UNC Master of Public Administration student Syrena Travis recently received The Hunt Institute’s John M. Belk Impact Fellowship. This honor is awarded to 14 outstanding students in North Carolina who are interested in educational equity and service in the state.
![Syrena Travis Syrena Travis](https://www.sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/cover_images/syrenatravis.jpg)
School of Government faculty member Kimberly Nelson has been selected to edit State and Local Government Review (SLGR), the premier journal of scholarship on state and local governance. Along with co-editor Eric S.
![Kimberly Nelson Kimberly Nelson](https://www.sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/cover_images/Nelson_Kim_2017_2979%20web_0.jpg)
The School of Government is pleased to welcome Shayla Douglas into its Master of Public Administration program. Prior to joining the program this semester, Douglas was part of the inaugural cohort of Lead for North Carolina (LFNC) Fellows, serving in the community of Pembroke in 2019-20.
![Shayla Douglas Shayla Douglas](https://www.sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/cover_images/shaylda.jpg)
North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein announced today that School of Government faculty member Jessica Smith has been recognized with the Attorney General’s Dogwood Award.
![A headshot of faculty member Jessica Smith](https://www.sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/cover_images/Jessie%20Smith.jpg)
The School of Government has been pleased to welcome four new faculty members into its ranks in 2020: Connor Crews, James Joyce, Obed Pasha, and Brittany Williams. In their new roles, these four will work to share their expertise in the purchasing and contracting, planning and development regulation, performance management, and criminal law fields respectively.
Connor Crews
![Clockwise from Left: Connor Crews, Brittany Williams, Obed Pasha, James Joyce](https://www.sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/cover_images/2020NewFaculty.jpg)
The School of Government is closely monitoring the impact of the novel coronavirus. The safety of our employees, MPA students, and local and state public officials remain a top priority as we move ahead into program planning for Winter 2020–2021.
It is also a top priority to be responsive to state and local governments who need advising and assistance and to offer the same number and high quality of courses we have always offered.
![Icon of a person wearing a face mask Icon of a person wearing a face mask](https://www.sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/cover_images/Carolina_Together_Icons_Final_Mask_Blue.png)
School of Government faculty member Carl Stenberg has been named an honorary member of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). The award is given to individuals outside the local government management profession for distinguished public service and contributions to the improvement of local government.
![](https://www.sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/general_media/Stenberg_Carl_2008_5223%20web.jpg)
Last month, ASPA’s Center for Accountability and Performance (CAP) presented School of Government faculty member David Ammons with its 2020 Joseph Wholey Distinguished Scholarship Award. During the virtual ceremony, Ammons was honored with the award in recognition of his “outstanding scholarship on performance in public and nonprofit settings.”
![](https://www.sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/cover_images/ammons.jpg)
With the 2020 Census collection drawing to a close, North Carolina’s response rate is below the national rate and below its rate in 2010.
![A mounted corkboard map in the shape of North Carolina hangs on a blue wall](https://www.sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/cover_images/_MG_0395.jpg)
The NC Policy Collaboratory at UNC-Chapel Hill has distributed $29 million toward 85 research projects focused on treatment, community testing, and prevention of COVID-19. Three projects at the School of Government were selected to receive funds.
The projects are:
![Headshots of Anita Brown-Graham, Margaret Henderson, and Erin Riggs](https://www.sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/cover_images/nc_policy.png)
After more than 65 years of instruction at the School of Government, Municipal and County Administration will transition to an online format this year. Starting on October 6th, participants in the course will convene on Zoom for three-hour sessions, spread out across 27 days of instruction over the course of eight months.
![](https://www.sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/cover_images/_DSF3607.jpg)
Lead for North Carolina (LFNC), a program of the UNC School of Government, is continuing its mission to train a new generation of public service leaders with the introduction of its second cohort of fellows.
![A collage shows the headshots of all 12 members of the second Lead for North Carolina cohort.](https://www.sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/cover_images/collage.png)