Each year, the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) inducts a new cohort of academic and industry professionals in the public administration field to serve as academy fellows. The 2024 cohort comprises 42 inductees 鈥� and , professor of emergency and crisis management, is one of them.
NAPA fellows are tapped to provide insight and experience to address current and emerging issues in government, from overseeing academy projects and lending expertise to providing guidance and contribution to discourse on government.
鈥淭he 2024 class of academy fellows reflects a wide range of professional experience, including dedicated civil servants and accomplished academics,鈥� says Terry Gerton, president and CEO of NAPA. 鈥淭hese 42 leaders will be an enormous asset to the academy in the years ahead, and we look forward to working with all of them to help create a bright future for our country.鈥�
Fellows are selected based on a rigorous review of an individual鈥檚 contributions to the field of public administration and policy. The Fellows Nominating Committee makes its recommendations to nearly 1,000 existing fellows, who then vote on which candidates to induct. Those currently serving in the academy include former cabinet officers, members of Congress, governors, mayors, state legislators, prominent scholars, executives, nonprofit leaders and more. A new cohort of academy fellows is inducted annually during NAPA鈥檚 fall meeting.
Knox is one of only 24 NAPA fellows in Florida 鈥� a distinction she says she finds both rewarding and humbling. As a first-generation college student hailing from coastal Louisiana, Knox says she doesn鈥檛 take any of her educational or research-based accomplishments for granted. Knox, who also serves as the academic program coordinator for 麻豆原创鈥檚 emergency and crisis management master鈥檚 program, is the fifth professor in the to be named a NAPA fellow. Her induction to the academy follows those of in 2015, 聽in 2020, Pegasus Professor聽聽in 2021 and in 2023.
鈥淭o have this amazing honor is extremely humbling, and I could not have done this without the support of friends, family, mentors and colleagues who have guided me on the path that got me to where I am now,鈥� she says. 鈥淪o much of my research and mentorship approach has been focused on lifting up the next generation. … This academy allows us the opportunity to work with the elite of public administration 鈥� from all levels of government and academia 鈥� to tackle wicked problems by pushing for good governance through the study and practice of public administration.鈥�
Knox says that one of the greatest responsibilities that comes with being a fellow is providing recommendations for consideration by federal government.
Grant Hayes, dean of the 麻豆原创 College of Community Innovation and Education, says Knox鈥檚 expertise in emergency management will be a valuable contribution to the NAPA fellowship.
鈥淚 am pleased that Dr. Knox has been invited to join an elite group of academy and industry professionals in public administration, reflecting her dedication to conducting impactful research and informed advocacy,鈥� Hayes says. 鈥淭his strong commitment to engaging in transformative research aligns well with our college鈥檚 central mission of collaborating with community stakeholders to create innovative solutions to complex … issues.鈥�
