Joseph Pastino '12/M.P.A. '22, was recently recognized as a Public Administration Student of the Year by the New Jersey Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration (NJ ASPA). The ASPA is one of the leading public service organizations that advances the art, science, teaching and practice of public and nonprofit administration.

Just days before graduating, the Master of Public Administration (MPA) student was honored as one of six students acknowledged at the NJ ASPA's Annual Awards Ceremony held on Wednesday, May 18. The distinction is earned by students who have excelled in public administration studies and emerged as effective leaders at universities in New Jersey and have emerged as effective leaders.

"We are honored that the New Jersey Chapter selected Joseph as one of its Public Administration Students of the Year. In addition to an excellence in academics, Joseph exemplified a commitment to serve others through his work at Seton Hall and in the local community," said Roseanne Mirabella, professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Affairs and program director of the MPA program.

As a graduate student, Pastino supported the University's Center for Community Research and Engagement with grant writing, program implementation and policy development as well as local community efforts like the Social Justice Certificate program, a collaboration between the Center, the South Orange Community Care and Justice program and Newark's Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery.

In addition to his public administration volunteer work, Pastino also collaborated with faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences on developing a curriculum for a PolicyLab delivered jointly between the public administration and Africana Studies programs.

Seton Hall's M.P.A. degree serves students interested in careers in the public and nonprofit sectors. Ranked as a best program for nonprofit management by U.S. News & World Report, the program is accredited by NASPAA and offers concentrations in Health Policy and Management; Nonprofit Organization Management; Public Service: Leadership, Governance and Policy; and Data Visualization and Analytics.

For more information on the M.P.A. program, please contact Associate Dean Michael Dooney or Program Director Roseanne Mirabella.

Categories: Alumni