How dean appointments, new leadership roles, and curriculum shifts are reshaping MPA/MPP education—and what it means for your career in public service.
On July 24, 2026, the University of Virginia’s Batten School announced that Associate Dean Eileen Chou would become interim dean, while Jay Shimshack and Ben Castleman assumed new leadership roles in academic affairs and research engagement. The reshuffle followed Dean Ian Solomon’s move to the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Such transitions are not mere administrative footnotes. Deans and associate deans set research agendas, shape curriculum, and determine how rigorously a school bridges theory with practice. For MPA and MPP students, these appointments dictate the kinds of faculty mentors, applied projects, and career networks available. Across the sector, top public policy schools are deliberately building leadership structures that elevate practitioner-focused scholarship and signal to students that engaging the policy process is central to their training.
What do the recent leadership appointments at the University of Virginia’s Batten School reveal about the future of public policy education?
In July 2026, UVA’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy announced a wave of leadership changes that offer a clear window into the priorities shaping top policy programs. After Dean Ian Solomon accepted the role of president and CEO of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the school moved quickly to establish a steady, mission-driven transition. For students and professionals tracking academic leadership in public policy, these moves signal a deepened commitment to bridging rigorous scholarship with tangible societal impact.
Eileen Chou, previously associate dean for academic affairs, will serve as interim dean starting August 3, 2026. Chou’s intimate knowledge of the school’s academic operations positions her to maintain momentum during this period. Her appointment reflects a common strategy among leading policy schools: elevating proven internal leaders to ensure continuity when high-profile deans depart.
Jay Shimshack, a professor of public policy and economics with 12 years at Batten, succeeds Chou as associate dean for academic affairs. Chou herself praised Shimshack’s reputation for “sound judgment and a collaborative approach to leadership,” qualities that are essential for guiding curriculum development, faculty mentoring, and student academic experiences. For MPA or MPP degree candidates, academic affairs leaders directly shape the design and rigor of degree programs, making Shimshack’s steady hand a reassuring constant.
Perhaps the most telling appointment is Ben Castleman’s elevation to the newly created role of faculty director of research and engagement. This position explicitly aims to support faculty in advancing their research and engagement portfolios, a move that echoes a broader 2026 trend: policy schools are no longer content with producing scholarship that gathers dust in journals. Instead, they are building infrastructure to ensure that faculty research translates into actionable insights for policymakers, advancing evidence-based policymaking.
Taken together, these changes, announced in a July 24, 2026 message to the Batten community, illustrate how elite policy schools are operationalizing their commitment to impact. The transition at Batten is not just about replacing leaders; it is about realigning structures to deepen the connection between research, teaching, and public service outcomes.
The 2025-2026 academic cycle has brought a remarkable wave of leadership transitions across the nation's top public policy schools. Beyond the Batten School's changes, several prominent programs have installed new deans with agendas that collectively signal a sector-wide pivot toward applied engagement, interdisciplinary problem-solving, and leadership cultivation.
- University of Maryland School of Public Policy appointed Gustavo A. Flores-Macías as dean effective September 1, 2025. His stated priorities include cultivating innovative leaders, enhancing applied interdisciplinary knowledge, and advocating for the public good across local, national, and global scales. - USC Sol Price School of Public Policy welcomed Christopher Boone as dean on January 1, 2025. Boone, previously a sustainability scientist and dean at Arizona State, aims to advance interdisciplinary solutions and sustainability, a clear signal that environmental and social governance concerns are central to policy education.2 - Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College named Kirsten Martin dean starting July 1, 2025. Martin, a scholar of technology ethics, has emphasized the intersection of technology and policy, reflecting the growing demand for leaders who can navigate data-driven and algorithmic governance.5 - Brown University’s Watson Institute appointed John N. Friedman as its inaugural dean beginning July 1, 2025, with a vision to integrate global, national, and local public policy perspectives into a unified curriculum. These appointments join others at Duke Sanford (JR DeShazo, July 2026)1, University of Chicago Harris (Ethan Bueno de Mesquita, July 2025)3, and Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School (reappointment of Colleen Barry, July 2026)4, indicating a near-total refresh of leadership in the policy school landscape.
What unites these picks is a dual emphasis on practical engagement and interdisciplinary breadth. Flores-Macías explicitly frames leadership development and applied knowledge as core to Maryland’s mission. Boone’s sustainability focus marries environmental science with governance. Martin’s technology lens brings engineering and ethics directly into policy classrooms. Even Friedman’s integrative global-to-local framing rejects siloed approaches. This mirrors Batten’s creation of a faculty director of research and engagement, a structural commitment to translating scholarship into actionable insights.
The proliferation of practice-oriented leadership signals that policy schools are no longer content to be ivory towers. Instead, they are positioning themselves as engines of real-world impact, where research is designed to inform immediate policy decisions and where students are groomed to lead across sectors. For prospective MPA and MPP students, this means policy school curricula will increasingly feature experiential learning, cross-sector partnerships, and a premium on skills like stakeholder engagement and evidence-based advocacy, all areas that the Batten transitions underscore.
