In This Issue:

• ASPA 2021 Annual Conference Looks to Start "Picking Up the Pieces"
• ASPA Launches Ad Hoc Pandemic Committee
• E-Learning at Your Fingertips
• ASPA Selects 2021 Founders’ Fellows
• Last Call for Meeting Space During the ASPA Annual Conference
• Chapters and Sections: File Your Information Forms!
• Pam Coleman Named as Czar for Federal Workforce and Agency Performance Issues
• ASPA South Florida Chapter Best Practices Conference Next Week
• Biden Institute Special Event: A Conversation with Lonnie Bunch
• In Memoriam: Mary Maloney
• In Memoriam: George P. Shultz
• Public Integrity: A Special Issue
• Tips and Resources
• Coronavirus in the News
• (Otherwise) in the News
• Members in the News
• Around Public Administration
• PA TIMES Online

ASPA 2021 Annual Conference Looks to Start "Picking Up the Pieces"

ASPA's 2021 Annual Conference (all online!) is focusing on the challenges from the past 12 months: COVID-19, social injustices, financial strains and next steps for democracy in the United States. Our theme, "Picking Up the Pieces: Pandemics, Protests and the Future of Public Service," emphasizes the forward motion we anticipate as we move out of current crises and envision new ways to serve the public good in an equitable and efficient manner. Seven days of sessions, plenaries, networking opportunities and more will provide a robust environment for new dialogue. If you have not reserved your "seat" yet, do so now!

Issues of equity continue to trouble our society, and others around the world. As such, they will be front-and-center for many of the sessions this conference will feature, including this year's Section for Women in Public Administration (SWPA) National Awards "Brunch"—free to all attendees for 2021!

This year's brunch keynote speaker will be Kathy Hensley, secretary/treasurer of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association. Hensley has enjoyed a distinguished career as a practitioner, including 27 years in the federal government and 21 years in critical roles at the state and local level, the most recent as a Commissioner of the Lexington, South Carolina Soil and Water Conservation District since 2006.

Hensley joined ASPA almost 50 years ago and has served actively in various roles at the Chapter, Section, regional and national levels, receiving many awards and accolades for her dedicated service. She also is one of SWPA's original "founding mothers," having collaborated with three other women in ASPA's National Council to establish the Section in 1982. Its mission then, as it is now, was to develop a platform for women in ASPA to develop organizational and program skills, become leaders in the profession and plan for careers in public service.

Join SWPA and ASPA for this very special event, taking place Monday, April 12 at 11 a.m. EDT, to hear more about Hensley's lifelong public service contributions throughout her diverse career.

This will be one of the highlights of the 2021 Annual Conference! Find details about everything the conference has to offer on our website, with more being announced in the coming weeks!

Registration is open and rates are simple: $175 (full) or $50 (student). Join us for one day, or for all seven—member or not!—and make the most of the incredible amount of content you’ll find during this epic online event!



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ASPA Launches Ad Hoc Pandemic Committee

ASPA is pleased to announce it has launched a special committee to serve as a primary repository and communications channel for expertise and information related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this capacity, it will facilitate individual member, Section and Chapter activities that are cross-cutting in nature and of importance to the broader ASPA membership. In addition, it will create and strengthen coherence for ASPA's pandemic-related efforts and heighten awareness of all activities among ASPA members and external audiences.

Chaired by Tonya Thornton (George Mason University) and Kim Moloney (Murdoch University, Australia), eight additional ASPA members are joining their efforts:

• Maria Aristigueta (University of Delaware)
• Gloria Billingsley (Jackson State University)
• Louise Comfort (University of Pittsburgh)
• Bok Jeong (Kean University)
• Claire Connolly Knox (University of Central Florida)
• Vanessa Lopez-Littleton (California State University—Monterey Bay)
• Pablo Sanabria-Pulido (Universidad de los Andes, Colombia)
• Eric Zeemering (University of Georgia)

E-Learning at Your Fingertips

ASPA staff work tirelessly to keep your skills up to date and the information flowing all year long through our e-learning program. Visit our website to see more details about upcoming KeepingCurrent, BookTalk and Students and New Professionals series programming. Members, visit our webinar archives to catch up on what you have missed!


