Veronica is a second-year MPA candidate interested in education policy, social service programs, and organizational development. She works as a Research Assistant for the Carl Vinson Institute of Government.

Veronica is from Birmingham, Alabama and is the oldest of eight siblings. She was the first in her family to attend college and graduated with honors from Princeton University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a minor in Gender and Sexuality Studies.

After graduating, she taught middle school math for five years, developing curriculum, coaching teachers, and forming strong connections with her students. In 2018, she became the Programs Manager for Next Generation Men and Women, an Atlanta-based college and career readiness nonprofit providing mentorship and support to Title I high school students. In that role, she built relationships and buy-in with community stakeholders and created a scalable curriculum and model replicated in five high schools, growing the organization鈥檚 reach from 70 to over 250 students annually.

As a Research Assistant for the Carl Vinson Institute of Government in the State Services and Decision Support division, she works on projects implementing 2Gen approaches to policy and services. For the past year, she has developed curriculum for the Georgia Children鈥檚 Cabinet 2Gen Academy, set to launch this fall.

Veronica enjoys hiking, knitting, reading, and spending time with her husband and two sons.

Congratulations Veronica! You are doing interesting and important work. We are excited to see what other awesome things you do as you finish up your MPA!

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Nicholas will be graduating this month from the MPA program with a specialization in Public Policy. He currently works as a Research Assistant under Dr. Lawler and Dr. Anastasopoulos. Last summer he interned at the Government Accountability Office and is expected to work there after graduating from the program.

Originally from Miami, he received his undergraduate degree in Political Science and Business Management from Florida State University. While in Tallahassee he interned and worked at the Florida House and Senate. Some of his hobbies include playing video games, reading, Model United Nations style debate, talking to faculty about that day鈥檚 newest ideas after class, participating in International Coffee Hour at Memorial Hall on Fridays, and spending time with his friends.

Congratulations Nicholas! We are looking forward to celebrating graduation with you next week and then following your career to see what other interesting things you do after you move beyond the MPA program!

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Cammie is in her final semester of the MPA program and will be graduating next month with a specialization in Nonprofit Administration. She currently works as a Research Assistant under Dr. Abraham on a NIH funded grant mapping funding for opioid use disorder treatment related to criminal justice.

Prior to research, Cammie served as the Program Development Intern and then the Intern Manager at Extra Special People, a local organization working to create transformative experiences for people with disabilities and their families. Her first year in the program she served as a Teaching Assistant in the Political Science Department and worked with the UGA Extension Offices in Oglethorpe and Madison counties.

Before starting the MPA Program, Cammie served as the Director of Camp Horizon, a nonprofit serving abused and neglected foster youth in metro-Atlanta. She is from Tuscaloosa, Alabama and received her undergraduate degree in Public Relations at the University of Alabama in 2016.

Keep up the amazing work Cammie! The semester will be done before we know it and you will be counted among our MPA alumni!!!

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Jade is in her final semester of the MPA program, specializing in public budgeting and financial management. She currently serves as the president of the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) student chapter and has been a full-time employee of UGA and a full-time graduate student since the spring of 2021. Through the MPA program, Jade has had the opportunity to serve as a research assistant and assisted the City of Valdosta with their 2021 Community Housing Survey through the program鈥檚 Local Government Practicum course. Over the last year, Jade earned the President鈥檚 Volunteer Service Award, after completing over 100 hours of community service with local organizations, including her favorites, Books for Keeps and Concrete Jungle.

In the fall semester, she represented 快猫短视频 in a discussion panel presented by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and the Volcker Alliance, centering on the 鈥淥ur Common Purpose鈥� report. Most recently, Jade completed an internship with the Athens-Clarke County Department of Economic Development in which she participated in the development and distribution of the county鈥檚 2021 Wage and Benefits Survey Report.

After graduation in May, Jade will be moving to Washington D.C. to work as a graduate fellow for the National Nuclear Security Administration in the Office of Defense Programs.

Jade is an excellent student and has so many exciting current engagements and future plans! We are excited for her and will be watching to see all the amazing things she does after receiving her MPA this May!

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Eric Zeemering is the MPA Director and an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Administration and Policy. His research investigates local governance and intergovernmental relations, including interlocal contracting for municipal service delivery and the design and performance of networks for local environmental governance. He received his Ph.D. in political science from Indiana University in 2007.

What attracted you to UGA?

EZ: The 快猫短视频 has an amazing international reputation in public administration and when I was given the opportunity to take on the responsibilities of MPA director here, I was ecstatic about the opportunity. I had been looking for an opportunity to take this next career step to work with MPA students and help them realize their career goals, and I just could not have found a better place to do this type of work.

Where did you grow up?

EZ: I鈥檓 a Michigander, through and through. I grew up in West Michigan, in a small city called Rockford, just north of Grand Rapids.

What are you working on that you’re most excited about?

EZ: Through surveys and social network analysis, I am developing a better understanding of how local elected officials鈥� informal ties with other local officials help shape patterns of formal cooperation.

How do you like to spend your time when you’re not working?

EZ: I have two little boys, so I don鈥檛 really have free time. My oldest, who鈥檚 seven, plays hockey. I spend my free time driving to the ice and watching him master his hockey skills. It鈥檚 also great because the ice rink is one of the few places that鈥檚 a great temperature in Georgia at this time of year.

What is your favorite food?

EZ: A really good blueberry muffin and a cup of coffee is the greatest thing in the world.

Please tell us one fun fact about you.

EZ: I was a local elected official when I was 18. When I was in college I decided to run for city council in my hometown. I won and served a two-year term. That was a really great experience in my life because it helped me learn about local government but it also gave me a great opportunity to serve my community.

What is one goal you have for yourself for the next year?

EZ: One is to get to know UGA as well as I can. A more personal goal is to try to take a break each day and have sufficient time to appreciate what鈥檚 going on around me. I鈥檓 a firm believer that we can be so busy with the tasks at hand that we can miss some of the interesting and pleasant things around us. I鈥檓 making a point to take a short walk each day to appreciate the university鈥檚 design and architecture.

Who inspires you in your research or career?

EZ: I have two answers. My dad who passed away a number of years ago inspires the work that I do. He was an environmental site assessor; he was very passionate about figuring out new solutions to problems and about giving government officials feedback about what made sense in environmental law and what didn鈥檛 make sense.

At Indiana University, where I went to graduate school, I had a chance to spend some time learning from Elinor Ostrom, the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Economics. What I really appreciated from my time with her was this sense that we鈥檙e all engaged in a conversation to better understand systems of governance. Diverse and interdisciplinary voices from around the university can contribute to a richer understanding of governance.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

EZ: I鈥檇 definitely fly. That鈥檚 the greatest thing. I don鈥檛 always enjoy the airline industry but I love the moment that a plane takes off because it鈥檚 just this amazing moment of defying gravity and leaving the ground.

What advice do you have for 快猫短视频 students?

EZ: The question I always ask students is 鈥淲hat does it mean to be a professional in the field you hope to work in?鈥� By asking that question, students can build their networks and ask themselves what it means to work toward their professional goals. It also helps them reflect on the interpersonal skills they need to develop their career. Each class is important but it鈥檚 also really important to sit back and take time to think about the collective experience and how you鈥檒l take that experience forward.

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