Professor Mario Rivera elected Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration

Dr. Mario Rivera

Posted: October 24, 2017

The National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) recently elected University of New Mexico Regents’ Professor Mario A. Rivera a Fellow of the Academy.

Dr. Rivera is the first UNM faculty member elected a NAPA Fellow since former UNM President and School of Public Administration founder Dr. Ferrel Heady. The stated criterion for election is a sustained and outstanding contribution to the field of public administration through public service and scholarship.

“I now understand what people mean when they say ‘This is a humbling honor,” said Dr. Rivera. “I will do my best to represent well both the University and the School of Public Administration at the National Academy of Public Administration. This is all part of the great legacy of the late Ferrel Heady, who was a major force in the creation of NAPA.”

Among prospective projects, Dr. Rivera will work on the Standing Panel on Social Equity in Governance, which focuses on issues of social justice, civil rights, and inclusion in varied public contexts, including education, policing, social welfare, housing, and transportation. “I see my work there, with the Standing Panel in particular, as an extension of my advocacy efforts through the UNM Diversity Council and the Division for Equity and Inclusion,” Dr. Rivera said. “I have been elected in large part in recognition of that work, as well as for scholarship undertaken during my 25 years with SPA.”

Related Link: Read full story at UNM News