BookTalk: Nonprofits in Policy Advocacy: Their Strategies and Stories
Feb. 17 | 4 p.m. ET
Presenters:
Sheldon Gen, San Francisco State University
Suparna Soni, Moderator, SUNY-Buffalo State College
Amy Conley Wright, University of Sydney

In their new book, Nonprofits in Policy Advocacy: Their Strategies and Stories, Sheldon Gen and Amy Conley Wright connect real practices of on-the-ground policy advocates with the burgeoning academic literature in policy studies. Drawing on mixed methods research with U.S. nonprofits, the book identifies six distinct policy advocacy strategies and their accompanying tactics. Case studies tell the story of how advocates apply these strategies in a wide variety of campaigns in areas including civil rights, criminal justice, education, energy, environment, public health, public infrastructure and youth. The book makes a significant scholarly contribution to policy studies and provides empirical and theoretical grounding for the social change work of nonprofit organizations. Join the authors for this discussion highlighting their findings.




KeepingCurrent: The Future of Performance Management—"Building Back Better"
In Partnership with ASPA's Center for Accountability and Performance
February 23 | 1 p.m. ET
Presenters:
Jonathan D. Breul, Moderator, IBM Center for The Business of Government
Patria de Lancer Julnes, Introductions, Center for Accountability and Performance
Don Kettl, University of Texas at Austin
Shelley Metzenbaum, White House Office of Management and Budget (2009-2013)
Chris Mihm, Government Accountability Office
Robert J. Shea, Grant-Thornton LLP

During the final days of the Trump administration, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought removed OMB’s Directive A-11, Part 6 requirements. These included its oversight role and agency performance reporting requirements, along with other strategic planning and evidence-based requirements established by the Government Performance and Results Act Modernization Act, the so-called Evidence Act and the DATA Act. Part of the rationale for this action was that collecting the data was too burdensome, Congress had not scheduled any hearings recently on the issue and there was little interest by the public in performance information. What happens next? This all-star group of panelists will discuss how this last-minute disruptive change by the Trump Administration may be an opportunity for improving the future of performance management within the federal government by engaging its state and local government partners, as well.




BookTalk: Managing Organizations to Sustain Passion for Public Service
In Partnership with the Los Angeles County Management Council
Feb. 24 | 1 p.m. ET
Presenters:
James Perry, Indiana University
Rob Seidner, Executive Office of the President

During the last three decades, social and behavioral scientists have extensively studied the motivating power of public service. Jim Perry’s book, Managing Organizations to Sustain Passion for Public Service illustrates ways in which this recent research provides a foundation for transforming civil service policies, management practices and the motivation of public servants. The book synthesizes research with implications for recruitment and selection, work design, compensating and rewarding employees, and leading staff. Perry will be joined by Rob Seidner who is involved in designing federal civil service architecture through myriad policy decisions.




From the Webinar Archives
How do you measure progress toward worthy goals like ending homelessness, responding to health emergencies or advancing human rights? What results can nonprofits and social enterprises reasonably measure and for which can they legitimately take credit? How can measurement be used strategically so it is useful for decisionmaking? ASPA hosted Measuring Social Change: From a Niche to an Ecosystem Strategy this past fall and you can find it in our webinar archives to hear more about this discussion.



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ASPA Selects 2021 Founders' Fellows

The ASPA Founders' Fellows program recognizes outstanding students and new professionals (within three years of their graduation) in the field of public service and public administration.

Following a competitive review process, Founders' Fellows present their scholarship during the ASPA Annual Conference, receive substantial professional development and networking opportunities and are paired with a seasoned scholar or practitioner who serves as their mentor for their Fellowship year.

The following individuals have been selected to comprise the class of 2021:

