SPAA Graduate Profile: Michael McCarty (MPA'25)
Name: Michael McCarty
Hometown: Piscataway, New Jersey
SPAA MPA Grad Month/Year: October 2025
Current Position/Organization: Deputy Director, Somerset County Department of Health
Why did you choose Rutgers SPAA?
A few years ago, I made the decision that I wanted to go back to graduate school for a few different reasons. For one, I had recently been promoted to more of an administrative role as opposed to an operational role. Additionally, I decided that I wanted to build upon my public service foundation and increase my chances of upward mobility throughout the rest of my career. While I briefly considered pursuing a Master of Public Health degree, I ultimately decided to pursue a degree in Public Administration through Rutgers SPAA. While I have had over a decade of on-the-job training for operations-level public health activities, the administrative piece has been lacking for me. Given my familiarity with Rutgers from my undergraduate studies, the program's nationwide ranking, and the flexibility of the Executive Master’s Degree in Public Administration (EMPA), the decision to apply to SPAA came easily to me.
What drew you to SPAA and to the field of public service?
Growing up in Piscataway, I’ve been familiar with and aware of Rutgers for nearly my entire life. The decision to attend Rutgers for undergraduate studies came naturally for me. Due to my experiences in my undergraduate studies at Cook College (now S.E.B.S.), the decision to return to Rutgers for postgraduate studies came naturally as well. Looking back on my time at SPAA, the flexibility that the Executive Master’s in Public Administration program offered was extremely attractive to me, and allowed me to continue a relatively healthy work-life-school balance. The asynchronous program allowed me to meet the program's demands within my schedule while managing day-to-day life. Beyond this, the program’s requirements for public service time ensured that I would be paired with individuals with similar levels of public service experience.
The field of public service was probably introduced to me at an early age through my grandfather, as a small-town mayor. Since then, and throughout my studies, I have always felt that I want a career that makes a difference in the lives of people in my community. Public service has given me that opportunity, and I continue to see tremendous value in the field of public health and in the broader field of public service.
What do you hope to accomplish with your degree?
With my MPA degree (as well as my eventual Certified Public Manager certification), I hope to accomplish a number of things. For one, the ability to continue networking with public servants and administrators throughout the state is truly an underrated element of the program. Almost a year later, and my cohort still maintains our WhatsApp group to check in regularly. The EMPA program is as much about learning from your fellow cohortians as it is from the instructor staff.
Professionally, I hope to apply the coursework's teachings to my agency's operations. Prior to the course, I felt I was lacking in human resource management and governmental budgeting. Since then, however, I feel that I have a much better grasp on universal concepts that can be applied to my day-to-day work. Additionally, this degree has already allowed me to take on an additional job title within my agency, and should hopefully allow me to sit for an additional state license in the near future.
How would you describe your experience as a student here?
While the EMPA program is asynchronous and predominantly virtual, the instructors and program staff, along with the cohort-style learning, provide a similar experience to being on campus together. Beyond the asynchronous coursework, SPAA offered in-person seminars and meet-ups multiple times throughout the two-year program. Looking back, I honestly felt supported throughout the program and am blessed to have been placed in such an amazing cohort of professionals.
If you could describe Rutgers SPAA in one word, what would it be?
Diverse.
What makes SPAA feel unique compared to other programs or schools you considered?
Expanding on my previous answer to why I chose SPAA, the Executive Master’s of Public Administration program had numerous benefits that I could not find elsewhere. The application of 12 credits for professional work experience made the commitment far more palatable than a traditional three-year program. The ability to handle the asynchronous workload on my terms worked well for me, and I carved out enough time to ensure I did not fall behind at my agency or in my personal life. The program's structure and in-residence weekends gave us the chance to put names to faces and to network further. Lastly, I would opine that the capstone project with the professional e-portfolio option has served me far better than a typical research paper might have.
What have you learned from SPAA that you’ll carry into your career?
Reflecting on the coursework, I believe there are items from each and every class that I can and will carry for the rest of my career. Focusing on a few highlights, I would note that I still think back to developing my Ethical Leadership Stance Statement in Dr. James Davy’s Ethics course, which I proudly have displayed on my e-portfolio. The coursework prepared us to examine our own ethical compass so that we may better understand the kind of leaders we are. Beyond that, I will remember capital planning in Dr. Menifield’s government budgeting course, lessons from data analysis with Excel functions I never knew existed with Dr. Bello-Gomez, and public service motivation woven throughout the coursework, which is of paramount importance in workforce development.
What is one lesson, class, or experience that has impacted you the most in your time here?
The Ethical Challenges in Public Affairs course discussed the challenges we, as public administrators, face on a routine basis. As trust in government continues to erode, it is our duty as the next wave of public administrators to rebuild trust with the people and communities we serve.
Where do you see yourself in the future?
In the future, I see myself continuing as a public administrator with an agency or a municipality. My career to date, coupled with my time at SPAA, has given me perspective on the managerial and leadership aspects in which I feel I excel, and maybe some that I need to continue working on. I look forward to the next 9 months of the Certified Public Manager program, and won’t rule out pursuing a PhD in Public Administration in the future (although I am in no rush to explore that at the moment).
How do you see yourself carrying forward the legacy of SPAA after graduation?
Following graduation, I see myself continuing to connect with my fellow cohortians while advocating for SPAA to individuals I work with who may be on the fence about graduate school, as well as those I regularly interface with outside my agency. I will never turn down the opportunity to speak with incoming or prospective EMPA/MPA students, and I encourage anyone to reach out to me if they are early in their career or looking for general advice.
How do faculty and mentors here inspire or challenge you to think differently?
Compared with previous undergraduate and graduate studies, I would say Rutgers SPAA instructors largely operated in a slightly different way. As the EMPA program is designed for professionals rather than early-career public servants, the instruction promotes challenging ourselves and looking inward rather than simply absorbing and regurgitating information. The program’s deliverables are centered on developing leadership and managerial skills as one of the products to achieve, not just exams and papers (although prospective students should know they have those too).
What excites you most about the future of public service?
Independent of the current political climate, the next generation of public servants will be able to rebuild and innovate in a field that can often stagnate and become complacent. At my agency, we have made remarkable strides in procuring novel technology solutions and equipment over the past few years, giving us greater flexibility to deliver more efficient services to the population we serve. Future public service leaders will undoubtedly have more tools at their disposal to continue offering high-quality services, with a far more robust toolbox than their predecessors.
Why do you think public service matters, especially now?
While I believe public service has always mattered, the current climate has certainly placed additional strains on the public sector, particularly at the federal level. These pressures have had cascading effects at the local level as well, stripping much-needed funding and reducing human capital. Beyond this, public service is constantly responding to novel threats and changing political landscapes. Still, public administrators, particularly in government agencies, need to demonstrate that we can “get stuff done.” While resources may be scarcer than in previous funding cycles, good government is designed to serve its communities and should continue to do so. In Somerset County, we have many vulnerable populations that rely on the myriad services that are available to them. And if anything, we have seen an increase in demand for services over the past few years, especially on our human and social services side. While there will undoubtedly be persistent challenges, such as funding cuts and consolidation, public services will remain of paramount importance to those most in need of help.