Thanks To….

• Students Organizing this Event:

– PASA

– Steve Sandie, Sean Green, Amanda Lamb (All current students of mine—remember, grades are still due)

– Rachel Poor, Alex Arnhold, Emmy Callero, Elia Unverzagt

PSU Public Administration Through the Ages

Students deteriorate

Technology improves

Professors stay the same

(Photo circa 1984)

PSU PA Performance Measures, 1982-2010

Faculty Quality

Technology

Student Quality

Professor Stipak retires

Professor Stipak hired

Professor Stipak hired

Professor O’Toole (friend, collaborator with Professor Stipak), retires

Mythbusters

Did Professor Stipak really come to class once drunk?

Did Professor Stipak really come to class once drunk?

BUSTED!

Not true

Mythbusters

Did Professor Stipak really almost pass out in class once because of an

obnoxious student’s question?

Did Professor Stipak really almost pass out in class once

because of an obnoxious student’s question?

BUSTED!

Not true

Mythbusters

Did an MPA student once catch Professor Stipak defacing a

vending machine?

Did an MPA student once catch Professor Stipak defacing

a vending machine?

Confirmed!

It’s true

Myth busters

Did Professor Stipak once, when working on a consulting project, find that a local corrections agency was

running its offender database on illegally-obtained software?

Did Professor Stipak once, when working on a consulting project, find that a local corrections agency was

running its offender database on illegally-obtained software?

Confirmed!

It’s true

Student Confessions

Did one of Professor Stipak’s current students confess to him recently that taking his classes made him feel guilty now about how, when he was an English teacher in another country, he lectured loudly and called on students in class?

Does that mean I should feel guilty?

Gifts

• To Betty Lewis

• To Gigi Harris

• To Jack Corbett

• To Phil Cooper

• To Sherril Gelmon

• To Alice Stipak, my sister

Thanks To

• My PSU colleagues – I had trouble finding any of them that I could dislike

• Special thanks to Betty and Becky, who added to my fun (and my food)

• Special thanks to Dan O’Toole, who made possible a productive scholarly collaboration

Thanks To

• PSU, CUPA, HSOG

• Reminiscences:• Interview with George Hoffman when I applied for job here

• Dean Nohad Toulan, waiting for us until 6:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve to sign a grant proposal

Thanks To

• My many students, many of whom have had successful careers and have kept in touch

• Colleagues in agencies I have worked with, who have hired many of my students, and who have spoken as guest speakers in my classes

• Especially the City and County Auditors’ Offices, and the State Audits Division, and especially Gary Blackmer

Thanks to My Students who Risked Their Lives Tandem Paragliding with Me

Thanks to My Students who Risked Their Lives Tandem Paragliding with Me

Thanks To My Students who Risked Their Lives While I made them Say

Inane Comments 1000’ up in The Air

The Party is Not Over Yet

• Thanks to all of you for coming today

• Thanks to PASA, CUPA, HSOG, PA Division for supporting this event

There is more food to eat, and drink to drink - Enjoy!