School's graduates 'among the best of the best'

Three 2003 graduates of CHEP's School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy recently were selected for the prestigious Presidential Management Internship (PMI) program, which was instituted in 1977 to groom outstanding candidates for careers in federal civil service.

William Fasano, Amy Lazor and Amanda Litzau all earned master of public administration degrees in May. Lazor and Litzau have accepted PMI positions, Lazor as a budget analyst with the Department of Justice and Litzau in the Philadelphia regional office of the Veterans Administration. Fasano chose to pursue a doctorate in urban affairs and public policy at UD instead of accepting an internship.

"The PMI program is highly competitive, and it's a very good experience for those who are selected," according to Jim Flynn, assistant professor of urban affairs and public policy. "Nationally, more than 3,000 students competed for fewer than 400 placements."

The PMI program selects recent graduates of master's or doctoral degree programs in a variety of disciplines to work as paid interns for two years with a federal agency. Designed to develop leadership, the program includes 80 hours of training, an accelerated promotion path and the opportunity for an intern to rotate to work in a different federal agency for about six months during the two years.

After completing the PMI placement, an intern generally is offered a permanent position.

"Our Master of Public Administration graduates fare extremely well in the national PMI competition," Jeff Raffel, director of the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy, says. "This past year, UD was among the top 10 public administration programs in the number of PMIs selected. It's great to see that our graduates are among the best of the best."

Lazor says she is pleased to be a PMI, especially because the program encourages interns to explore different types of work within departments and across agencies, as they seek to find the job that best fits their career interests and skills. Her graduate work in public administration, she says, included practical research opportunities as a Legislative Fellow with the Delaware General Assembly.

"I feel that the program really prepared me to enter the federal government as a PMI," Lazor says. "CHEP and the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy [SUAPP] encourage the application of classroom theory to real-life work as part of the curriculum. I believe I can apply that kind of experience to my work at the federal level."

Over the past five years, 36 SUAPP students have been nominated for the program, and 17 of those have been selected, Flynn says. In addition, students from other schools and colleges at UD also can participate.

In 2003, for example, Stephanie Gernert, who earned her master's degree in business administration this year, also accepted a PMI placement. She was a research assistant in CHEP's Institute for Public Administration. Gernert now works for the chief information officer in the Department of the Navy.

A fifth UD student, Brandon Jones, is continuing work this fall on his doctorate in the College of Marine Studies, while he considers possible PMI placement and other options.