A structural shift is underway in public policy education: schools are creating dedicated leadership roles to ensure that faculty research not only advances knowledge but also actively informs policy making and trains the next generation of practitioners. At the University of Virginia's Batten School, the newly created faculty director of research and engagement position, announced in July 2026, epitomizes this trend. Although Batten has not released a detailed job description, the role is designed to support faculty research portfolios while building bridges to external policy partners.
Analogous positions at other institutions reveal a common set of responsibilities: cultivating relationships with government agencies, NGOs, and think tanks; advising faculty on integrating engagement into grant proposals; organizing policy briefings and workshops; and evaluating the real-world impact of scholarly work. The role transforms research from a solitary pursuit into a collaborative enterprise with practitioners at the table from the start.
The mandate is not unique to Batten. Stanford's Director of Community Engaged Research builds academic capacity for community-based capstones and advises both students and faculty.1 The University of Connecticut's Director of Research manages graduate students, supports legislative presentations, and serves as a resource for external organizations.2 At Ashoka University, the Isaac Centre director collaborates with policymakers and disseminates policy briefs, while Cambridge's Centre for Science and Policy creates structured learning exchanges between academics and professionals.4 Each of these positions turns scholarship into a platform for applied learning and direct policy influence.
For MPA and MPP students building careers in public administration, the rise of this role means more research assistantships, policy labs, and capstone projects tied to live policy questions. Students gain mentors who are embedded in policy networks, and they build connections that often lead to fellowships or employment. The role also signals a program's commitment to making research usable, breaking down the wall between academia and the policy world. As schools structurally embed this mandate, they position themselves as active contributors to governance, not just knowledge producers.
At the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru’s School of Government and Public Policy, the number of applied courses jumped from 15 to 56 in a single restructuring: a signal of how leadership transitions can rapidly scale the public policy school curriculum. The school’s management reorganization, which included creating a board presidency and shifting from specialty-based to program-based coordination, was accompanied by a surge in hands-on course offerings. Although the announcement does not name a specific dean, the changes reflect a strategic priority common among new academic leaders: bridging theory with practice.
At the University of Granada, a revision to the political science degree program introduces three formal concentrations, reduces in-person instruction from 40% to 30% for some subjects, and adds courses taught in English. A new elective, “Research Methods Applied to Political Science,” is scheduled for 2026-2027. These shifts align with the broader pattern of leadership-appointed curriculum reforms, as deans with an international or research-intensive background may advocate for multilingual instruction and methodological rigor. For MPA and MPP students, such changes mean graduating with sharper analytical tools and stronger competency to engage in cross-cultural policy dialogues.
At Peru’s National University of San Marcos, the Political Science program’s 2024 curriculum update made the research axis transversal, threading inquiry-based learning throughout the program rather than isolating it in a capstone. The Law faculty simultaneously added a mandatory “Research Work” course. While institutional records do not name the deans behind these moves, they illustrate a growing emphasis on embedding research skills at every stage , a priority often championed by new leadership seeking to elevate a school’s academic profile. For students, this translates to leaving the program not just with content knowledge, but with the ability to design studies, evaluate evidence, and directly inform policy decisions.
When leadership drives curriculum toward experiential learning, client-based projects, or policy labs, MPA and MPP graduates emerge with portfolios of applied work that demonstrate immediate value to employers. Even without a dean’s name attached in every press release, the structural shifts (more courses, new concentrations, and research-integrated curricula) indicate a direct response to the demand for public administrators who can move seamlessly between analysis and action. As leadership turns over at top schools like UVA Batten, where a new faculty director of research and engagement has been appointed, students can expect curricula that increasingly mirror the multidisciplinary, evidence-driven realities of public policy.
The recent academic leadership appointments at UVA Batten and similar shifts across top schools represent more than administrative reshuffling; they signal a structural commitment to embedding policy practice directly into the student experience. For current and prospective MPA and MPP candidates, these trends translate into concrete advantages that shape both the classroom and the career path.
When faculty leaders like Jay Shimshack and Ben Castleman step into roles that prioritize research translation and community engagement, the effects ripple through the curriculum. Students can expect more courses built around live case studies, client-based capstones, and policy labs that partner with federal agencies or nonprofits. These experiences go beyond theory, building the practical problem-solving muscle that hiring managers repeatedly cite as essential. Equally important, an emphasis on engagement fosters closer faculty mentorship. Professors who are actively working with policymakers bring fresh, real-time insights into seminars and are often more accessible for informal advising on research projects, internships, and career strategy.
