The L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs makes history at the 2025 American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) Conference, with six members of its community receiving national recognition—more than any other institution represented this year.
Held March 28–April 1 in Washington, D.C., the ASPA Annual Conference is the nation’s premier gathering of public administration scholars, students and practitioners. This year, the Wilder School stands out not only for the number of honorees but also for the substance and breadth of their contributions to the field.
A historic honor for Dean Susan T. Gooden
At the forefront is Wilder School Dean and Professor Susan T. Gooden, Ph.D., recipient of the 2025 Dwight Waldo Award—the highest scholarly honor presented by the American Society for Public Administration. The award recognizes a lifetime of preeminent contributions to public administration literature defined as at least 25 years of active research. It is one of the most selective and revered recognitions in the field. Previous recipients include Nobel laureate Herbert Simon and influential scholars Charles Lindblom and Paul Volcker. With this honor, Gooden becomes the first African American to receive the award in its 45-year history.
Over more than three decades, Gooden has authored six books and nearly 100 publications that have shaped national conversations around race, equity and governance. Her 2014 book, Race and Social Equity: A Nervous Area of Government, introduced a powerful framework for understanding structural inequities in public service and was honored with the Herbert Simon Best Book Award by the American Political Science Association. Her more recent titles—including Global Equity in Administration: Nervous Areas of Governance and Why Research Methods Matter: Essential Skills in Public Affairs—extend that work into global and applied contexts.
Gooden’s work has appeared in many of the field’s most respected journals, including Public Administration Review, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, The American Review of Public Administration, Administration & Society, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly and Review of Public Personnel Administration. She is co-founder of the Journal of Social Equity and Public Administration, founder of the Wilder School’s Research Institute for Social Equity (RISE) and an elected fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.
Her leadership has shaped both the profession and the institutions that support it. She is a former president of ASPA and the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) and has been widely recognized for her contributions to inclusive public service.
“Susan Gooden’s scholarship not only expands the boundaries of the discipline—it transforms it.”
– award co-nominators Rosemary O’Leary, emerita distinguished professor at the University of Kansas, and Norma Riccucci, Board of Governors distinguished professor at Rutgers University
Honoring emerging and established leaders
Joining Gooden among this year’s honorees are five additional Wilder School faculty members, alumni and students.
Lindsey Evans, Ph.D. (PPAD ‘17) – 2025 Donald C. Stone Service to ASPA Award
Lindsey Evans is being recognized for more than a decade of dedicated service to ASPA, which has helped shape the organization’s direction and strengthen its commitment to students and early-career professionals. As a graduate student, she launched ASPA’s first professional development webinars and co-founded the Section on New Administrative Professionals (SNAPS). Since then, she has chaired national conferences, led ASPA’s Section on Nonprofits and served as a mentor through the Founders’ Fellowship Program.
Twice awarded the Chester A. Newland Presidential Citation of Merit, Evans is known for her inclusive leadership and her focus on cultivating the next generation of public service scholars and practitioners. In 2024, she was also named the recipient of the NASPAA Social Justice Curriculum Award, a national honor recognizing excellence in teaching and curriculum design that advances social equity in public affairs education.
Saltanat Liebert, Ph.D. – 2025 Stephen E. Condrey Service to the Section Award
Saltanat Liebert is being recognized by ASPA’s Section on Personnel Administration and Labor Relations for her long-standing service and leadership within the section. A former section chair, Liebert has played a central role in shaping the conversation around human resource management in the public sector.
“I am honored and humbled to be recognized by this award,” she said. “Serving SPALR has been a wonderful opportunity to give back to the section that has been my ASPA home.”
Reflecting on the award’s significance, she added, “Public servants are being attacked, demeaned and disrespected. We need to put our heads together to recruit and retain talented and dedicated public servants—so when public service is revitalized, and I believe it will be, we’ll be ready.”
Mariam R. Al-Khafaji – 2025 ASPA Founder’s Fellow
Mariam R. Al-Khafaji, a first-year MPA student at the Wilder School, is one of just 27 students selected nationally as a 2025 Founder’s Fellow. Her original research, which will be presented at ASPA, examines how emotional labor influences public service motivation among crisis clinicians, particularly in the face of burnout, toxic organizational culture and workplace trauma.
“These workers are responding to psychiatric emergencies—supporting veterans, foster children and victims of domestic violence,” she said. “Understanding what drives their commitment to public service matters.”
Inspired by her mother’s work in crisis response, Al-Khafaji is already being encouraged to consider a PhD. “I just know I love research and want to help shape better policy,” she said.
Zehra Sahin Ilkorkor – 2025 Walter W. Mode Scholarship Recipient
Zehra Sahin Ilkorkor, a doctoral candidate in public policy and administration, has received the Walter W. Mode Scholarship in recognition of her academic excellence and commitment to advancing policy in areas such as economic development and education. Her research reflects a growing interest in equity-centered solutions to complex social challenges.
Pulane Lucas, Ph.D. – 2025 Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Exemplary Practices Award
Dr. Pulane Lucas, a Wilder School doctoral alum and founder of Policy Pathways Inc., is being honored for her visionary work in expanding access to leadership development in public policy. Through the Summer Academy for Policy Leadership and Public Service, Lucas has created a rigorous, early-access program that introduces high school and college students to public policy concepts, real-world issues and career opportunities in public service.
The program’s immersive curriculum covers topics ranging from environmental policy and criminal justice to health equity and advocacy. Participants complete capstone projects on issues that matter to their communities, developing critical thinking and analysis skills along the way. Lucas has also forged strong partnerships with school systems and community organizations to ensure that the program remains accessible to students from various backgrounds.
Her work reflects a deep and sustained commitment to educational equity, inclusive mentorship, and the development of the next generation of diverse policy leaders. As a NASPAA- and ASPA-affiliated initiative, Policy Pathways is helping redefine what early-stage leadership development can look like in the field of public affairs.
“Dr. Lucas has created not just a program, but a model of policy education that is inclusive, rigorous and grounded in real-world outcomes,” said Wilder School Dean Susan Gooden in her nomination.
