The UNC Master of Public Administration program aims to help mold the next generation of public service talent—for North Carolina and beyond—that can address the multifaceted issues public officials are expected to contend with in the coming years. 

As UNC MPA graduates continue to navigate the changing challenges of public service, three recent UNC MPA graduates share below how their degrees helped them overcome obstacles and discover creative solutions to issues that inundate the public sector. 

Scott Powell (’24) 

After graduating from the UNC MPA program this spring, Powell returned to work for Wake County—where he serves as a budget and management analyst. In his role, Powell manages department budgets in his portfolio and advises the county to make informed financial choices. 

From his time in the program, Powell said he gained the academic and practical knowledge to successfully effect collaborative change for the county. 

“I’m more pragmatic now than I was two years ago,” he said. “With the help of experience—much of which is a direct result of UNC’s MPA program—I find myself to be more curious and willing to figure out how to actually get big things done in a community that reflect shared values.” 

Now that he has graduated from UNC MPA, Powell aims to continue to leverage the knowledge he learned in the program to improve the outcomes of his public service—both at work and at home. 

“I will continue to learn and grow as much as I can with Wake County. I also plan to become more civically engaged in Durham, where I live.” 

Giving advice to prospective and incoming students to the program, Powell reiterated the importance of creating far-reaching and diverse relationships—both in the program and out. He sees the opportunity to build strong bonds across the UNC campus as a unique advantage of the program.  

“Invest in the friendships and community you make during this chapter of life. Some of those will come from the built-in community of your cohort, which can be an awesome experience, but they may also come from somewhere else on campus,” he said. “Among many other things, it’s what sets this program apart.” 

Charles Rocci (’24) 

Charles Rocci currently serves as the planning administrator for the Town of Pine Knoll Shores. In his role, he administers town, state, and federal requirements for land use planning and economic development in the town. He additionally works with community stakeholders to develop long-term strategic plans and comprehensive land use plans to drive the decision-making process for future town policies and programs.   

As Rocci works to secure a bright future for Pine Knoll Shores, he often finds himself relying on the organizational proficiency he gained from his UNC MPA degree to make both immediate and long-term decisions that are in the best interest of its residents. 

“I use my MPA degree to improve processes for the Town to better serve its residents and support its employees,” he said. “In the long term, I would like to use my degree to promote sustainable and equitable development practices in the Coastal North Carolina region, whether that be at the state or local government level.” 

In the program, Rocci said he found a renewed appreciation for public service. One specific discussion in class, he said, helped him discover a shared perspective and admiration for public officials among his academic peers. 

“I recall the personal mission in vision discussion in the Public Service Leadership course as a very impactful moment for me in the MPA program,” he said. “Along with being able to reflect on my life experience and motivations, which brought me down this path, I was also able to see the unique experiences and motivations of my classmates, which created a similar drive in them. I came out of that discussion with a greater appreciation for those who choose a career in public service and an optimistic perspective for the future of the field.”  

Jennifer Taylor-Monteagudo Mora (’24) 

 Jennifer Taylor-Moneagudo Mora began the UNC MPA program in fall 2020, completing coursework virtually while working full time. As she completed her public administration studies, she found a newfound appreciation for public service and decided to make a significant career change—moving from working in education to local government.  

It was a choice that paid off. Taylor-Moneagudo Mora now works as a budget and policy analyst for the City of Richmond, VA. In this position, she works with a team to create the annual fiscal plan for the city. In addition, she analyzes proposed state legislation and determine if and how much said legislation will have a fiscal impact on the city. 

After completing the program this past spring, Taylor-Moneagudo Mora plans to continue in her current role, but to use the skills and theory she learned in at UNC MPA to eventually rise in the local government field into a management position. 

With real world experience working in local government management under her belt, Taylor-Moneagudo Mora knows the problems governments encounter are not simple to solve—but still feels prepared to address them. She credits her UNC MPA degree with preparing her to tackle complex public sector challenges. 

“I have become comfortable with the fact there may not be an easy solution and there is likely someone with deeper knowledge on a topic at hand,” she said. “I have learned to embrace discomfort because it helps me to grow personally and professionally.” 

Professor Kimalee Dickerson uses her reserach on studying women of color in government to bring back the Engaging Women of Color Conference.  Held last June with over 80 participants and a focus on mental health and well-being, Dickerson talks about the importance of her study, on the group of women this conference brought together, and how this work and group helps shape the roles of women in government.  The 2024 conference will be held June 14th.  Registration is open to all public officials, government employees, and nonprofit employees. This conference focuses on the perspectives and experiences of women of color working in public service.