The creation of a faculty director of research and engagement role, like the one at Batten, formalizes a pipeline between scholarship and practice. For students, this means curated opportunities to interact with visiting fellows, policy analysts, and agency leaders. Events, workshops, and joint research initiatives become regular fixtures, not occasional add-ons. Over the course of a degree, these touchpoints build a robust professional network that can directly lead to internship placements and post-graduate jobs. The data on alumni outcomes from programs that invest in such engagement consistently shows higher rates of employment in policy-relevant fields and stronger early-career earnings.
As you evaluate MPA or MPP programs, look beyond the brochure. Investigate whether faculty are published in top public administration journals while also appearing as expert witnesses, consultants to city halls, or partners in community-driven research. Programs that reward this dual focus will give you richer learning and better career leverage. The presence of a dedicated research-engagement role or a dean with a track record of applied work is a strong signal. During campus visits or informational interviews, ask directly how the school connects its mission to practice, and watch for concrete examples of how leadership translates policy engagement into student opportunity.
What career outcomes can I expect from a public policy leadership program? Graduates of top MPA and MPP programs with leadership tracks consistently secure influential careers in public policy across government, nonprofits, and the private sector, backed by strong placement rates and competitive public policy salaries. Data from leading schools shows that leadership-oriented training, combined with robust networking and faculty mentorship, translates directly into career advancement.
Programs with an explicit leadership emphasis report high employment outcomes. Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy achieved a 98% employment rate for MPP graduates within six months of graduation in 2024, with a median salary of $92,000.1 At Cornell University's Brooks School, 94% of MPA graduates were employed or pursuing further study within the same timeframe; typical starting salaries ranged from $65,000 to $85,000 in the public sector and $60,000 to $80,000 in the nonprofit sector.2 While not all schools isolate leadership-track outcomes, these figures reflect the strong demand for professionals with policy expertise and management capabilities.
Alumni of these programs advance into diverse sectors. Georgetown McCourt graduates work in professional, scientific, and technical services (20.3%) and executive, legislative, and general government roles (10.2%), with titles like Public Policy Director and Legislative Assistant.1 American University's School of Public Affairs reports that over half of MPP and MPA graduates enter public service, with 26% in nonprofits and 21% in the for-profit sector.3 The University of Toronto's Munk School places alumni across all levels of Canadian government, public policy consulting, think tanks, and international organizations, showing growing leadership presence.4 London School of Economics' MPA program has over 160 alumni in public sector positions globally, though country-specific breakdowns are not available.5
Long-term career trajectories further illustrate the potential: Harvard Kennedy School's Mid-Career MPA counts heads of state, cabinet ministers, and members of parliament among its alumni.6 George Washington University's Trachtenberg School boasts alumni in roles such as U.S. Secretary of Defense and head of the Environmental Protection Agency.7 These examples underscore how leadership curricula and experiential opportunities prepare graduates for top-level policy and management positions.
A direct pathway to local government management is the ICMA Local Government Management Fellowship, which places recent MPA/MPP graduates into full-time, management-track positions.8 Such fellowships, alongside career services and alumni networks, are critical for translating academic leadership training into tangible career outcomes. Schools that prioritize faculty research engagement and real-world policy projects, like the emerging trend of dedicated research and engagement leadership roles, tend to see stronger placement results, as students build applied skills and professional connections that open doors to leadership roles.
Castleman brings deep expertise and a proven commitment to impactful research and mission-aligned engagement.
Executive education in public policy provides concentrated, non-degree programs that equip experienced professionals with advanced leadership skills, while traditional MPA and MPP degrees offer comprehensive, multiyear foundations for careers in public service.
Top public policy schools now field a growing suite of executive public policy certificates. Harvard Kennedy School, for example, offers a Public Leadership Credential completed entirely online through six courses lasting six weeks each; its Executive Certificates require three in-person or online programs within six years, with at least two from a chosen concentration such as Public Policy or Technology and Public Leadership.3 The Maxwell School and other institutions run similar short-form leadership credentials tailored to working professionals. In 2026, Harvard Kennedy introduced HKS Access, a product line designed to make executive programs more flexible and affordable.
These tracks differ sharply across target audience, structure, cost, and career signaling.
Public service professionals increasingly need rapid upskilling to address complex challenges, from cybersecurity to fiscal sustainability. Executive education fills that gap by delivering focused, just-in-time professional development for public policy without career interruption. Online and hybrid formats, like the Public Leadership Credential's fully online model, let participants lead change in their organizations while applying learning to a live policy issue. The growth to over 40 executive programs at Harvard Kennedy alone4 reflects this structural shift toward continuous, modular leadership development.
Rather than competing, degrees and certificates form a ladder. An early-career professional might earn an MPP to build foundational skills, then later complete an Executive Certificate to deepen expertise or pivot into a new policy area. For those who cannot pause a career for a full degree, certificates offer a respected, stackable alternative that keeps them current with evolving policy tools and networks. This complementary design lets public service leaders access lifelong learning at each career milestone.