• Meril Antony (Rutgers University—Newark)
• Joshua Avila (City of Providence, Office of Mayor Jorge O. Elorza)
• Felipe L. Blanco (University of Nebraska—Omaha)
• Graham Bowman (New York State Office of Mental Health)
• Jonathan Cascone (Village of Lincolnshire and Northern Illinois University)
• Richard Davis, Jr. (Louisiana State University)
• Sara Kuehlhorn Friedman (Portland State University)
• Yanbing Han (Florida International University)
• Thanh Thi Hoang (University of Texas at Dallas)
• Karine Ibrahim (Wayne State University)
• Tyresa Jackson (Teachers College, Columbia University)
• Minsung Michael Kang (University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY))
• Brittany Keegan (Virginia Commonwealth University, L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs)
• Samuel Kurtz (University of Illinois at Chicago)
• Omur Damla Kuru (Florida International University)
• Paige L. Moore (North Carolina State University, School of Public and International Affairs)
• Nene S Ogbechie (California State University, Los Angeles)
• Alex Osei-Kojo (University of Colorado Denver, School of Public Affairs)
• Jessica Raby (Piedmont Triad Regional Council and University of North Carolina at Greensboro)
• Haley Schanne (College of Charleston)
• Rizwan Shaikh (Yonsei University, Wonju Mirae Campus, South Korea)
• Samanta Varela Castro (Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas (CIDE))
• Hyejin Wang (Incheon National University)
• Hsin-Ching Wu (New York University—Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development)

Last Call for Meeting Space During the ASPA Annual Conference

While most ASPA Chapters and Sections have booked their business meetings to be held during the 2021 Annual Conference, if you have not done so yet, you are running out of time!

All ASPA groups—Chapters, Sections, journal editorial boards and more—are welcome to use meeting times scheduled throughout the conference and several time slots are available, but time is running out to plan for your needs. Fill out our online form to request space and we will get to work on booking your time.

All requests must be made by February 28. Reserve your space now!

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Chapters and Sections: File Your Information Forms!

Chapter and Section leaders, this is a friendly reminder that we have sent you annual information forms for completion by March 5, 2021. We will issue reminders between now and the deadline, but the sooner you send us your information, the fewer reminders you will receive!

ASPA uses these forms for two purposes: first, to satisfy IRS requirements as we file your 990s later this year; second, to help us know more about your activities and how we can support and assist you in the new year and beyond.

Please complete your form and send them to ASPA staff by March 5. If you did not receive an information form and need one, let us know and we can resend it.

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Pam Coleman Named as Czar for Federal Workforce and Agency Performance Issues

Recently, President Biden named Pam Coleman to serve as associate director for performance management within the Office of Management and Budget. Having served in several other roles within public sector personnel, including in the Obama administration in the Presidential Personnel Office, Coleman is uniquely suited to perform this function.

According to GovExec, "'The Biden-Harris administration has made it a priority to protect, empower and rebuild the federal workforce, and Pam will play a vital role in this urgent task,' an OMB spokesperson said. 'A respected and dedicated public servant with significant government experience, Pam is well-equipped to help restore trust with the tremendously talented federal civil workforce and ensure our government works for all Americans.'"

Find the full story online here.

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ASPA South Florida Chapter Best Practices Conference Next Week

Highlighting best practices in and around public policy and administration, the annual South Florida Chapter Best Practices Conference will take place next Friday, February 19 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. ET, with a bonus session at the end of the day for those who can stay to participate.

Panels scheduled throughout the day feature a range of practitioners in the South Florida region, from city managers and mayors to HR directors and public works officials to waste managers and transportation specialists and more.

Normally requiring travel, this year’s conference will be online, enabling those interested from across the country to join the Chapter for this event and learn from some of the top experts in South Florida. At only $20 per attendee, this is a highly affordable event and will provide excellent return on investment.

Find the full program and registration details online.

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Biden Institute Special Event: A Conversation with Lonnie Bunch

In partnership with the University of Delaware Office of Institutional Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and the Center for Black Culture, the Biden Institute is honored to host Secretary Lonnie Bunch for a virtual conversation during Black History Month. The Institute is proud to welcome the leader of the world's largest organization of museums, education, and research—the Smithsonian and the founding director of the world-renowned National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Taking place February 24 at 6 p.m. ET, Bunch will discuss the vital role that remembering and sharing stories about our history plays in shaping our future. He will share insights into the long quest to create a museum that tells the story of African American history and culture, as well as his vision for a future in which more underrepresented Americans can have their stories told, considered and reflected in the policies we pursue today.

Find more information and a link to register online.

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In Memoriam: Mary Maloney

Polk County, Iowa Treasurer and ASPA Iowa Chapter member Mary Maloney passed away on January 29, 2021. Having served more than 30 years for Polk County, her dedication to public service was clear to everyone who knew her.

A member of ASPA since 1994, Maloney was active in the Association for Budgeting and Financial Management and served in Iowa Chapter leadership in the early 2000s.

