Rutgers SPAA Celebrates Graduates, Award Winners, and Honor Society Inductees at 2026 Graduation Celebration
On Friday, May 15, Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA) honored the class of 2026 along with this year's inductees into the national honor society for public administration, Pi Alpha Alpha (PAA), and the 2026 SPAA Award winners at SPAA's annual Graduation Celebration at the Robeson Campus Center.
VIEW ALBUM: SPAA Graduation Celebration 2026
The evening began with Ricardo Bello-Gomez, assistant professor, inducting SPAA students into Pi Alpha Alpha, which recognizes outstanding graduate as well as undergraduate students in public administration, public policy, and public affairs. The purpose of PAA is to encourage and recognize outstanding scholarship and accomplishment in public affairs and administration.
Following the induction, Dean Kaifeng Yang welcomed the attendees and congratulated the graduates, noting that while headlines will change, one thing does not: the need for courageous public leadership.
The keynote speaker was Richard W. Roper, a public policy consultant who has held senior level positions in local, state, regional, and federal government agencies and has had experience in nonprofit organizations, private consulting and in academic research, teaching, and administration.
Rather than only referencing the celebratory nature of the evening in his keynote speech, Roper explored critical issues that "speak to the best and worst, to belief and incredulity, and to hope and despair associated with the times in which we live and to which we must respond." He discussed in-depth the precarious condition of American Democracy, issues surrounding freedom of speech, and rising political violence, and urged the graduates to apply the skills acquired at SPAA to help navigate the difficult and complex challenges our nation faces.
"You can make a difference if you elect to get in the fray and offer support to those who demonstrate a deep concern about our nation’s future," said Roper. "Hopefully, what you choose to do will help make America a better place than it’s ever been before."
Roper was presented with SPAA's 2026 Sharon Stroye Community Service Award by Yang. Bello-Gomez, James Davy, distinguished practitioner in residence, Michael Dillard, assistant teaching professor, and Yahong Zhang, associate professor, presented additional 2026 SPAA Awards throughout the celebration.
To close out the evening, SPAA Alumni Network officers James Blaney Jr. (MPA'10) and Lavon Boykins (MPA'23) officially welcomed the graduates to SPAAAN.