Five members of the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs community have been honored as Class of 2025 Fellows of the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA), one of the nation’s most prestigious recognitions for leaders in public service and governance.
Former O’Neill School faculty members Brad Heim, Julia Carboni, and O’Neill graduates Yu-Che Chen, Robert Christensen, and Stephanie Moulton are among the distinguished group of public administration scholars and practitioners elected this year. Their selection reflects not only their individual accomplishments but also the O’Neill School’s enduring impact on the field of public affairs.
“Election as a NAPA Fellow is a career milestone that recognizes significant contributions to the study and practice of public administration,” said Siân Mooney, dean of the O’Neill School. “We are proud to see members of the O’Neill community celebrated for their leadership, innovation, and commitment to improving governance and public policy. Their achievements highlight the transformative role our school plays in shaping the next generation of public service leaders.”
NAPA Fellows are chosen through a highly selective process that evaluates professional experience, scholarship, and service to the field. Fellows advise government leaders, conduct studies, and share expertise to strengthen public institutions and address pressing challenges.
Heim served as executive associate dean of the O’Neill School from 2019 to 24 and is currently at the University of Central Florida. Chen earned his MPA and Ph.D. in public policy from the O’Neill School and is a professor at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Christensen is the George W. Romney Professor of public and nonprofit administration in the MPA Program at the Romney Institute of Public Service and Ethics in the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University. He earned his Ph.D. in public policy from the O'Neill School in 2006. Moulton earned her Ph.D. in public affairs from the O’Neill School and is a professor and associate dean for faculty and research at The Ohio State University. Carboni is a former assistant professor at the O'Neill School's Indianapolis campus and is the executive director of the William D. Ruckelshaus Center with faculty appointments at the University of Washington and Washington State University.
The new Fellows will be inducted at the Academy’s 2025 National Conference, held November 2–4 at the National Academy of Sciences. Fellows will attend a formal ceremony, and the conference will feature prominent Academy Fellows and other experts speaking on key national issues. The 2025 Class joins more than 1,000 Academy Fellows, including former cabinet officers, members of Congress, governors, mayors, and state legislators, as well as prominent scholars, business executives, nonprofit leaders, and public administrators..