Maloney had served as Polk County Treasurer since 1989 and was in her seventh term in office. Those who worked with Maloney over the years are remembering her dedication to serving Polk County residents.

Maloney graduated from Iowa State University in 1977 with an economics degree. When she started working for Polk County more than 30 years ago, she brought with her a financial and computer background in business. She also was a staple of the local political scene; colleagues remembered there rarely was a political event she did not attend.

Find more details online.

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In Memoriam: George P. Shultz

George P. Shultz, who presided over the beginning of the end of the Cold War as President Ronald Reagan's secretary of state (1982-1989), died on Saturday, February 6 at his home in Stanford, Calif. He was 100.

Shultz was born in 1920, the only child of Margaret Lennox Pratt and Birl E. Shultz. He grew up in Englewood, N.J. and entered Princeton in 1938; he graduated in 1942 and joined the Marines, seeing combat in the Pacific. He met his first wife, Obie, while on R&R in Hawaii; they were married for 50 years. He joined the faculty at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology after earning his doctorate in industrial relations there in 1949; his field was labor economics. He took one year of leave to serve as a senior staff member to President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Council of Economic Advisers in 1955. Starting in 1957, he taught at the University of Chicago, where he was dean of its business school (1962-1968).

President Richard M. Nixon named Shultz to labor secretary in January 1969, a post he held for 18 months until he took over the newly formed White House Office of Management and Budget in July 1970. After two years there, he became Treasury secretary in June 1972. He left the Nixon administration in May 1974, three months before the president resigned.

As secretary of state for President Ronald Reagan for six and a half years, Shultz was regarded widely as a voice of reason in the administration as it struggled with American foreign policy. When he joined the administration in June 1982, the Middle East was exploding, the United States was underwriting covert warfare in Central America and relations with the Soviet Union were at rock bottom. Moscow and Washington had not spoken for years; nuclear tensions escalated and hit a peak during his first months in office.

The hard work of replacing fear and hatred with a measure of trust and confidence took place in more than 30 meetings between Shultz and the Soviet foreign minister, Eduard Shevardnadze, between 1985 and 1988. These continuous meetings helped ease tensions between the superpowers and paved the way for the most sweeping arms control agreement of the Cold War: the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Ratified in June 1988, it banned land-based ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and missile launchers with ranges of up to 3,420 miles. Within three years the two nations had eliminated 2,692 missiles and started a decade of verification inspections. The treaty remained in force until August 2019 when President Donald J. Trump scrapped it, contending that Russia had broken the accord by developing a new cruise missile.

The world seemed on the verge of a lasting peace when Shultz left the State department, but a lethal force was rising in Afghanistan, where American-supplied weapons in the hands of Afghan rebels killed Soviet occupying forces throughout the 1980s. Both Moscow and Washington had poured billions of dollars into the fight and both continued to support rival Afghan factions after the Soviets pulled out in February 1989.

Between political appointments, Shultz joined the Bechtel Corporation (now Bechtel Group), one of the world's biggest engineering and construction companies, serving as its president from 1974 to 1982. He continued his consulting activities, as well as authoring books and articles, after retiring from government service.

Find a full obituary online here.

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Public Integrity: A Special Issue

Public Integrity soon will feature a special issue on the power of popular culture to inform social equity in public administration. Edited by Sean McCandless (University of Illinois Springfield) and Nicole M. Elias (John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY), the special issue comes at a time in which pop culture is inherently intertwined in public administration. This special issue is an attempt to bring these culture topics and applications into the mainstream scholarship of the discipline.

As a starting point, this collection presents seven manuscripts and two reviews that speak to different forms and analyses of pop culture's messages about and for social equity in public administration. Topics covered range from police brutality to racism and white supremacy, from sexual orientation and gender identity to the role of the media, and more. This special issue posits further empirical and theoretical directions for understanding the dynamic relationship of pop culture and public administration. The pieces can be viewed here, and include:

