Two Rutgers SPAA PhD Alumnae Currently Serving as Presidents of Prominent Public Administration Organizations
Two Rutgers SPAA PhD alumnae, Patria de Lancer Julnes (’97) and RaJade Berry-James (’99), are currently serving as presidents of prominent organizations in professional public service and education, the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) and the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA), respectively.
Patria de Lancer Julnes (PhD'97)
President, American Society for Public Administration (ASPA)
In 1997, Dr. Patria de Lancer Julnes was the first woman to graduate from Rutgers University–Newark with a PhD in public administration. She is an internationally recognized scholar and consultant in performance measurement, government capacity building, and citizen-driven governance.
She is currently the inaugural Rosenthal Endowed Professor of Public Administration and the director of the School of Public Administration at the University of New Mexico. She will serve as ASPA’s president until Spring 2025, and will also chair ASPA’s National Council, the organization’s governing body.
RaJade Berry-James (PhD'99)
President, Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA)
Dr. RaJade Berry-James enrolled in Rutgers University–Newark’s public administration doctoral program the second year of the degree program. In 1999, she was the first African American to graduate from the program. As a social equity scholar, her research, teaching, and community engagement have focused on the theory of change and the applied practice of public administration.
Dr. Berry-James is currently the senior associate dean of faculty and academic affairs at the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University. She was inaugurated as the president of NASPAA for the 2023-2024 term and convenes over NASPAA's Executive Council. In addition, Dr. Berry-James is an elected fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and chair of the Standing Panel on Social Equity in Governance.