GW MPA STUDENT NAMED
BEST PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION STUDENT IN 2002

WASHINGTON – Thomas A. Bryer, a Master of Public Administration (MPA) student at The George Washington University School of Business and Public Management, will be honored by the National Academy for Public Administration (NAPA) with its Herbert Roback Scholarship Award for the Best Public Administration Student in 2002. NAPA will present Bryer with the award and a scholarship on November 23 at its annual meeting.

"Not only is Tom an outstanding student, but he is especially remarkable due to his activism in getting young adults civically engaged in society,” said Kathryn Newcomer, chair and professor in the Department of Public Administration. “He somehow finds room in his schedule after work and after school to devote himself to the nonprofit he started to increase civic engagement."

Bryer founded and serves as executive director for Reform America, Inc., which is committed to developing the leadership skills of young Americans while engaging the American people in an effort to improve our democracy and democratic institutions – voting systems, ballot access restrictions, candidate debate regulations and e-democracy. He intends to eventually earn a doctorate and work in state government. He also works at the Council for Excellence in Government and attends school full-time, studying policy analysis and program evaluation in GW’s MPA program.

Bryer said he was surprised to earn the award. “My expectation was that I was not going to receive it, because a GW student was the recipient of the award within the past two years.” Nelda Brown, then a GW MPA student, won the award in 2000.

GW’s public affairs program, which encompasses disciplines in public administration in the School of Business and Public Management and public policy in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences and Elliott School of International Affairs, was ranked 19^th in the April 2002 U.S. News & World Report issue that rates graduate programs in several categories.

The Herbert Roback Memorial Scholarship is presented annually to a graduate student currently enrolled, or admitted for enrollment, in a full-time master’s degree program in public administration, public and international affairs, and/or political science. The late Herbert Roback was a highly respected public servant. During his career, he became involved in encouraging talented and promising students to consider lifetime careers in the public service. To honor Mr. Roback, his family and friends established the fund to perpetuate his work.

The National Academy of Public Administration is an independent, nonprofit organization chartered by Congress to improve governance at all levels – local, regional, state, national and international. The academy’s membership consists of 500 fellows with distinguished careers in public management as practitioners, scholars and civic leaders. Since its establishment in 1967, the academy has assisted hundreds of federal agencies, congressional committees, state and local governments, civic organizations and institutions overseas.

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