• Introduction to the Special Issue: Popular Culture, Social Equity, and Public Administration
  By Sean McCandless and Nicole M. Elias
• Popular Culture Informing Public Administration: Messages and Prospects for Social Equity
  By Sean McCandless and Nicole M. Elias
• Social Equity and Popular Culture: Gender and Gender Identity on TV
  By Erin L. Borry
• Lesbian Police Officers: A Review of Television Portrayals and Their Lived Experiences
  By Roddrick Colin and Lauren Moton
• Celebrity Everyday Maker: Public Policy and the Discourse of Celebrity Surrounding Kim Kardiashian
  By Courtney Jensen
• Taking the Social Justice Fight to the Cloud: Social Media and Body Positivity
  By Staci M. Zavattaro
• Social Dreaming for Social Justice: Power and Resistance in Chaos Walking
  By Jeannine M. Love and Charity Fox
• Putting “Perspectives” in Perspective: Literary Fiction, Empathy and Diversity in the Public Affairs Classroom
  By Lori A. Brainard
• Book Review: S.H.I.E.L.D. – The Complete Collection & Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. – The Coulson Protocols
  By Aaron Smith-Walter and Ronald Pannell III
• Music Review: Hip Hop as Political Theory: Exploring Democracy in J. Cole’s BRACKETS
  By Anthony M. Starke and Adam Croft

Tips and Resources

Here are a range of resources posted online recently that you should check out!

High School Grades Could Be Worth $100,000. Time to Tell Your Child?
Most colleges and universities now use a "merit" aid strategy to solicit teenagers. Your eighth grader probably ought to know how it works.

COVID-19 Vaccine: Will It Protect Against New Variants and Do You Need a Second Dose?
As the virus that causes COVID-19 continues its global attack, it has done what scientists predicted it would do: It has given rise to new, slightly different strains. How significant some of those strains will be to the pandemic is now under intense study. Meanwhile, demand for the currently available vaccines is outstripping the early supply, and some scientists have sparked controversy by suggesting holding off on booster shots until more people have had their initial shots. What does this all mean for you?

Four Critical Federal Retirement Decisions
Some choices could have a lifelong impact on your financial security.

There Are Two Kinds of Happy People
Some of us strive for a virtuous life. Others strive for a pleasant one. We could all use a better balance.

COVID Fear Opens You Up to Misinformation
Fear in response to COVID-19 causes people to think more rigidly and makes it harder for them to recognize misinformation and more likely to spread it, according to new research.

Five Hacks and Tips To Make Your Face Mask More Protective
With new, more contagious strains of the coronavirus spreading in the U.S., and transmission levels still very high in many places, some public health experts recommend that Americans upgrade from the basic cloth masks that many have been wearing during the pandemic.

The Pandemic Is Heading Toward a Strange In-Between Time
Americans can plan for the pandemic's end in the fall. What happens between now and then?

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Coronavirus in the News
While you can find our usual assortment of news headlines from the past several weeks below, here are stories specific to the coronavirus that are noteworthy.

Infrastructure

• Liaisons to Each State, Full National Guard Reimbursement Are Part of Biden's Virus Response Plan
• Can the U.S. Keep COVID-19 Variants in Check? Here's What It Takes
• Civilian and Military Personnel Will Be Deploying to First Federally Run Vaccine Sites in Coming Days

• Pandemic's Toll on Housing: Falling Behind, Doubling Up

• OMB Lays Out New COVID Health and Safety Guidelines for Feds

• HUD Nominee Wants to Ensure Housing Crisis Doesn't Worsen During Pandemic
• Native Americans Willing to Vaccinate to Protect Community
• As Vaccine Rollout Expands, Black Americans Still Left Behind
• "Cruel" Digital Race for Vaccines Leaves Many Seniors Behind

(Otherwise) in the News

Today's headlines contain plenty of news coverage of some of our nation's most pressing public administration challenges. ASPA has curated some of the most important stories from recent weeks. If you have not seen these yet, make sure you read them now!

Infrastructure

• Biden Says Tackling Climate Change Will Create Jobs, Bring Economic Recovery
• How America's Food System Could Change Under Biden

• New U.S. Strategy Would Quickly Free Billions in Climate Funds
• Biden Unfreezes Billions At Two-Dozen Agencies, Reversing Trump's Last Minute Budget Maneuver
• The Unemployment Rate You See in Headlines Ignores Millions of People Without Work; Here's a Better Way to Tell How Many Need a Job
• Trump's Most Enduring Legacy Could Be the Historic Rise in the National Debt

