The Center for Public Policy and Administration (CPPA) is pleased to announce a generous donation from Richard Barnard (BS ’76, MPA ’86) for support of students pursuing master’s degrees in public policy. This donation will help fund scholarships and summer internships over the next two years and lead to the establishment of the Barnard Family Fund, a permanent endowment that will eventually provide annual support for students pursuing careers in public policy.
“We are very grateful for this donation,” notes CPPA Acting Director Kathryn McDermott. “Mr. Barnard is an advocate for social justice, a cause shared by so many of our students at CPPA. This donation will allow a greater number of them to pursue that passion.”
After receiving a bachelor’s degree in psychology from UMass, Barnard returned for graduate school, earning a master’s degree in public administration. He is the co-founder and president of the Baroco Corporation, which is dedicated to providing innovative opportunities to help people with disabilities participate in and contribute to their communities. Barnard has a deep and abiding love of UMass: “I told my kids they could go to any school they wanted as long as it was UMass,” he says. This donation couples his commitment to the university with his dedication to champion liberal and progressive causes.
CPPA is the hub of interdisciplinary public policy research, teaching and engagement at UMass Amherst. In 2011, it received the first ever Social Equity Award from the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) for its commitment by faculty and students to the highest standards in social equity research, teaching and service.