Pi Alpha Alpha Honor Society Inducts New Members at UIC

Pi Alpha Alpha Pin

Pi Alpha Alpha, the global honor society for public affairs and administration, within the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) member schools, has been reactivated at UIC. On April 22, 2024, 29 students were inducted into the UIC chapter.

The honor society’s purpose is to encourage and recognize outstanding scholarship and accomplishment in public affairs and administration. It also offers a unique opportunity for all UIC Department of Public Policy, Management, and Analytics (PPMA) students to build a community that fosters engagement between peers in a professional environment. The society provides a setting for students with diverse experiences and backgrounds to connect and build relationships.

Pi Alpha Alpha membership is available to all UIC Department of Public Policy, Management, and Analytics (PPMA) undergraduate, masters, and doctoral students who show academic excellence. Undergraduate students who have completed 15 hours of course work towards their public affairs or public administration major with a grade point average of at least 3.5 and are either in their last semester of junior year or are a senior are invited to participate. Graduate and doctoral students with a grade point average of at least 3.7 and have completed 50% of their required course work are also invited to participate.

After several years on hiatus, the UIC Pi Alpha Alpha chapter was reestablished by the PPMA graduate academic advisor, Megan Daly. According to Daly, the chapter plans to establish an executive board and a chapter constitution.

Daly said, “I have high hopes for what Pi Alpha Alpha can do as a resource for our students”.

Jodi White Jones, CUPPA Assistant Dean for Communications said, “Pi Alpha Alpha is a significant recognition of academic success and dedication for our students pursuing careers in government and nonprofit sectors. The work our grads go on to do is vital to healthy and prosperous communities and often is done quietly as administrators. To recognize them at the forefront of their careers is inspirational and important.”

“As a proud Pi Alpha Alpha member for many years, I’m delighted Megan is carrying on the honor society in PPMA that was fostered by its faculty including Professor Emeritus Jim Thompson,” White Jones said.

The Pi Alpha Alpha Class of 2024 includes:

Jocelyn Aranda-Ortiz

Nia-Blessing Armstrong

Morgan Bell

Lacourdaire (Lucky) Camargo

Hanee Chang

Eunjoo Choi

Francis Augustine Choi

William Emanuel

Gathafi Gooja

Any Huamani Gutierrez

Abuyasin Sabda Hani

Valerie King Hill

Aiden Lee Kolb

Jun Li

Dana Librot

Marietta Alessandra Lopez Moreira Vazquez

Kyle McFarren

Cody McHale

Chahinda Mustapha

Margaret Peyton

Maria Elena Picazo

Aparna Ramakrishnan

Juan Jose Rosendo

Sheila Santos

Sabrina Saucedo

Jada Standors

Phillip Tinubu

Daejun Yoo

Shuwen Zhang