• State Dept Seeks to Overcome 'Stunning Loss of Expertise' from Trump Hiring Freeze
• Billions Flow Out of TSP Due to COVID, and More
• Biden Signs Directive to Shield Federal Scientists from Political Interference
• At Some Agencies, Acting Leadership Often Outlasted Permanent Appointees Over Last Four Years
• Watchdogs Concerned About Some Biden Appointees' Opaque Consulting Work
• The Government Agencies That Became Smaller, and Unhappier, Under Trump
• What May Survive from Trump’s Workforce Agenda, with Many of the Signature Policies Gone
• Biden Demands Resignations from Impasses Panel
• Law Enforcement Alert to Potential Violence at Federal Facilities
• Trump Left Behind a Damaged Government. Here’s What Biden Faces As He Rebuilds It.
• Federal Agencies Are Increasingly Avoiding Normal Hiring Procedures to Bring on New Staff Quickly
• Government Experts Fear Trump Left Behind a Roadmap for How to Abuse the Presidency

• Biden Issues Executive Orders Promoting Racial Equity
• Biden Seeks to Define His Presidency By An Early Emphasis on Equity
• Black Americans in the Government Hall of Fame
• Corporate Concentration in the U.S. Food System Makes Food More Expensive and Less Accessible for Many Americans

Welcome New ASPA Members!
Click here to view the most recent new ASPA members!

Around Public Administration

Here are the most recent updates from across the profession. Did we miss you? Send us your news and we'll include it in the next round!

Upcoming Events:

• South Florida Chapter Best Practices Conference
  Online
  February 19, 2021
  Theme: Placing Humanity in Public Administration
  Highlighting the current best practices in and around the study and practice of public policy and administration, this is the Chapter's 15th annual conference, taking place virtually this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All ASPA members are invited to join the Chapter for this event. Find more details online.
  
  
• South Florida Chapter Podcast Release
  "Public Sector Works!" has launched its second episode, featuring Agatha Caraballo (FIU), speaking to best practices in the academy. Hosted by Tom Hotz, Isidoro Lopez, Benjamin Paley and Tom Diamon, these podcasts are available on all typical podcast channels!
  
  
• 2021 COMPA Conference
  Online
  February 25-28, 2021
  Register here.
  
  
• Hampton Roads, Virginia Chapter Annual Research Symposium
  Online
  March 18, 2021, 8:30 a.m. - Noon
  The Chapter will be exploring how public and nonprofit agencies seek to identify the evolving needs and expectations of the communities they serve in a dynamic political, economic and social environment.
  
  
• ASPA Georgia Chapter 22nd Annual Conference and Annual Meeting
  Online (hosted by Savannah State University)
  March 26-27, 2021
  Theme: "A Salute to Public Service: People, Policies and Programs Making a Difference"
  
  
• 2021 ASPA Annual Conference
  Online, April 9-15
  Theme: "Picking Up the Pieces: Pandemic, Protests and the Future of Public Service"
  Registration is now open!
  
  
• NISPAcee Annual Conference 2021
  Ljubljana, Slovenia
  May 20-22, 2021
  Theme: "Citizens' Engagement and Empowerment—The Era of Collaborative Innovation in Governance"
  The steering committee continues to evaluate the COVID-19 situation to determine if it will be safe to have attendees in Slovenia in May. If not, the conference will be postponed to October 2021.
  
  
• 2021 PA Theory Annual Conference
  Portland, Oregon
  June 3-6
  Theme: "Administrative (Dys)function and Dedication: Contradictions in Public Service Values"
  
  

• SPCM Now Accepting Scholarship Nominations
  The Section on Procurement and Contract Management (SPCM) is now accepting student nominations for its three available scholarships of $150 each. These scholarships will help defray the costs of attending ASPA’s Annual Conference, which will be awarded during the SPCM board meeting during the 2021 Annual Conference. Applicants must submit their proof of enrollment in a college or university; a current resume or CV; and a completed application. The deadline for all submissions is February 12, 2021, delivered to Roslyn Alic-Batson.
  
  
• SICA Gould Scholarship Call for Nominations
  SICA is now accepting nominations for its 2021 David Gould Scholarship, providing one or two students with a stipend to defray registration costs for ASPA's 2021 Annual Conference. To nominate a graduate student, send a letter of nomination by a faculty member and the student's CV to Kim Moloney, SICA Chair. The deadline for sending nominations is February 12, 2021.
  
