Since we established an MPA at GW in 1963, we have offered extremely relevant training in budget and finance. Our students typically do not come into our MPA or MPP thinking they want to go into that specialty, but many do given our great faculty and alumni who support them in their intellectual journey.  We have many OMB alumni who have taught for us for many years, such as NAPA Fellow Steve Redburn, and budget scholars who have been and continue to be thought leaders – such as Kate Yang. Kate joined us right out of Indiana -  our first round pick – and she has published  path breaking research in many arenas- such as state policies regarding financially distressed local governments and policies to improve equity in school infrastructure funding. 

In addition, Kate is such a classroom star that students continue to pursue budget and finance careers!  In addition, our students frequently intern at OMB and CBO, and our alumni have progressed in budget and finance careers not only in the federal space, but across the country as seen by Malena Brookshire and Kathryn White. Given Kate Yang’s leadership in her field, we are happy to be the host for the Association for Budgeting and Financial Management (ABFM) annual conference on September 24-26. I hope you will join us on campus then! 

Earlier this month, Director Kathryn Newcomer, moderated a workshop at The Future of Government Oversight, co-hosted by Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration. The discussion on Oversight and Public Service brought together leaders in the field, including James-Christian Blockwood, CEO and President of the National Academy of Public Administration, and Max Stier, CEO and President of Partnership for Public Service.

"Gathering the representatives of so many civil society and good government groups, along with academics like myself, was a valuable way to emphasize the importance of independent oversight in our country now and into the future." - Director Kathryn Newcomer 

→ Check out more on our LinkedIn here.

Many of our faculty and PhD students have been and continue to conduct research on Artificial Intelligence, and we are delighted to offer two quite relevant courses to our students:

Artificial Intelligence and Public Policy

This course explores how emerging technologies are reshaping governance, ethics, and decision-making. Through real-world case studies and expert-led discussions, this course taught by Claudia Silaghi bridges the gap between AI innovation and the policy frameworks that guide its responsible use in the public sector. 

GenAI in Evaluation & Research

Every day, there are new advancements in applications of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), including in social science research practices. This new course, taught by Lauren Damme will explore recent developments, limitations and issues in the use of GenAI in evaluation and research.

"We at the Trachtenberg School have been developing leaders in public service for decades. Now more than ever, our students must be prepared to navigate major shifts in how government operates, and we are ready to meet these challenges head-on. Situated in the heart of Washington, DC, we continue to leverage our location to collaborate with partners across the District and beyond." - Director Kathryn Newcomer 

This month, we are proud to highlight the work of one such partner—and Trachtenberg donor—the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) is a nonprofit organization advancing science-based solutions to climate, energy, and environmental challenges with the goal of building a sustainable, resilient, and equitable world. Their regularly updated resources offer deep insight into key policy issues and emerging trends across their major initiatives.

We encourage you to explore EESI’s resources and learn more about the critical work they are doing to address today’s most pressing environmental challenges. → Check them out here. 

Malena Brookshire (MPA ’05) is a financial executive with over two decades of experience leading complex fiscal operations in the public sector. As the Chief Financial Officer for Calvert County, Maryland, Malena serves as the principal financial executive and advisor to the Board of County Commissioners and the County Administrator, overseeing the fiscal health and sustainability of the community where she resides. She assumed this role after a distinguished 20-year career in the federal government, serving in high-impact leadership roles at the Securities and Exchange Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, and most recently as CFO of AmeriCorps. 

In addition to her career in public service, Malena served as the 2019 President of the DC Chapter of the Association of Government Accountants and later founded The Brookshire Advisory Group to champion strategic financial stewardship through leadership development and support.

She is an active member of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., where she serves her community through initiatives focused on youth leadership development, civic engagement, and economic empowerment. Malena credits the Trachtenberg School for providing the foundation necessary to navigate different levels of government. 

"My time at TSPPPA gave me the rigorous foundation to lead with strategic vision. The relationships that I maintain with fellow alumni and faculty have been essential during each one of my leadership transitions, a testament to the strength and connectivity of the TSPPPA community."

- Malena Brookshire 

Kathryn Vesey White (MPP '12) is a subject matter expert in state government budgeting and fiscal issues. For nearly 14 years, she has worked for the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO), where she started the day after graduating from TSPPPA. Kathryn first learned about NASBO and a job opening there while visiting the organization’s website to access one of its reports, which was required reading for her Public Budgeting course at TSPPPA. Currently serving as Director of Budget Process Studies for NASBO, she leads the professional membership organization’s research and policy agenda related to state budget process issues. This includes collecting data for and authoring the Fiscal Survey of States and Budget Processes in the States reports – both reports she once consumed as a graduate student! These resources are frequently cited by state governments, federal stakeholders, credit rating agencies, other associations and nonprofits, the media, and academic researchers. 

Kathryn also regularly writes issue briefs, blogs, and special reports, and still finds herself referring back to her graduate course materials and notes from time to time. “I recently worked on a report about fiscal federalism, and dug up an old paper from a class I took on the topic at TSPPPA!”

