From Price staff reports
USC Price School of Public Policy professors Raphael Bostic and James Ferris have been named fellows of the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA).
Bostic serves as the director of USC Price’s Bedrosian on Governance and the Public Enterprise, and Ferris directs The USC Center on Philanthropy and Public Policy. Both were formally inducted on Nov. 14 at the NAPA annual conference in Washington, D.C.
Established in 1967, NAPA consists of professional and academic leaders in public management, and is chartered by the U.S. Congress to assist federal, state and local governments in improving their effectiveness, efficiency and accountability.
“This distinguished award recognizes Jim Ferris and Raphael Bostic for their significant contributions to the field of public administration,” said USC Price Dean Jack H. Knott, who was elected a NAPA fellow in 2007. “Given their outstanding record of scholarship and public service, this is indeed a most well-deserved and momentous honor.”
Bostic boasts a distinctive combination of professional and academic experiences. He previously was a senior economist in monetary and financial studies with the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, and recently served in the Obama Administration as assistant secretary for policy development and research at the U.S. Department of Housing and Development.
Bostic’s scholarship includes his Lincoln Institute-edited volume on large landholders that focuses heavily on how these entities shape the planning process and the administration of local policies, and his most recent work exploring how the institutional structure of policymaking influences policy outcomes.
“It’s a tremendous personal honor to be recognized and accepted into this prestigious group,” Bostic said. “It is an affirmation of my belief that working at the intersection of research and practice can provide rich value for both communities. I am excited for the opportunity to take the lessons I have learned through my career thus far and apply them to challenges being faced across the country.”
Ferris, who holds the Emery Evans Olson Chair in Nonprofit Entrepreneurship and Public Policy, has made a tremendous impact in the field of public administration, advancing knowledge and informing practice in the area of public service delivery. He is a highly regarded expert on the economics of philanthropy, philanthropic strategy, and the role of philanthropy and private foundations in advancing public policy.
Through Ferris’ leadership of The Center on Philanthropy and Public Policy, several national conferences and research have been produced — bringing together and informing prominent national and regional leaders from foundations, nonprofit organizations, government agencies and the private sector. These activities resulted in key partnerships and have an important influence on policymakers at the local, state and federal levels.
On being elected to NAPA, Ferris said “it recognizes the critical role of philanthropy and the nonprofit sector in shaping our public life through public problem solving in unique and innovative ways.”
“Philanthropy provides the venture capital for social change through increased civic engagement, innovative policy solutions, and more effective systems change,” he added.
In addition, the academy names only a limited number of fellows each year. Fellows include current and former members of Congress and cabinet officers, governors, mayors, state legislators, diplomats, scholars, local public officials, and private and nonprofit executives.
Bostic and Ferris join a legacy of Price-affiliated NAPA members, including Knott, Ross Clayton, Terry Cooper, Robert Denhardt, Janet Denhardt, E. Kim Nelson, Chet Newland, Jane Pisano, Mark Pisano, Francine Rabinovitz, Shui Yan Tang and Joseph Wholey.