Faculty
Michael R. Ford, Ph.D.
Department Chairperson and MPA Program Coordinator
Associate Professor
Office: Clow Faculty Building, Room F422
Phone: (920) 424-1580
Fax: (920) 424-2319
Email: fordm@uwosh.edu
Michael R. Ford is an Associate Professor of Public Administration, MPA program director, and the Director of the Whitburn Center for Governance and Policy Research. His research focuses on public and private board governance, education policy and finance, and the relationship between the public and nonprofit sectors. Dr. Ford brings significant practitioner experience in state and local policy to the classroom, striving to connect academic Public Administration to real world practice. He holds numerous appointments to community boards, including the Oshkosh Common Council and Plan Commission. When not working he enjoys fishing, playing music, writing, and spending time with his family.
What I can help you with
I would be happy to address your questions about the MPA program with general public administration emphasis and nonprofit management and leadership emphasis and about any of the graduate and undergraduate classes that I teach.
Dr. Samantha June Larson (she/her/hers)
Assistant Professor of Public Administration
Deputy Director of the Whitburn Center for Governance and Policy Research
Office: Clow Faculty Building, Room F424
Phone: (920) 424-2213
Email: larsonsj@uwosh.edu
Link to CV
Ph.D. in Public Affairs, University of Colorado – Denver (2017)
Dr. Larson’s research interests include policy and program implementation, evaluation, and analysis, with special attention on how the field can advance social equity, belonging, democracy, community resilience, and healing. She has published in a variety of peer-reviewed journals, such as Administration & Society, the Journal of Public Affairs Education, Public Administration Review, and authored multiple book chapters and technical reports. Some of her recent leadership roles include serving on the Public Administration Theory Network Board of Directors, Co-Chair of the College of Letters and Science (COLS) Equity, Diversity, and Inclusive Climate Committee, and as a Co-PI on the UWO National Science Foundation ADVANCE Grant. Sam is the recipient of multiple awards and honors, including the UWO Queer and Trans Faculty and Staff Award and the American Society for Public Administration & National Academy of Public Administration’s Social Equity and Performance Measurement Fellowship. Prior to UWO, Sam served for more than 15 years in various public and nonprofit organizations with rural, environmental, and educational missions.
What I can help you with
I would be happy to address your questions about the MPA program with general public administration emphasis and nonprofit management and leadership emphasis and about any of the graduate classes that I teach.
Anna A. Filipova, Ph.D.
Professor
Office: Clow Faculty Building, Room F420
Phone: (920) 424-0037
Fax: (920) 424-2319
Email: filipova@uwosh.edu
What I can help you with
I would be happy to address your questions about the online versions of the Master of Public Administration program and the Graduate Healthcare Management Certificate program.
More about me
Academic Degrees
- Ph.D. in Public Administration, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan
- Master of Arts in Leadership in Public Administration, Saginaw Valley State University, Saginaw, Michigan
- Master of Arts in English Philology, St. Cyril and St. Methodius University of Veliko Turnovo, Bulgaria
Academic Appointments
- Professor, UW Oshkosh Public Administration Department, 2018
- Associate Professor, UW Oshkosh Public Administration Department, 2012
- Assistant Professor, UW Oshkosh Public Administration Department, 2009
- Assistant Professor, WMU School of Public Affairs and Administration, 2007-2009
- Assistant Professor, Air Force Academy, Bulgaria, 1994-2000
Administrative Appointments
- Chairperson of Department of Public Administration & MPA Coordinator, June 1, 2018-June 3, 2021
- Chairperson of Department of Public Administration & MPA Coordinator, June 1, 2015-June 1, 2018
Awards and Honors
- 2017-2018 Wisconsin Teaching Scholar; UW System Office of Professional and Instructional Development
- 2016 Edward M. Penson Distinguished Teaching Award; UW Oshkosh
- 2014 Edward M. Penson Faculty Award; UW Oshkosh
- 2012-2013 Wisconsin Teaching Fellow; UW System Office of Professional and Instructional Development
- 2010 Outstanding Reviewer Award; Academy of Management
- 2008 Phi Kappa Phi; WMU Phi Kappa Phi Chapter, The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi
- 2005 Pi Alpha Alpha; WMU Pi Alpha Alpha Chapter, The Global Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration
- 2004 National Science Foundation Research Ethics Fellow; Western Michigan University
Community Service
- Member of the Evergreen Foundation Board of Directors, July 1, 2020-2023
- Chair of the Board of Directors of Evergreen Village, Inc., Evergreen, Oshkosh, 2015-2020; 2010-2015 (member)
- Member of the Basic Needs Giving Partnership Grants Team, Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, 2018-Present; 2015-2018 (member).
