Category: Student news

Christa Drew named International Food Information Council Foundation Sylvia Rowe Fellow

Post author By policy
Post date March 8, 2010
No Comments on Christa Drew named International Food Information Council Foundation Sylvia Rowe Fellow

The International Food Information Council Foundation in Washington DC has selected Christa Drew for its 2010 Sylvia Rowe Fellowship. Christa is a student at the Center for Public Policy and Administration pursuing an MPPA with emphasis on food science policy.

During the fellowship, Drew will work on projects and policies regarding food safety and risk communication. She plans to incorporate food science research into consumer education about nutrition and health. According to Drew, “The Sylvia Rowe Fellowship nicely compliments my previous years of work experience on hunger, nutrition and obesity and my food science policy studies at UMass. In addition, my time with IFIC will augment an internship, also this summer, with the International Life Science Institute where I’ll work on research funding/food science conflict of interest policies.”

The Sylvia Rowe Fellowship Award was established in 2007 as a tribute to former International Food Information Council Foundation President and CEO, Sylvia B. Rowe, to help promising nutrition and food safety communicators enhance their capabilities. The goal of this award is to develop the recipent’s communications skills so that they can communicate nutrition and food safety information to the public in an academic setting, professional situation (either for-profit or nonprofit sector), or other public venues.

For more information about the International Food Information Council, visit their website. For details on the food science specialization at CPPA, click here.

Student news

Professional Development Students Travel to Washington D.C.

Post author By CPPA
Post date February 4, 2010
No Comments on Professional Development Students Travel to Washington D.C.

The Center for Public Policy and Administration held its first annual Professional Development Seminar in Washington D.C. this January. Students met with alumni and public sector professionals from the Department of Energy, World Bank, Congressional Budget Office, Department of Labor, Government Accountability Office, Pew Charitable Trusts, and Congressman John Olver’s office over the course of two days. Throughout meetings, networking events, and luncheons, students learned more about the opportunities available to CPPA grads.

Both students and alumni had a great time and are all looking forward to another Professional Development Seminar in Washington D.C. in 2011.

Student news

Policy and Administration Graduate Council (PAGC)

Post author By CPPA
Post date November 27, 2009
No Comments on Policy and Administration Graduate Council (PAGC)

Established by the class of 2010, the Policy and Administration Graduate Council (PAGC) provides avenues that help MPPA students become part of a coherent and integrated community that works and plays together. Specifically, PAGC provides social, public service, academic and professional development events that promote community and individual growth.

In order to foster community and social cohesion, PAGC hosts social events including outings to local restaurants, pub trivia nights, hikes in the nearby mountains (or “hills” to our west coast friends), intramural sports teams, and annual BBQ-picnics.

Graduate school can keep students very busy: even the most service-oriented student may feel like there is little time for individual volunteering. PAGC organizes community service events so that MPPA students can maintain their dedication to public service while completing graduate work. Last year, for example, a large PAGC group participated in a local charitable fun run—the “Hot Chocolate Run” in Northampton—and will sponsor a group again this December. A PAGC group also volunteered with Tapestry Health (a local public health non-profit), tabling in the UMass Student Union and volunteering at their office in nearby Greenfield to sign up individuals for Massachusetts’s new public insurance program (MassHealth).

CPPA and the MPPA program provide opportunities for professional development and academic engagement . PAGC supplements these by providing experience and knowledge to students that might fall outside the structured curriculum and department-sponsored programs. Last year’s PAGC professional development events included hosting a speaker from the E.U., co-sponsoring seminars in public speaking skills, and participation in the UMass etiquette dinner.

PAGC provides students additional opportunities to engage with the CPPA community. It also provides an organized venue for graduate students to play a leadership role in the department and in the University as a whole.

-Anna Tomaskovic-Devey, President, Policy and Administration Graduate Council

Tags PAGC

Events Student news

2009 Capstones

The MPPA class of 2009 presented their capstone projects May 13th & 14th in 620 Thompson Hall. A list of project topics is available here. Most papers are available upon request from CPPA.

Congratulations to everyone who presented!