July 24, 2009       

MEDIA CONTACT: Nick Massella
202-994-3087; massella@gwu.edu

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT EXPERT KATHRYN NEWCOMER NAMED DIRECTOR OF GW'S TRACHTENBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

WASHINGTON - Kathryn Newcomer, a GW professor and internationally recognized expert on program evaluation, has been named the new director of GW's Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration. The school is part of the University's Columbian College of Arts and Sciences.

"Kathryn Newcomer's extensive experience in program evaluation and performance management and her breadth of knowledge in public administration and policy makes her an excellent choice to lead the Trachtenberg School," said Peg Barratt, dean of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences. "Our public policy program is one the best in the nation, and I look forward to working with Kathryn to continue to advance its work."

Newcomer's expertise earned her a spot as one of five fellows of the National Academy of Public Administration selected to brief President Obama's Office of Management and Budget transition team about general management across the federal government. Each member of the transition team received a copy of her book Transforming Public and Nonprofit Organizations: Stewardship for Leading Change, published last year, which she wrote with Trachtenberg School Professor Jed Kee.

In addition to her Trachtenberg School directorship, Newcomer is the co-director of the Columbian College's Midge Smith Center for Evaluation Effectiveness, home of The Evaluators' Institute (TEI). She has published five books, including The Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation with Joe Wholey and Harry Hatry, and numerous articles. She teaches public and nonprofit program evaluation, research design and applied statistics, and conducts research and training for federal and local government agencies and nonprofit organizations on performance measurement and program evaluation.

The Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration is GW's focal point for public affairs education, as well as research and public service. The school's faculty collaborate closely with other departments on municipal, state, federal and international policy initiatives.

"I am proud to lead a community of scholars who maintain the highest standards in research, teaching and service," said Newcomer. "The world of public service increasingly involves partnerships between government, the nonprofit sector, and private business. These are exciting times for our graduates, who are bringing multiple skills and perspectives to the work place to advance the public interest."

A recipient of two Fulbright awards, Newcomer is an elected fellow of the prestigious National Academy of Public Administration and was president of the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration in 2006-07. She serves on the United States Comptroller General's Educators Advisory Panel and on the Budget and Operations Advisory Board for the National Science Foundation.

Newcomer earned a B.S. in education and an M.A. in political science from the University of Kansas, and holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Iowa.    

Established in 1821 in the heart of the nation's capital, GW's Columbian College of Arts and Sciences is the largest of the University's academic units. It encompasses the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration, the School of Media and Public Affairs, and more than 40 departments and programs for undergraduate, graduate and professional studies. Columbian College provides the foundation for GW's commitment to the liberal arts and a broad education for all students. An internationally recognized faculty and active partnerships with prestigious research institutions place Columbian College at the forefront in advancing policy, enhancing culture and transforming lives through research and discovery.

For more information about GW's Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, visit www.columbian.gwu.edu.  

For more information about the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration, visit www.gwu.edu/~tspppa.

For more news about The George Washington University, visit www.gwnewscenter.org.

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