Three faculty members in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Dr. Nevbahar Ertas, Dr. Akhlaque Haque and Dr. Wendy Gunther-Canada, received organization-wide awards from NASPAA (Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration). NASPAA is the accreditation agency for schools of public policy and public administration, and is the primary organization for pedagogy and administration in those fields.

Ertas won the NASPAA Award for Outstanding Service, specifically for her role as Chapter Advisor of Pi Alpha Alpha, the honors organization in the area of professional public administration.

Haque and Gunther-Canada will be honored for co-authoring the 2019 Article of the Year in the Journal of Public Affairs Education (JPAE). JPAE is the flagship journal of NASPAA and is and is widely considered a top journal of pedagogy and program administration within the field. Their article, "Public Service For All: How a Global Ethic Prepares Public Administrators for a Transnational Century," was lauded for its “span of coverage, methods, and impact to the field.” The awards committee further cited the articles’ role in helping to “increase evidence-based instruction and administration of public affairs programs.”

They will accept their awards at the national meeting of NASPAA, which will be held in October in Los Angeles.