- Member of the Community Development Block Grant/Oshkosh Funding Consortium Committee, City of Oshkosh and Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, 2011-Present
- Member of Oshkosh Area United Way’s Allocation and Community Impact Panels (Health/Education), 2010-Present
Courses Taught
- MPA 715 Leadership and Ethics
- MPA 723 Organizational Theory and Practice
- MPA 742 Human Resources Management in the Public Sector
- MPA 790 Field Project
- MPA 792 Thesis
Elective MPA
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MPA 729 Health Care Organization and Management
- MPA 762 Health Care Administration Law
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MPA 773 Health Care Policy
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MPA 750 Strategic Planning in Public and Nonprofit Organizations
- MPA 795 Internship
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MPA 796 Independent Study
- MPA 797 Strategic Planning in Health Care Organizations
Undergraduate PA
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PUB ADM 221 Introduction to Public Administration
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PUB ADM 362 Public Personnel
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PUB ADM 364 Administrative Leadership and Behavior
Additional Information
- A Brief Bio
Filipova has been on the UW Oshkosh faculty since 2009. She was granted early tenure in 2013, and two of the highest faculty honors – the 2016 Edward M. Penson Distinguished Teaching Award and the 2014 Edward M. Penson Faculty Award. She was also selected to the 2012-2013 Wisconsin Teaching Fellow and 2017-2018 Wisconsin Teaching Scholar by the University of Wisconsin System and UW Oshkosh. Filipova was granted professorship in September 1, 2018.
As faculty member, Filipova was instrumental in proposing and implementing revisions to the Graduate Healthcare Management Certificate curriculum and establishing collaborations with the College of Business and College of Nursing in its delivery (fall 2013); creating the department hybrid and online policy (2011), post-tenure review policy (2014), and transfer of credits policy (2013); introducing the thesis in the MPA curriculum and its guidelines (2012); and developing and continuously updating all narrative on the website and all marketing brochures (2012-2021).
Filipova had served as Chairperson of the Department of Public Administration for 6 years (2015-2021). Her major accomplishments in that role include:
- the creation of the Public Administration Excellence Fund (2016)
- the admission of pre-career students (in addition to in-career students) to the MPA program (Since 2016)
- the introduction of Nonprofit Management and Leadership emphasis into the MPA curriculum (Fall of 2016)
- the introduction and launch of the Online MPA (Spring 2017)
- the introduction of at least 11 elective courses into the MPA curriculum (2015-2017)
- conducting one 7-year MPA and Graduate HCM Certificate programs review (2017)
- conducting three biennial MPA program assessments (2015/2017/2019)
- the introduction and creation of the long-term semester schedules for the online/on-campus MPA course delivery into the MPA program (Since Spring 2017)
- the introduction of the Fire Emergency Administration and Management (FEAM) emphasis into the MPA curriculum (Fall 2018)
- the creation and introduction of the Credit-for-Prior Learning (CPL) policy (2018) and Tested Experience Policy (2019) into the MPA program
- the update of Department bylaws (2020), Tenure and Renewal Policy (2017), Merit Policy (2017), Post-Tenure Review Policy (2017/2021), & Online and Hybrid Teaching Policy (2021)
- the hiring of a new faculty member (Dr. Samantha Larson) and two Academic Department Associates (2017)
- the establishment of agreement for the transfer of credits from the National Fire Academy towards FEAM emphasis (Since 2020)
- achieving the initial accreditation of the MPA with Fire and Emergency Administration and Management emphasis for a period of 5 years (June 9th, 2020)
- the creation of all Department Website pages’ text information (2015-2021)
From September 2007-2009, Filipova was an Assistant Professor in the School of Public Affairs and Administration at Western Michigan University, teaching graduate and doctoral courses in public administration. She also served as Assistant Professor in the Department of Foreign Languages at the Air Force Academy in Bulgaria from 1994-2000. She taught English phraseology in radio communication to graduate cadet pilots and air traffic controllers.
She has authored research articles on health care organizational and community related issues, and has won many faculty development research grants from the UW Oshkosh and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation. She serves as peer-reviewer for national and international peer-reviewed health care journals. In 2010 she was awarded with Academy of Management Outstanding Reviewer Award.
Filipova gives back to her community by serving as a member of the Board of Directors of Evergreen Foundation, Inc. of Evergreen Retirement Community since July 1st, 2020. Filipova had served as a Chair/Member of the Board of Directors of Evergreen Village, Inc. from 2010-2020. She also serves as a member of the Oshkosh Area United Way Allocations and Community Impact Panels (Health), the City of Oshkosh’s Funding Consortium, and the Basic Needs Giving Partnership Grants Team of the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation.
Born in Pleven, Bulgaria, Filipova earned her Master’s degree in English Philology from St. Cyril and St. Methodius of Veliko Turnovo University in Bulgaria in 1994; her Master’s degree in Leadership in Public Administration from Saginaw Valley State University in 2002; and her Ph.D. in Public Administration in 2007.
Public Administration
Clow Faculty Building, Room F414
838 High Ave.
Oshkosh, WI 54901