Department of Public Affairs and Nonprofit Leadership, Winter 2024
Introducing our new department! The Department of Public Affairs and Nonprofit Leadership
The Institute of Public Service and Nonprofit Leadership program are thrilled to announce that we have joined together in a new department, the Department of Public Affairs and Nonprofit Leadership (PANL). The Master of Public Administration programs, the graduate programs in Nonprofit Leadership, and the undergraduate Public Affairs program are now all under one departmental roof! All our programs and degrees remain. We are excited to draw on the strengths of our combined faculty to further enhance the educational experience in all our programs. Together, we look forward to fostering more opportunities for shared knowledge and collaboration across the public and nonprofit sectors as we work toward our collective commitment to preparing students to address the complex challenges facing our society today in ways that are equitable, inclusive, and just.
Want to learn more about our department and our programs? Please feel free to reach out!
Tanya Hayes, PhD
Chair and Professor, Department of Public Affairs and Nonprofit Leadership
Meet our Program Directors
Elizabeth Dale, Director of Nonprofit Leadership and Associate Professor
A former development director and Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), my research interests include social justice philanthropy, giving among women and LGBTQ+ donors, and the intersection of gender and philanthropy. As Director of the Nonprofit Leadership program, I’m excited to work with colleagues on curricular innovations and designing reciprocal partnerships with nonprofit organizations across the region in response to the evolving needs of the nonprofit sector.
Olha Krupa, Director of Public Administration and Associate Professor
Seeing our students take their research beyond graduate school and apply it to the public sector problems has been especially rewarding to me. This year, the MPA faculty are working on delivering high quality, strong, yet flexible curriculum to support our student growth and professional development. I am especially excited about welcoming Anna Guenther, our new program coordinator, and Caroline Pedro and Macklin Hamilton, the MPA Student Association Co-Presidents this Fall. Anna, Caroline, Macklin, and I are dedicated to building a welcoming, dynamic, and inclusive community for all our MPA students and alums.
Kevin Ward, Director of Public Affairs and Associate Professor
The Public Affairs faculty and staff have been busy this year engaging in Seattle University’s effort to “revise and reimagine the curriculum.” We have been re-examining our course level learning outcomes, considering programmatic changes, exploring adding a couple of required courses to our required curriculum, and are increasing our collaboration across departments and disciplines. We believe these changes will strengthen our program and better prepare our graduates to develop into leaders in their communities.
PANL Conversation with Newly elected Seattle City Council members
On February 13th, we hosted the six newly elected Seattle City Councilmembers: Rob Saka (District 1), Joy Hollingsworth (District 3), Maritza Rivera (District 4), Cathy Moore (District 5), Robert Kettle (District 7) and Tanya Woo (citywide). The newcomers expressed their desire to move beyond the council's past ideological activities and address Seattle's issues of homelessness, public safety, and the downtown revitalization plan. Watch the full Conversation here.
MNPL Student Plays Key Role in Expanding Services for Vulnerable Youth
Eileen Schuetz (MNPL ‘24), Friends of Youth’s Director of Major Gifts and Volunteer & In-kind Donations, recently led the effort to celebrate the new Willows Youth Service Center, the sole emergency shelter for young adults aged 18-24 in east King County. The 7,000 square foot, 35-bed facility will replace the Landing in Redmond and double east King County’s capacity to serve vulnerable youth facing housing insecurity. Eileen rallied support from public and private partners, including Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta, to help make this critical resource center a reality and will continue securing funds to assist young people in the community.
MPA & MNPL alums in City Council around Washington
Virgina 'Vicky' Frausto, Sunnyside City Council and MPA 2016 alum
In 2023, Virginia felt the importance to return to her hometown of Sunnyside. With a population comprised of 86% Latinos, it has had a long struggle with adequate representation. Engaging with organizations like We are Ella, Poder Latinx and Progreso, Virginia joined other community members known as the "Sunnyside 6" and ran for City Council. As a current Sunnyside City Councilmember, she is continuing the fight for civic engagement and encouraging the youth involvement, recognizing the value of their opinions and votes in shaping a better future. She urges fellow MPA students and alumni to bring their skillsets learned in graduate school back to their communities who need it the most.
