SPA In The News

October 2023

Assistant Professor Dr. Tamara Dimitrijevska-Markoski, along with Winter Haven's City Manager and MPA student T. Michael Stavres, appeared on the National Center for Public Performance's (NCPP) "Let's Talk Performance Webinar Series" (aired on October 26, 2023) where they discussed local governments' performance and equity considerations in decision-making.

August 2023

Welcome our newest faculty hire to USF and congratulations to our new program leadership team! Dr. Ratna Okhai (left) joined our MPA program as an Assistant Professor; Dr. Stephen Neely (center) is our new MPA Program Director; and Dr. Jocilyn Martinez (right) is our new Undergraduate Program Coordinator.

March 2023

The Executive Office of the President in the Biden-Harris Administration recently released the 2023 Economic Report of the President. The "Vaccine hesitancy and exposure to misinformation: A survey analysis" article published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine by Associate Professor Dr. Stephen Neely, School Director and Associate Professor Dr. Robin Ersing, and Assistant Professor Dr. Christa Remington, along with Dr. Christina Eldredge from USF, was cited in the report regarding the administration's economic accomplishments, opportunities, and challenges ahead.

January 2023

Associate Professor Dr. Elizabeth Strom was featured in a Tampa Bay Times article where she stated that none of our affordability solutions work if housing supply is too tight. She supports stronger tenant protections, rent regulation, a ten-fold increase in vouchers, and more robust public and nonprofit affordable housing development.

Welcome our newest Visiting Instructor hire to USF! Amber Dickerson, AICP will lead MURP's studio classes, providing students with community-engaged learning and real-world planning experience.

October 2022

MURP Program Director and Associate Professor Dr. Evangeline Linkous contributed an article on housing development at Tbilisi's urban fringe as part of the Tbilisi Architecture Biennial. Her piece draws on her research as a 2022 Fulbright Scholar.

August 2022

Congratulations to School Director Dr. Robin Ersing on her recent promotion to Full Professor! This is a well-deserved recognition of her academic talents and commitment to excellence in education.

Welcome our newest faculty hires to USF! Dr. Tamara Dimitrijevska-Markoski (left) Assistant Professor for the MPA program; Dr. Kevin Martyn (center) Assistant Professor of Instruction for the MURP program; and Dr. Jack Philips (right) Assistant Professor of Instruction for the LIP/TIP programs.

July 2022

Associate Professor Dr. Elizabeth Strom was featured in a Tampa Bay Times article where she discussed the need for Florida rent regulations. She believes this can balance the human needs of tenants with the legitimate financial needs of property owners. Special thanks to MURP student Fatima Elkott for her research and editorial assistance on this article.

March 2022

While away in the Republic of Georgia as a Fulbright scholar, MURP Program Director and Associate Professor Dr. Evangeline Linkous was featured in a Tampa Bay Times article. She described how Ukraine's struggles during the ongoing war with Russia feels very personal to Georgians. Still, Georgia has two important reasons for optimism at this critical juncture.

February 2022

Associate Professor Dr. Elizabeth Strom was interviewed for a FOX 13 News article on the proposed tenant bill of rights ordinance, in which she believes the income discrimination portion is the one drawing the most attention.

On the latest episode of the United Way Suncoast "Freedom To Rise" podcast (aired on February 21, 2022), Associate Professor Dr. Elizabeth Strom discussed the statewide eviction moratorium during the pandemic, what local non-profit organizations can do to assist in affordable housing and rent control, and solutions to this crisis moving forward.

January 2022

Associate Professor Dr. Elizabeth Strom appeared on Ernest Hooper's "That's All I'm Saying" show (aired on January 6, 2022). She was interviewed on Tampa Bay's hot housing market, which has led to a housing crisis in a region that already lacks affordable housing. They explore the reasons behind this crisis and discuss what Tampa Bay leaders are doing about it.

October 2021

Assistant Professor Dr. Peng Chen ranked among the top 2% of the most-cited scientists in the world by a Stanford University study published in October 2021. This prestigious ranking is based on the bibliometric information contained in a citation database, and it includes more than 190,000 researchers from the more than 8 million scientists considered to be active worldwide. Recognition in this ranking underscores the impact his research has on a global scale.

August 2021

Research Associate Steven Fernandez and MURP student Gerald Galloway were featured in a Tampa Bay Times article on the use of 3D scanning technology to help support the preservation of Tampa's historic Union Station.

May 2021

Thanks to our many students, alumni, faculty, and friends who joined us—either in person or in spirit with their videos and letters—as we said farewell to MURP Program Director and Master Instructor Dr. Mark Hafen upon his retirement and thanked him for his dedication to our MURP program and to USF!

MPA Program Director and Associate Professor Dr. Stephen Aikins was featured in a Tampa Bay Times article on how Biden's American Rescue Plan represents a one-time funding opportunity for many cities and counties to address longstanding barriers to creating healthy and equitable communities.

September 2020

Associate Professor Dr. Elizabeth Strom was interviewed for a Tampa Bay Times article on the value of having a variety of options in the housing market, such as tiny home communities.

July 2020

MPA Program Director and Associate Professor Dr. Stephen Aikins was selected by WalletHub, among a group of experts in the country, to share his thoughts on the relationship between higher tax burden and better public services, efficient use of tax dollars, and how governments can handle the fiscal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic efficiently.

May 2020

Associate Professor Dr. Stephen Neely, along with Dr. Joshua Scacco from the USF Department of Communication, was featured in a Tampa Bay Times article on the results from the Sunshine State Survey about COVID-19 and Floridians support of mitigation efforts.

In recognition of Public Service week, School Director and Clinical Professor Dr. Ron Sanders authored a piece for Government Executive on balancing freedom and responsibility on the front lines of public service, as the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified Americans' love-hate relationship with their government.

July 2019

MURP Program Director and Master Instructor Dr. Mark Hafen was interviewed by reporter Liz Burch from WTSP (CBS) Channel 10 News about the increasing rate of Tampa Bay's water sea level rise, as climate change continues to impact our area and the people who live here.

March 2019

MPA Program Director and Associate Professor Dr. Stephen Aikins was selected by WalletHub, among a group of experts in the country, to share his thoughts on the responses to the 2019 national taxpayers survey conducted by the WalletHub Organization in Washington, D.C.

School Director and Clinical Professor Dr. Ron Sanders appeared on a segment of the Suncoast View where he provided "cyber hygiene" tips for keeping our online data safe, especially as we leave ourselves vulnerable to hackers while on Spring Break vacation.

December 2018

Associate Professor Dr. Elizabeth Strom spoke about affordable housing issues on the  WUSF "Florida Matters" podcast. She was part of a panel considering new ways to approach local housing issues.

April 2018

School Director and Clinical Professor Dr. Ron Sanders was featured in a Washington Post article where he reported that federal employees lag behind private sector workers in salaries by 32% on average.