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UNCP's Master's
of Public Management Program Gets New Leader
 Dr.
Nicholas Giannatasio, assistant professor in the Department of Political
Science and Public Administration, has been appointed interim director
of UNCP's Master's program in Public Management (MPM).
Dr. Giannatasio
will succeed Dr. Daniel Barbee, founding director of the program, who
has decided to step down after 13 years of distinguished service as
program director.
Dr. Roger Brown,
provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, praised Dr. Barbee
while expressing confidence in the future of the MPM program in Dr.
Giannatasio's hands.
"Dr. Barbee
founded and built the Masters of Public Management into one of the largest
and most important professional programs at UNCP," Dr. Brown said.
"Under his leadership, we have trained managers for local government,
education, social services, and nonprofit agencies throughout our region
and state.
"Dr. Nick Giannatasio
will continue this strong tradition and position us to achieve new successes
in the future," he said.
The MPM, a professional
master's degree program for practicing and aspiring administrators in
public and non-profit sector organizations, currently has 55 students
enrolled.
Citing personal
reasons for his decision, Dr. Barbee noted it was a "privilege
be involved in the creation and growth of this important graduate program.
I look forward to working with him and the department in the exciting
period ahead."
As its founding
director, Dr. Barbee has guided it from its beginnings as a generic
administrative degree program into its current configuration as a full-fledged
public management program, said Dr. Robert Schneider, chair of the Department
of Political Science and Public Administration.
"Dr. Barbee's
efforts have led to the creation of a strong program that serves the
region in the important task of training public and non-profit managers,"
Dr. Schneider, said. "The department has great confidence in Dr.
Giannatasio and will work with him to build on the very strong foundation
Dr. Barbee has established."
Dr. Giannatasio,
a Ph.D. in public administration from Rutgers University, is entering
his fourth year at UNCP.
"I am enthusiastic
about the program and excited about the opportunity to build on the
good work Dr. Barbee has done."
The period ahead
will be one of growth and expansion for the MPM program, and Giannatasio
has identified goals for both the immediate and long-term future.
Chief among the
immediate objectives, according to Dr. Giannatasio, is the ongoing promotion
of the program as a premier public administration program for Southeastern
North Carolina.
Other immediate
goals include the planning and implementation of curriculum for UNCP's
delivery of the MPM on Mainland China at the China University of Mining
and Technology beginning in the fall of 2002. The university is also
exploring other Asian markets for the MPM program.
Other goals identified
by Dr. Giannatasio for consideration include:
- the establishment
of a certificate program for public managers,
- the creation
of a seminar for city and county managers,
- the promotion
of new degree concentrations in Health Care Administration and Criminal
Justice, and
- the possible
creation of an executive MPM program.
Dr. Giannatasio
received a Master's of Public Administration degree from Rutgers and
a Bachelor of Arts degree from City University of New York and The College
of Staten Island.
He has a diverse
professional background that includes administration of health care
agencies and work as a Registered Professional Nurse. Dr. Giannatasio
also served in the U.S. Navy. He lives on Oak Island, N.C. and serves
on the town Board of Adjustments.
He is a member of
the American Society of Public Administration, the Southern Political
Science Association and Pi Alpha Alpha (Public Administration Honor
Society).
The MPM Program
may be reached at 910.521.6634.
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