Armen Papyan, Tukwila City Council and MPA 2022 alum
Armen, a lifelong resident of Tukwila, shared with enthusiasm about his journey shaped by a commitment to his community. His educational background in Public Administration played a pivotal role in influencing his approach to public service. Through his MPA courses, Armen honed skills in research and budgeting. Currently serving as a Tukwila city council member, Armen navigates challenges such as an emergency crisis with asylum seekers and spearheading initiatives like building a downtown center. Armen recommends students who wish to get involved with City Council to take budgeting and finance courses, emphasizing their applicability to real-world policy work.
Melissa Stuart, Redmond City Council and MNPL 2015 alum
Melissa, currently serving as Redmond City Councilmember, applies the adaptive leadership model to her public service, emphasizing the importance of stepping back to see the whole picture when addressing challenges. She encourages students to create connections in graduate school and to take advantage of "having the University on your side". Melissa is currently addressing challenges like over reliance on cars and single-family housing, and is focused on the completion of a comprehensive plan that determines the trajectory of Redmond for decades to come.
Click here to Join MPA alumni council and MNPL alumni council!
Urban (Re)Development in Berlin and Amsterdam
In June 2023, eleven undergraduate and graduate students, led by Dr. Wood, embarked on a 12-day study abroad to Berlin and Amsterdam. Focused on urban change and community development, participants developed observation plans tied to their academic interests. Navigating "foreign" spaces, they honed global citizenship, co-leadership, and team-building skills. MPA student Katie Chen valued the balance of guided and self-exploration, while nursing student Annaleigh Bawcom appreciated connecting nursing knowledge to an abroad experience. The impactful journey has left a lasting impression, with students continuing to reflect on and cherish their experiences, prompting plans for this to become a regular opportunity at Seattle University.
Upcoming Events
Theory to Practice: Healing from White Supremacy Culture
In the latest installment of Theory to Practice, Dr. Rashmi Chordiya and Ms. Adana Protonentis will discuss lessons we can learn from social justice movement frameworks to guide our path towards repair and healing at organizational levels.
Pigott 308 February 22nd, 6:00-7:30 pm
MPA Winter Capstone
Please join us to celebrate outstanding policy research, network with your classmates, and gather new ideas for future research that interests you.
Location TBD March 9th, 4:00 pm
For more information, please contact aguenther1@seattleu.edu
Seattle U Gives 2024
Seattle U Gives 2024 is happening on Thursday, February 29th, midnight to midnight! Join us to make a difference for the Redhawk causes you care about most. On this special day, our entire community will come together at the grassroots level to positively impact students, scholarships, programs and our mission to create a more just and humane world.
Consider making a one-time or ongoing gift to one or more of our programs: Master of Nonprofit Leadership, Master of Public of Administration and Bachelor of Public Affairs. Your gift will support student scholarships, as well as professional development opportunities.
- Post job opportunities to our MPA , MNPL, and BPA LinkedIn groups
- Post internship opportunities to our undergraduate Public Affairs LinkedIn group
See the latest from our faculty
Rashmi Chordiya and Larry Hubbell co-authored “Fostering internal pay equity through gender neutral job evaluations: A case study of the federal job evaluation system”.
Rashmi Chordiya also published “Staking the tent at the margins: Using disability justice to expand the theory and praxis of social equity in public administration” (with co-authors S. Dolamore, J. M Love, E. L Borry, A. Protonentis, B. Stern, G. Whitebread) and “Healing from White Supremacy Culture: Lessons from Disability Justice Movement.” (with co-author A. Protonentis).
Elizabeth Dale published the report, “Moving Money and Shifting Power for Social Justice: Voices of Wealthy Next-Gen Donors,” with the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy in February 2023. In addition to the public report, her research was featured in The Philanthropist Journal and The Center for Effective Philanthropy’s blog.
Dale also wrote two entries in the Elgar Encyclopedia of Nonprofit Management, Leadership and Governance (2023), one on LGBTQ+ Philanthropy and the other on sexual harassment (with Erynn Beaton). Her work was also excerpted in The Fundraising Reader, edited by Beth Breeze, Donna Day Lafferty, and Pamala Wiepking, and her commentary on the top donors of 2023 was featured in The Conversation.
Maureen Feit, along with several colleagues, created a Racial and Economic Justice curricular audit tool as part of the university’s strategic planning work to “reimagine and revise the curriculum.”
Tanya Hayes and Felipe Murtinho published Diagnosing Participation and Inclusion in Collective Decision-Making in the Commons: Lessons from Ecuador.
Kevin Ward co-authored Exploring Nonprofit Advocacy Research Methods and Design: A Systematic Review of the Literature with Mason, D. P., Park, G., & Fyall, R.