her Doctorate of Public Administration at UIS.

Watch the news story on WAND-TV.

Posted 01 08 2021

MPH 222 Added to Spring 2021 Course Schedule

Interested in issues facing public health across the globe?

MPH 222- Global Public Health: Poverty, Population and Pollution is now open for Spring 2021 Registration. The course is core for the Public Health minor and will be offered online.

Please contact CPAA Undergraduate Student Advisors Jill Briggs or Andrew Nicol for more information about this exciting minor option.

Posted 01 08 2021

Public Administration Students – Register now for PAD 303: Public Policy for Managers

3.0 Credit Hours – Online

Prof. Junfeng Wang

Learn more about the Public Administration degrees and certificates at: www.uis.edu/publicadministration

Posted 01 07 2021

Prof. Tess Dooley Appointed PLC Director

Assistant Professor Tessica Dooley, Legal Studies

CPAA is proud to announce the appointment of Prof. Tessica Dooley, J.D., as the Pre-Law Center Director starting this Spring 2021 semester.

Interested in law school? Click here to learn how the PLC can assist you.

Prof. Dooley returned to UIS in 2020. Prior to joining the Legal Studies department, she practiced law as a Principal Attorney for a boutique employee benefits law firm, as regional Vice President of Compliance for a nationally renowned insurance brokerage firm, and as in-house counsel for a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 corporation, with a primary focus in employee benefits law, during her five-year tenure with the corporation. She has also served as a Visiting Instructor in the Legal Studies department at UIS.

Prof. Dooley is a member of the State Bar of Arkansas and has served in various leadership roles for the Arkansas Bar Association including a seat on the Board of Governors, Young Lawyers Executive Council, co-chair of the Membership Development Committee, and currently serves on the Member Benefits Committee. She is a member of the Association of Corporate Counsel and has previously served on the Employment and Labor Law, Health Law and Compliance and Ethics Committees. She was recognized in 2019 by Lawyers of Distinction for her excellence in Employee Benefits and ERISA. She currently teaches in the areas of constitutional law, legal research and citation, health care law, and business law. Her research interests broadly include U.S. health policy and social justice, ERISA, and the impact of the Affordable Care Act on business. She is currently working on two empirical research projects related to issues impacting health through the lens of social equity and justice.

Posted 01 07 2021

MPH Students – Register Now for MPH 588

4.0 Credit Hours

Dr. Junu Shrestha

Online & Remote options available

Click here for information on our Public Health degrees and certificates.

Posted 01 06 2021

In the News: Erika Procarione, LES Major / CCJ Minor

Read about Erika Procarione, CPAA student majoring in Legal Studies and minoring in Criminology and Criminal Justice in this Journal-Courier article.

“Every day is a new day and your life is what you make it to be.”

Posted 01 06 2021

Dr. McCandless Collaborates on NASPAA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Action Plan

Dr. Sean McCandless, Assistant Professor of Public Administration, has co-authored the NASPAA Task Force on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Toward a Comprehensive Framework and Action Plan.

Dr. McCandless joined the Department in Fall 2018 after having completed a post-doctorate and PhD in Public Affairs from the School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado Denver. He also holds an MA in Political Science and BAs in History, Political Science, and Psychology. He worked for years in the Colorado Community College System helping to design accessible and socially equitable curricula. This experience helped inspire his research focus on how accountability for social equity is achieved in public agencies, or how public services become fairer in terms of access, outcomes, processes, and quality. His research resides at the intersections of law (especially constitutional and state law), public management, and politics. He is presently focusing on LGBTQ issues in public administration and public policy. He is published in Public Administration Review (PAR), Public Integrity (PI), Administrative Theory & Praxis (ATP), and several edited volumes.

Posted 01 05 2020

Quad Cities Quarterly Market Report Published

Dr. Kenneth Kriz, Distinguished Professor of Public Administration and Director of the UIS Institute of Illinois Public Finance, contributed to the recently published Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Market Report.

Posted 01 05 2021

New MPA Students – Register now for PAD 501: Intro to the Profession

Students will be introduced to the fundamental concepts of public administration, leading scholars, theories, and frameworks of the discipline and will apply these to case studies as practical applications of the theories and concepts.

