Department of Public Administration Celebrates Milestone in Educating Doctoral Students

NC State’s Department of Public Administration is celebrating a significant milestone: 100 students have now earned their Ph.D. through the program. 

This milestone represents more than just a number for the department, which is housed within the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA). Launched in 1997, the program has built upon the strong foundation of the department’s Master of Public Administration Program (MPA) and expanded NC State’s contributions to the field. Since then, it has grown into a leading center for training scholars, policy experts and public service leaders and remains the only Ph.D. program of its kind in North Carolina.

Yinman Zhong, the 100th graduate, defended her dissertation on the role of nonprofit hospitals in reducing health disparities in May. She will join the faculty at the College of Charleston’s School of Health Sciences this fall and credits the program’s supportive environment and faculty mentorship for her success. 

Jerrell Coggburn, program director and department chair, spoke about the program’s achievement.

“We’re so proud to celebrate our 100th Ph.D. graduate,” he said. “This milestone reflects the vision of our program’s founders, dedication of our faculty, strength of our students and program, as well as the impact our alumni are making in the field of public administration.”

Since its establishment, the program has sought to strengthen and expand the university’s contributions to the field of public administration, building on the strong reputation of excellence in public service already established in its MPA program. It remains the only Ph.D. program in public administration available in the state of North Carolina. 

Origins 

James H. Svara, former director of the public administration (PA) program in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, launched the program in August 1997.

“It reflected a major step forward,” he said, noting the Ph.D. program would give the university an opportunity to train research specialists in government agencies and public affairs research institutes, as well as prepare individuals for university-level faculty positions.

Shortly after its establishment in 1998, Svara became head of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration (SPIA’s forerunner), and Elizabethann O’Sullivan (now deceased) became director of the PA Program and oversaw the Ph.D.

“In addition to Liz, great contributions in the early years came from Charlie Coe, Dennis Daley, David Garson, Jim Swiss, Andy Taylor and Michael Vasu – who dropped an undergraduate course and taught in the doctoral curriculum,” Svara explained. “We recognized there were expectations for these faculty that went beyond the courses they taught.” 

This included the need for faculty to serve on dissertation committees, mentor students and have release time to work on funded research. In addition, the program would need to increase its student enrollment. 

“It was a busy time for me,” Svara explained. “At the time of transition from the Public Administration director to department head, I spent the spring semester of 1998 on leave at a university in Denmark, starting a study in local government structure and process in Western Europe, Australia and the United States.”

Svara, a member of the National Academy of Public Administration, went on to serve as professor and director of the Center for Urban Innovation, School of Public Affairs at Arizona State. In addition, he served as a visiting scholar for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Government. Now retired, he remains involved in activities with the American Society for Public Administration and community affairs and lives in Durham. 

The Inaugural Ph.D. Cohort

The first class that was enrolled in the program consisted of William C. Chandler, James Brunet (now the director of NC State School of Public and International Affairs’ Public Safety Leadership Initiative), Jonathan Morgan, Dave Shafer (now assistant dean for outreach and recruitment at The Graduate School at NC State) and Meredith Weinstein (now evaluation and accountability coordinator at the NC State Extension Administration).  

Chandler, the first person to graduate from the program, recalled those early years. 

“James Brunet and I started the program together, as well as Dave Shafer,” he said. “Liz O’Sullivan was the actual PA program director at the time, but the Ph.D. program was Jim Svara’s ‘baby.’ I consider both, along with Michael Vasu and Jim Swiss, to be mentors.”  

James Brunet heard about the program while working at Guilford College with Ruth DeHoog, the MPA director at UNC-Greensboro at the time. 

“I was extremely excited to begin my doctoral studies,” he said. “I contacted Jim Svara who hired me as his research assistant a year prior to the entry of the first cohort. I sat in Professor Svara’s first class in the doctoral program that fall.”

It was a step that influenced his career strongly.

“As fate would have it,” he said, “I now teach the Foundations of Public Administration course and invite Professor Svara to our seminar each year.”  

Meredith Weinstein, a 2002 graduate, also noted its impact on her future career path. 

“Earning a Ph.D. in Public Administration from NC State was instrumental in my career journey,” she said. “The rigorous research training honed my analytical and critical thinking skills, enabling me to tackle complex organizational and policy challenges with clarity and precision. Beyond technical expertise, the program fostered a strong foundation in leadership, ethics, and evidence-based decision-making. These skills have been invaluable to me in both academic and professional settings.”

Weinstein added that she uses the skills daily in her position at NC State. “I have been afforded career opportunities that allow me to bridge theory and practice, mentor the next generation of public service professionals and drive initiatives that enhance organizational effectiveness and community impact.” 

The Ph.D. Program Today

Today, there are from 20 to 25 students active in the program in any given year, with about five new students enrolling per year. Of the program’s graduates, 58% have gone on to serve in higher education, the most recent have obtained positions at Duke University, the National University of Singapore, Northeastern University, San Jose State University, University of Charleston, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, University of Nebraska at Omaha, University of Nevada, and several now teach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

“Our program has been successful in placing graduates in academic jobs across the country and around the globe, but we are also fortunate to have many graduates who have remained here in North Carolina to pursue their professional career,” Coggburn observed. “The knowledge they create and share helps build stronger public service organizations, better public policy, and more vibrant communities for our great state.” 

100th Student

As the 100th student, Zhong exemplifies how the program fosters student growth and success by preparing them for fulfilling careers, like her upcoming position as an assistant professor of Health Services Administration and Management. 

“I really appreciate the close mentorship in the Ph.D. program,” Zhong said. “I am grateful for the help I’ve received from all my professors over the past four years, especially my adviser, Amanda Stewart! She has provided me with tremendous support throughout the whole process, not only by offering valuable guidance on my dissertation, but also by being there for me every step of the way in graduate school. I truly couldn’t have done this without her. She is my role model as an advisor, and I aspire to carry forward that same spirit and be a caring and supportive mentor to my students, just as she has been to me.”

Zhong was part of a spring and summer cohort that included Saman Afshan, Bradley Holliday, Ryne Crout Jones, Sheron King, Dylan Russell and Cody Taylor.  On being the 100th student to graduate, Zhong expressed her excitement for the department.

 “I’m so proud of our program and all it stands for,” she said. “It’s incredible to be part of a community that has helped shape so many talented scholars and practitioners, and it’s inspiring to see everyone contributing knowledge and making a difference in the world in their own way.”

Coggburn agreed. 

 “While we are excited that Yinman Zhong is our 100th graduate, we’re equally proud of the 99 who came before her and the contributions they have made to the public administration discipline and profession,” he said. “They have set a high bar for us and our next 100 students—but we’re confident the future holds even greater promise for success and impact.”

NC State University Libraries, Special Collections contributed to this article.