  
• SICA Call for Nominations: 2021 Fred Riggs Award
  The Section for International and Comparative Administration (SICA) is seeking nominations for the 2021 Fred Riggs Award for Lifetime Achievement in International and Comparative Public Administration. The Fred Riggs Award was established by SICA in 1985 to recognize scholars who made significant and widely recognized contributions to the conceptual, theoretical and/or operational progress in the fields of international, comparative and/or development administration. This award is named in honor of Fred W. Riggs, a pioneer in these fields and a founder of SICA. The award is made annually at the SICA business meeting held in conjunction with the ASPA Annual Conference. Each letter of nomination should indicate in some depth the person's intellectual achievements and relevant qualifications for the award and include the nominee's CV and other supporting documents. There should be at least two letters of recommendation with at least one letter from a SICA member. The deadline for all nominations is February 12; the awardee will be announced by March 15 and the award will be offered online during ASPA's 2021 Annual Conference. All nomination materials should be sent directly to Kim Moloney, SICA and Riggs Award Chair.
  
  
• SPOD Now Accepting Scholarship Nominations
  The Section on Professional and Organizational Development (SPOD) is now accepting student nominations for its two available scholarships of $250 each. These scholarships are designed to facilitate learning to advance students’ academic work and interests in finding solutions to public organizational challenges., and to introduce students to SPOD’s work and encourage their long-term involvement in the Section’s activities. Candidates must be pursuing a master's or a doctoral degree from an accredited school in the United States; have submitted at least one proposal to present at the 2021 ASPA National Conference; and be willing to assuming an active role in SPOD’s ongoing activities in the coming year. To nominate a graduate student for a SPOD scholarship, send a letter of nomination by a faculty member and the student’s CV to SPOD Chair Carol Rusaw. The deadline for sending nominations is February 15, 2021.
  
  
• ASPA Georgia Chapter 22nd Annual Meeting Call for Papers
  The 22nd Annual ASPA Georgia Chapter Academic Conference and Annual Meeting, March 26-27, welcomes innovative proposals that reflect best practices, rethinking of current practices, represent benchmarks, lessons learned with a focus on the future of the field. The overall program will result in a diverse array of presenters and perspectives, including those within a diversity of disciplines, various levels of experience, and institutional and organizational affiliations. The theme for the conference is, "A Salute to Public Service: People, Policies, and Programs Making a Difference," shedding light on best practices and confronting challenges, success stories and solutions involving people, policies and programs in public and nonprofit organizations. Nine tracks will provide for robust dialogue on topics including public service, social equity, infrastructure, security and emergency management, nonprofit leadership, public finance and more. All proposals are due February 17, 2021.
  Click here for more information.
  
  
• South Florida Chapter Now Accepting Scholarship Nominations
  The South Florida Chapter annually awards five scholarships to excellent students. While the application period for three of them has closed, two are still open. Details are as follows:
  
  The Girls in Government Scholarship application deadline is March 1, 2021. Applicants must submit via email a 700-word article or 2 1/2 to 3-minute video explaining, "Why Women in Local Government and How Can Agencies Increase the Number of Women in Leadership Positions?" Click here for more information.
  
  Meek Foundation Scholarship Award application is due on March 1, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. Applicants are competing for scholarships up to $1,000 and no less than $500. Click here for more information.
  
  
• The Marc Holzer Public Performance Symposium, Public Performance Conference
  As an addendum to ASPA's Annual Conference, taking place digitally April 9-15, ASPA's Section on Public Performance Management (SPPM) and the National Center for Public Performance are seeking proposals, papers and fully formed panels for the Marc Holzer Public Performance Symposium, under the theme, "International Best Practices: Establishing Generally Accepted Performance Principles." Symposium co-chairs are Prajapati Trivedi (The Commonwealth) and Marc Fudge (University of California, San Bernardino and Chair, ASPA Section on Public Performance Management). The symposium will convene two parallel tracks: one of invited participants presenting best practice panels on performance improvement practices across the globe and a second based on open submissions presenting independent perspectives on best practices. The critiques and products of both dialogues will help comprise a published set of guidelines, with an expected Fall 2021 publication date. Proposals are open to participants from all facets of the public performance community and related networks. All panelists must register; fees are: $0 for SPPM members; $25 for other ASPA members; $50 for all others. (Registration for this symposium is separate from the ASPA Annual Conference.) All proposals are due March 1, 2021 to Elaine Yi Lu, Performance Conference Program Co-Chair, John Jay College, City University of New York; and Aroon Manoharan, Performance Conference Program Co-Chair, University of Massachusetts—Boston.
  