Read more on the story here.

The UNC School of Government is proud to share the continued success of its Master of Public Administration program. Now in its 27^th year at the School, the UNC-Chapel Hill MPA has once again been named one of “America’s Best Graduate Schools” by U.S. News & World Report in its 2025 rankings.

The program earned a 23^rd overall rank in the public affairs category and remains the top-ranked MPA graduate program in North Carolina. This marks the 12th consecutive year UNC MPA has maintained its position among the top 25 public affairs programs in the United States.

In addition, the program retained its prestigious second-ranked position in the local government management specialty area. As part of the public affairs category, U.S. News ranked Carolina programs and specialty areas based in the School of Government and the College of Arts and Sciences’ department of public policy.

The program improved its top standing in the public management and leadership field, improving three spots to rank 10^th in the nation. UNC MPA also improved its position in the public finance and budgeting specialty, ranking among the top 20 programs in the field at 18^th best in the nation.

“The work we do—through research, advising, and instructing—generates award-winning, transformative scholarship that shapes the practice and future of public administration,” said UNC MPA Program Director Willow S. Jacobson. “ We are grateful to our esteemed public affairs counterparts for recognizing our continued impact and achievements.”

“As always, our faculty, staff, students, and alumni are united in ensuring the program enjoys continued success in the coming year and beyond.”

This year’s list—released April 9, 2024—saw numerous University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill graduate programs earn high rankings. Altogether, 23 programs increased their rankings, including multiple programs in the Gillings School of Global Public Health, School of Nursing, School of Education, Kenan-Flagler Business School, and UNC School of Law.

Find all of the U.S. News & World Report rankings online.

In early March 2024, the UNC MPA program sponsored four current students to participate in the annual NASPAA Student Simulation Challenge.  The Challenge invites NASPAA-affiliated program students to participate on teams from other NASPAA-accredited schools in a competition with a cash prize to help solve a particular public sector challenge. This year’s topic was on ‘humanitarian aid and refugee asylum programs’.  Paired with other students from Villanova University and Georgia Southern University, UNC MPA students Ben King, Angel Padilla, Lorenzo Pedro, and their teammates won the 2024 NASPAA Simulation Challenge.

UNC MPA Students from left: Angel Padilla, Allie Omens, Lorenzo Pedro, Ben King

Teams were tasked with serving leaders of countries confronted with the sudden arrival of refugees fleeing a war zone. They had to decide which policies to implement to get the best results for their country’s economy, stability, and international reputation. Some policy choices focused on border control, housing, and education, and decisions had to be made while staying within a strict budget. The students also negotiated a regional response, allocated limited resources, and weighed short-terms costs against long-term benefits.  

Competition participant Allie Omens, an online UNC MPA student living in Nashville, TN and working for Metro Nashville Waste Services leading outreach efforts, said the experience left her better equipped to navigate tough decisions as a public administrator.   

“In our post-simulation debrief with Competition staff, one thing we discussed was the idea of ‘selective equity’. At the start of the simulation, most countries embraced generous aid packages and relaxed asylum policies. But as the simulation went on, the necessity to manage our budgets compelled many of us to scale back assistance. This led to the difficult task of deciding which refugees merited our country’s assistance, creating a genuine moral dilemma. As people striving to be equitable public administrators in real life, facing these simulated choices compelled us to face the discomfort of complex humanitarian crises and other wicked problems.”  

As in real-life public sector roles, the students had competing interests and goals as assigned before the competition. The challenge is similar in many other workplaces—how to balance multiple priorities within the group while putting together a collaborative plan to reach a shared goal.   

Lorenzo Pedro, another online UNC MPA student from Morganton, NC works as a Legislative Liaison for the North Carolina Department of Transportation and intends to use the MPA degree to better inform himself on collaboration between governments and nonprofit organizations.   

He found the competition to be stimulating practice and preparation for a real public sector situation. “Each round offered valuable insights into impactful proposals concerning the immigrants we were helping and our citizens. We also recognized the unpredictable nature of policy implementation, stressing the need for adaptability and flexibility in our approach.” 

Each year, the UNC MPA program sponsors students to participate in this theory to practice professional development opportunity.   

Looking back on the experience, participant Ben King reflected that “my biggest takeaway from the event was the ability to connect with other students interested in public service from across the country. Everyone was super nice, and we were able to make some good friends who we will still keep in contact with.” 

