Faculty members and doctoral students from the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs will bring a significant presence to the 2026 Joint SECoPA–NECoPA Conference, held Sept. 17–19 in Norfolk, Virginia.
Organized around the theme “Two Regions, One Future: Shaping Governance, Policy, and Public Management Through Research, Education, and Practice,” the conference will bring together public administration scholars, practitioners and students from across the Northeast and Southeast. Wilder School representatives will contribute to sessions examining some of the most pressing challenges facing public institutions, from emergency preparedness and political pressure in higher education to artificial intelligence, workforce equity and global governance.
A featured Wilder School panel, “Emergency Preparedness and Security: Lessons from the Commonwealth,” will bring together interim Dean Robyn Diehl McDougle and faculty members Hans Louis-Charles, Curtis Brown and David Webber.
McDougle will serve as discussant for the panel, which will draw on the participants’ academic expertise and professional experience to examine how Virginia’s emergency preparedness and security landscape can inform the field more broadly. Together, the panelists represent the interdisciplinary approach of the Wilder School’s Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness program, the nation’s first Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness degree program.
Their discussion will consider the increasingly interconnected threats confronting public institutions, including natural disasters, emerging technologies, public health emergencies, infrastructure vulnerabilities and the complex coordination required across government agencies and sectors.
Other Wilder School faculty members will contribute to conversations about the pressures reshaping higher education, research and public institutions.
RaJade M. Berry-James will participate in “Publishing Through Polarization: Challenges and Strategies for Social Equity Scholarship.” The panel will explore how scholars can conduct and communicate research on social equity amid an increasingly polarized political and institutional environment.
Lindsey L. Evans will present research addressing two dimensions of organizational life. “Are the Faculty Alright? Exploring Burnout Amid Political Pressure” examines the strain faculty experience as universities navigate heightened political scrutiny and institutional uncertainty. Evans will also contribute to “Shaped by Role: Examining the Influence of Organizational Position on DEI Perceptions in Nonprofits,” presented as part of a panel on organizational equity, representation and workforce inclusion.
Saltanat Liebert will bring an international and comparative perspective to the conference. Her presentation, “Between Global Agendas and Local Legitimacy: Navigating Foreign Aid and Civil Society in Kyrgyzstan,” considers the relationship between international priorities and locally grounded institutions. She will also contribute to research tracing the neighborhood trajectories of economically successful immigrants in the United States as part of a panel on housing policy.
Wilder School doctoral students will also share research that addresses the practical consequences of policy and administration. Albert Nii Noi Okwei will present research on digital administrative burden and participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, as well as a state-level analysis of the development and strength of artificial intelligence governance policies. Nusrat Emroz Monika will address public-private partnerships in transportation.
Together, the Wilder School’s faculty and doctoral students will bring research grounded in real public challenges to conversations with scholars and practitioners from across the Northeast and Southeast. Their participation reflects the school’s commitment to advancing ideas that strengthen public institutions and the communities they serve.