  
• Sustainability Issues Call for Papers for Special Issue
  The journal, Sustainability, has issued a call for papers for a special issue: "Building Smart and Sustainable Cities: Emerging Technologies and Innovation for Digital-Era Governance and Long-Term Impacts." Although cities around the world already are implementing an array of initiatives in an attempt to become smarter, there is still no consensus among researchers and practitioners about what should be included or not in the conceptualization of "smartness." However, it seems to be clear now that smart cities are not only about harnessing the potential of new data and emergent information technologies, but also that many other components are essential to achieve some of the promises in terms of better services and improved quality of life. No matter what definition scholars and practitioners use, smart city success should involve being sustainable in the medium- and long-term. This special issue attempts to address a research need in terms of studies focusing on the (ecological, economic, social, and political) sustainability of smart cities. Manuscripts will be accepted until March 1, 2021.
  Find the call online here.
  
  
• Journal of the Social Sciences Call for Articles
  The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences has issued a call for articles for a special issue on "Social and Economic Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic." The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare and exacerbated many of the structural inequalities in the United States. Within a few months of the first documented community transmission, nearly one quarter of the workforce filed for unemployment benefits, with low income workers and those with less flexibility in scheduling and the ability to work remotely disproportionately experiencing job loss. Meanwhile, workers deemed essential, from health care providers, to supermarket employees, to delivery workers, bore the brunt of exposure to infection, while others sheltered in place under state and local orders. These unequal labor market experiences may have exacerbated existing inequalities in material hardship, household economic insecurity and poverty, but the impacts of the pandemic may have also exposed previously economically secure groups to insecurity. In this issue, we invite original research contributions pertaining to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on socioeconomic inequality in the United States and in particular how pre-existing inequalities may have mediated the impact of the pandemic and in turn been exacerbated by the current crisis. We particularly are interested in studies that focus on how institutions, ranging from the health care system, corrections and criminal justice, childcare policies, social safety net programs, and labor market policies have either mitigated or exacerbated the impact of the pandemic on social and economic outcomes as well as studies that focus on the likely longer-term impacts of the pandemic on inequality in the United States. All proposals are due no later than 5 p.m. EST on March 10, 2021.
  Click here to submit an abstract and contact [email protected] for more information.
  
  
• 2021 Annual E-PARCC Teaching Case and Simulation Competition
  The Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC) at the Syracuse University Maxwell School is sponsoring its 15th annual E-PARCC competition to further stimulate the creation of effective and innovative teaching cases and simulations. E-PARCC, a project of the "Collaborative Governance Initiative," provides free online resources for those who teach conflict and collaboration around the world. More than 3,000 visitors per month from more than 40 different countries take advantage of E-PARCC teaching materials. The E-PARCC competition now consists of two tracks: (1) collaborative problem solving, collaborative governance, and network governance and analysis, and (2) collaborative methods in international development. All entries are due by March 15.
  Find more information online here.
  
  
• Journal of Emergency Management Special Issue: Analysis of Pre- and Post-Disaster Response and Recovery Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
  The Journal of Emergency Management (JEM) Editorial Review Board invites the submission of original research papers, brief communications, case studies, etc. supporting a special issue: “Analysis of Pre and Post Disaster Response and Recovery due to the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic.” As we transcend this global pandemic, the goal is to bring together a complete and comprehensive accounting of the event and its post mortem. This may include a pre-disaster assessment of the state of preparation as well as any post-disaster response, preparedness, mitigation and recovery. We expect this to be a comprehensive look at what went wrong and just as important, what went right. Manuscripts will be accepted for review immediately and will continue (tentatively) through the first quarter of 2021.
  Find the Call for Proposals online here.
  
  

PA TIMES Online

Here's a selection of current pieces on PA TIMES Online, covering a range of issues within the profession. We accept individual articles on a rolling basis; if you have a piece you think would fit our publication, submit it to [email protected] for consideration. (Please review our submission guidelines in advance!)

• The American Middle Class; A Brief History
  By David Hamilton
  
  
• Direct Democracy
  By Charles Mason
  
  
• The Internet As Infrastructure
  By Susan E. Baer