Angel Padilla, another participant in the simulation, summed it up succinctly.  

“Through this opportunity, I gained experience making critical decisions under strict time constraints, applied budget management skills through frequently changing costs, and improved my debating skills.”   

by Stephen Wright

This year, an MPA student with a record of service and dedication to the public interest was recognized with the prestigious Harvey Beech Scholarship.

As a child welfare advocate and online student in the Master of Public Administration program here at the School of Government, Angelica Foster feels that the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and especially the UNC MPA program, was the only choice she could have made in pursuit of her master’s degree. To her, becoming a 2024 recipient of the UNC Harvey Beech Scholarship solidified that choice and builds upon the legacy of the first African American to graduate from the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Law. 

The Harvey Beech Scholarship is awarded annually to UNC-Chapel Hill students interested in careers in law. Recipients are selected based on academic progression, GPA improvement, and contributions to campus life. Only five Carolina students receive the award per year.

The award is named for Harvey Beech, who was born in Kinston, North Carolina, in 1923. He attended Harris Barber College in Raleigh and later Morehouse College in Atlanta alongside Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1950, Beech was asked to join a court case that would ultimately lead to him and four other African American students being admitted to UNC School of Law in 1951. Beech graduated in 1952 and had a successful career as a criminal defense and personal injury lawyer for more than 35 years, becoming a well-regarded civic leader in his hometown of Kinston. Beech would ultimately pass away in 2005, having paved the way for other African American students to attend and transform UNC-Chapel Hill. 

Foster saw a kinship with Harvey Beech’s advocacy and serves as a child welfare advocate herself. Her belief that no child should go through the pains of abuse and mistreatment, along with deeply personal experience with the issue, informs her desire to one day serve as a family court judge and be avoice for children. For her, public service means becoming a “force for leadership and change,” rising to occasion and paving the way forward. 

For Foster, receiving this scholarship is more than a means of furthering her own public service goals; it is a testament to all that African Americans have done, and must still do to create a place for themselves at Carolina.  

“My ancestors built this university but could not attend it,” said Foster. “They built this university and did not have a choice. Harvey Beech paved the way forward.” She also highlights that as a Black woman, “It’s not about glass ceilings, it’s almost like cement; it’s just that much harder. I do this because my ancestors could not, and to pave the way for my own daughter and others to come.”

Local governments leverage data to enhance citizens’ quality of life, with a particular focus on identifying community development opportunities. During the session, the Development Finance Initiative team will explore how local governments can integrate public data through maps and dashboards, showcasing challenges and opportunities using case studies from Kinston, Wilson, and other North Carolina communities.

Please register below to receive the details for joining this virtual event. Although this event is not confirmed for CLE credit, undergraduate students are welcome to register and participate!

Rebecca Badgett and Bill Rivenbark conducted tailored Unit Assistant List (UAL) training sessions to address the financial challenges of counties and municipalities. With the support of Lead for North Carolina Fellow LaShonda Sousa, they delivered five training sessions to over 70 municipalities. Learn about the significance of UAL training, the strategic approach to measuring success, and how the team promotes fiscal responsibility in the classroom.

 This event is open to the public and is sponsored by the Carolina Center for Public Service in conjunction with Carolina Engagement Week.

UNC School of Government- Rm 2402, Knapp-Sanders Building 400 South Rd, Chapel Hill NC

The 2nd annual MPA Career and Networking Fair for current UNC MPA students is coming up on Monday, January 22nd.

Employers are invited to attend to network with and share opportunities with current MPA students.

Students engage with employers through:

• Employer Pitch Session:
  • Employers have the opportunity to share a brief pitch about their organization and the opportunities they are promoting for students and soon-to-be graduates.
• Career and Networking Fair
  • This is students’ opportunity to have individual conversations with employers, to learn more about their organization, and to potentially express interest in the opportunity they have/will have available.

Registration is closed.

Register for this event if you are interested in learning more about the MPA program at UNC.  This session is for anyone exploring the MPA, and we will talk about both of our format options – online and on-campus.  

The event will be facilitated by our Director of Admissions, Cara Robinson and will include participation from two current students in the online format – Jenna Kubiak and Russ Pulley.

Topic areas that will be discussed include:
– What is the MPA, and who is it for?
– MPA vs. other degrees
– Why UNC?
– The student experience
– Program Outcomes and Career Services
– Application Process and Financial Aid