Masters of Public Administration honor society established at Idaho State University

Idaho State University's Masters of Public Administration program has established a Pi Alpha Alpha MPA Honors Society, which was formally chartered by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration this spring.

Pi Alpha Alpha is the national honor society in public affairs, public policy and public administration of the NASPAA. Established nationally in 1974, the honors society actively encourages and rewards excellence in scholarship among students and practitioners of public administration and public policy.

Since its establishment, the NASPAA has grown significantly, currently boasting 154 chapters with almost 40,000 members working in a variety of public service settings. Membership in Pi Alpha Alpha identifies those with the highest performance levels emerging from Masters of Public Administration (MPA) and Masters of Public Policy (MPP) educational programs.

Pi Alpha Alpha was formed at ISU as a means to recognize and promote MPA student excellence in the study and practice of public policy and administration. Members of the organization promote the advancement of quality in the education and the professional practice of the art and science of public administration and policy. The chapter’s purpose is to encourage and recognize outstanding scholarship and accomplishment among ISU’s MPA graduate students, and to foster integrity, professionalism, and effective performance in the conduct of governmental, non-governmental, and related public service activities.

Induction to Pi Alpha Alpha requires that MPA students maintain a GPA of at least 3.7 and completion of 50 percent of their required masters degree course work.

This spring, the University of Utah's Chapter of Pi Alpha Alpha hosted the first cohort of ISU Pi Alpha Alpha inductees at its annual spring banquet and induction ceremony honoring new honor society members.

Idaho State University's newly inducted members of the Pi Alpha Alpha MPA Honors Society for 2010-2011 are Grayce C. Anderson, Vince M. Bowen, Lindsey H. Gardner, Stacey D. Gibson, Stacey D. Haase, Sean P. Hargraves, Christopher T. Horton,  E. Scott Lee,  Jessie L. Thompson-Kelley and  Matthew K. Nielson. 

Newly elected board members for the 2011-2012 academic year are E. Scott Lee, president; Vince Bowen, vice president; Sean Hargraves, secretary/treasurer Jessie Thompson-Kelley–member-at-large; and Stacey Gibson–member-at-large.

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