She also gets to work with other state and local associations, think tanks, and the federal government to advance the understanding of state budgeting issues and serve NASBO members. As the chief financial advisors to our nation’s governors, state budget officers are influential decision-makers in state government, and Kathryn considers it a great privilege to work for NASBO and serve its members.

“I love working alongside other mission-driven staff and value the opportunity to support state budget officers and their staff – passionate public servants who solve problems in their states, territories and DC on a daily basis. I am so grateful to TSPPPA for guiding me to NASBO and to a purposeful, fulfilling, and fun career in public policy.”

- Kathryn Vesey White

Join us and the Elliott School of International Affairs for a panel discussion on, Private Sector Development and Global Food Security & Sustainability.

This virtual panel will feature GW Alumni and professionals in their field, highlighting their experiences and offering guidance on careers in the public/private sector. Panel will be followed by virtual networking in breakout rooms where students and alumni can make valuable connections.

 → The virtual discussion will take place on February 2 from 12-1:30pm. Register here.

Join us for an engaging presentation with David Schwegman, Assistant Professor at American University’s Department of Public Administration and Policy, at Trachtenberg’s next Research Seminar Series event.

In this talk, Schwegman will explore how school facility finance reforms, often overlooked in education funding conversations, shape the distribution of school spending and influence students’ educational attainment. Drawing on reforms across the U.S., his research offers fresh insight into how investments in school buildings and infrastructure impact district decisions and long-term student outcomes.

→ The Research Seminar will take place on February 6 from 10:45-11:45am in MPA 601Z. Register here.

Join us and the TIAA Institute for an engaging webinar on the realities of aging in America and the disparities that shape health, income, and quality of life across different populations.

Surya Kolluri, Head of the TIAA Institute, and Kyle Farmbry, Visiting Research Professor at TSPPPA, will examine the emerging aging trends and the societal challenges they present. The conversation builds on TIAA Institute research and a new project, launching soon known as Equity in Aging.

→ The webinar will take place on Thursday, February 26 from 2 - 3pm. Register here.

Trachtenberg is teaming up with seven other "good government" nonprofit and academic institutions in hosting an important bipartisan conference entitled Driving Government Efficiency: Delivering Measurable Results here at GW. This conference is being designed as a call to action in support of a serious and sustainable modernization agenda across the government. Our objective is to leverage the collective influence of our organizations to drive this agenda into the government's policy and cultural mainstream by engaging high-level policymakers from the executive and legislative branches in this important discussion.

Speakers will include Senator Rand Paul, Larry Allen, Michael Rigas, and Eric Ueland. Additional senior Administration and Congressional leaders to be announced soon!

→ The conference will take place on March 5 in the University Student Center, 3rd Floor. Learn more and register here.

ASPA's Annual Conference is public administration's largest gathering of the year and the 2026 event will carry on this tradition. Please join the Trachtenberg community for hors d'oeuvres and drinks on us at the ASPA Conference!

The reception will take place on March 22 from 7 - 8:30pm at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Hollywood, California. → Save the date here. 

On January 13, Denise Fowler, Trachtenberg School Director of Career Advancement, organized an employer briefing at The Aspen Institute for our students and alumni, as well as graduate students throughout GW. An expert panel shared invaluable insights into the scope and depth of their work and its global impact. 

On January 19, Trachtenberg's Women’s Leadership Fellows Program volunteered at Monday’s MLK Day of Service! Hosted by the GW Honey W. Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service, fellows worked with the GW Art Therapy group to reflect on experiences with injustice and explore how MLK’s values can be applied in the real world through art and dialogue.

Check out more here.

Kathryn Newcomer was quoted and The Arthur S. Flemming Awards was featured in The Christian Science Monitor article These awards honor the best US civil servants. What ‘best’ means may be changing.’’ alongside a photograph that included President Ellen Granberg and Paul Wahlbeck, dean of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences.

Robert Weiner was quoted in the Hill article “Trump plans for Venezuela’s oil begin to take shape ahead of Friday White House meeting,’’ by Rachel Frazin and spoke to Nexstar Media Group about Venezuela’s oil reserves.

Leighton Ku was quoted in MedPage Today's article “U.S. Health Spending Topped $5 Trillion in 2024, CMS Says,’’ by Joyce Frieden.

Aram Gavoor spoke to Federal News Network’s “The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton’’in the segment “Authorized investigations shouldn’t mean unpredictability, why transparency and clear deadlines matter for agency fairness.’’

The Regulatory Studies Center's data was cited by The New York Times' article “Has Trump Achieved a Lot Less Than It Seems?’’ by Ezra Klein and their analysis was cited in the Atlantic's article “The Presidential Powers Trump Is Neglecting,’’ by Yuval Levin.

Vanessa Perry was quoted by Marketplace in the article “What would it take to make housing more affordable?’’ by Samantha Fields.

Susan Dudley was quoted in The New York Times in the article “Trump’s E.P.A. Has Put a Value on Human Life: Zero Dollars,’’ by Maxine Joselow.