Prof. Bob Blankenberger

3.0 Credit Hours – Online and Remote options available

Learn more about the Master’s of Public Administration here.

Posted 01 05 2021

Students are invited to participate in the 2021 STARS Symposium!

When: Thursday, April 15 and Friday, April 16, 2021

Who: All students (graduate and undergraduate) involved in research or creative works are invited to participate in this symposium. You can elect to give a short oral presentation, a poster presentation, an art exhibition, or a performance of your work.

How: Faculty mentors submit abstracts. Following abstract submission and acceptance, all authors will be sent a link to officially register.

Twelfth Night: STARS is again partnering with the UIS Theatre. Performances will occur on April 16-18 and April 22-24, 2021. More information regarding the performance can be found on the UIS Theatre website; check back frequently as details may change moving forward.

Questions? Email Brian Moore: STARSymposium@uis.edu

Click here for more information.

Posted 01 04 2021

Check Out Mary Hansen, PAR Grad, on NPR Illinois – Community Voices

“Mary Hansen is a reporter for NPR Illinois. She is a graduate of the Public Affairs Reporting Program at the University of Illinois Springfield. Mary also has a BA in International Studies from American University. She talks about this and more with Community Voices’ Bea Bonner and Randy Eccles.”

PAR is a one-year, professionally oriented master’s degree program that trains students to become journalists who produce intelligent news coverage that helps audiences understand government, politics and other public affairs. The program’s centerpiece is a six-month paid internship where students work for a professional news organization in the Illinois Statehouse press room to report on the spring session of the Illinois General Assembly.

Posted 12 23 2020

Congratulations Jennifer Davis, Environmental Studies!

She is a College Aggies Online Excellence Award winner this year!

Posted 12 23 2020

Prof. Funderburg on Fox News Discussing Fraudulent IDES Claims

“Nine months into the pandemic, issues at the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) continue. Long wait times are still keeping people from their money and fraudulent claims are being sent to people who are still employed.

“IDES is still taking thousands of calls every week from unemployed residents looking for their benefits. But as they send out those benefits, they are also sending out fraudulent claims to people who are still employed.

“University of Illinois Springfield professor Richard Funderburg says the problem is rampant.”

Dr. Richard Funderburg is an associate professor in the Department of Public Administration and a visiting expert at the Institute of Government and Public Affairs, where he is a member of the Fiscal Health of Illinois working group. He earned his Ph.D. in Planning, Policy, and Design at the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Funderburg also holds a Master of Public Policy and Administration degree from California State University, Sacramento. Professor Funderburg is an expert on state and local economic development policy.

Posted 12 22 2020

Congratulations Brian Burge, Legal Studies Grad!

“ALTON — The law firm of MEYERJENSEN, P.C., has announced the addition of attorney Brian W. Burge to the firm.

“Burge completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Illinois-Springfield and his Juris Doctorate Degree in law from Saint Louis University School of Law where he was an Academic Excellence Award recipient. He is licensed to practice in both Illinois and Missouri.”

Posted 12 21 2020

GIS & MPH Team Up for November Workshop

On 11/14/2020, Dr. Yun Zhao and the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Lab, joined by Dr. Junu Shrestha, Assistant Professor of Public Health, offered a virtual GIS workshop titled “Mapping COVID-19 Using GIS”. This image was one of the products of this workshop. This is the first time the GIS Lab offered an online workshop.

Posted 12 21 2020

Legal Studies Alumni News – Congrats Kaitlyn Murphy!

Kaitlyn Murphy, a 2017 UIS graduate and LES major, graduated #1 of her law school class at Valparaiso University School of Law in May 2020 and passed the October 2020 Illinois bar exam. She began a law clerk position in November with the Honorable Michael Fritz, a district court judge in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. Way to go Kaitlyn!!!

Posted 12 18 2020

Online MPH-Environmental Health Program Ranked Top 10 in U.S.

Our Online MPH-EH Program was ranked in the Top 10 MPH Environmental Health Degree Online Programs by MPH Online.

“Ranking the Best Master’s in Environmental Health Online Programs

“To rank the top Master’s in Environmental Health online degree programs, MPH Online editors searched for regionally-accredited, established colleges and universities offering a fully online MPH degree program in environmental health or a related field.

“We then ranked programs according to three main criteria: