Presentation and award details for the 2026 ASPA Annual Conference in Hollywood, California, from March 20–24, 2026

Awards and Distinctions

Jessica Sowa

2026 ASPA Conference Co-chair

Chester A. Newland Presidential Citation of Merit

Mary Guy Lifetime Impact Award Winner, ASPA Section on Personnel Administration & Labor Relations

Maria P. Aristigueta

2026 Distinguished Service Award, ASPA Section on Hispanic, Latin American, Caribbean & Iberian Public Administration

Calaia Jackson Franco

2026 ASPA Founders Fellow

Alisa Moldavanova

2026 ASPA Section on Public Administration Research Book Award Winner for The Overlooked Pillar: Making a Case for Cultural Sustainability

Reidel Vichot

2026 Student Travel Awardee, ASPA Section on Nonprofits

2026 Service to the Section Awardee, ASPA Section on Nonprofits

Daniel Zorilla

2026 David Gould Scholar, ASPA Section on International & Comparative Administration

Friday, March 20, 2026

Session: Collaborative Governance, Accountability and Engagement

Presentation Title: Social Construction of Rationality: The Case of Business Improvement Districts

8:00–9:15 a.m.

Room: Mt. Olympus

Presenter: Jonathan Justice, Professor

Session: Climate, Governance and Justice: Rethinking Resilience in Public Administration

Presentation Title: Lock-in Effects in Voluntary Carbon Markets and Implications for Governance

9:30–10:45 a.m.

Room: Echo Park

Presenter: Idowu Kunlere, Doctoral Candidate

Session: Technology and Digital Transformation in the Public Sector

Presentation Title: Beyond Bots: Are Governments Planning for AI as a General-Purpose Technology?

3:00–4:30 p.m.

Room: Laurel

Presenter: Troy Mix, Institute for Public Administration Acting Director and Instructor

Session: Gender and Governance: Leadership, Ethics and Organizational Dynamics

Presentation Title: Who Leads Matters: Gender and Employee Engagement in Vermont’s Public Workforce

3:30–4:45 p.m.

Room: Los Feliz

Presenter: Yunru Barbara Lu, Doctoral Student

Saturday, March 21, 2026

Panel Session: Connecting Theory and Practice: Local Government Perspectives in PA

3:30–4:45 p.m.

Room: Elysian Park

Panelist: Alisa Moldavanova, Associate Professor and Director of Master's Studies

Session: Equity at the Frontlines: Founders’ Fellows Examine Street-Level Governance

Presentation Title: Street-Level Dynamics and Discretion: Shaping the Administration of School Discipline

5:00–6:15 p.m.

Room: Whiteley Heights

Presenter: Calaia Jackson Franco, Doctoral Candidate

Session: What are We Doing With Technology?

Presentation Title: Broadband Access and The Role of Community Support Organizations in Delaware

5:00–6:15 p.m.

Room: Mt. Olympus

Presenters:

AJ Nehru, Student

Reidel Vichot, Doctoral Candidate

Monday, March 23, 2026

Session: Human and Cultural Dimensions of Disaster Recovery

Presentation Title: To Return or Not: Home Habitability Perceptions on Post-Disaster Decision-Making

9:00–10:15 a.m.

Room: Elysian Park

Presenters:

Joseph Trainor, Interim Dean and Professor

Nesar Ahmed Khan, Doctoral Student

Session: Presidential Panel: Engagement and Dialogue During Democratic Backsliding 

3:15–4:30 p.m.

Room: Beachwood

Panelists:

Maria P. Aristigueta, Professor Emeritus

Alisa Moldavanova, Associate Professor and Director of Master's Studies

Timothy Shaffer, Associate Professor and Director of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Ithaca Initiative

Moderator: Joseph Trainor, Interim Dean and Professor

Introduction by Jessica Sowa, Professor and ASPA Conference Co-chair

Session: Cybersecurity, Misinformation, and Democratic Resilience

Presentation Title: Cybersecurity Trends and State-level Variations in the United States

4:45–6:00 p.m.

Room: Runyon

Presenter: Mesut Karakoc, Senior Fellow

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Session: Global Governance Under Strain: Analytics, Institutions and Legitimacy

Presentation Title: Mechanisms of Marketization in U.S. Foreign Aid: Evidence from USAID Contracts

9:00–10:15 a.m.

Room: Mt. Olympus

Presenter: Daniel Zorilla, Doctoral Candidate

Access additional conference details and agenda information on the ASPA website.