About Rockefeller College

A Message from the Dean

Julie Novkov
Julie Novkov, PhD

As of July 2023, I am honored to serve as the dean of the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy.

I believe that universities have a dual mission: to teach and to discover in the service of helping societies solve these pressing challenges. Rockefeller College seeks to achieve this mission by providing students with the knowledge and skills needed to be effective participants and leaders in political and policy processes while also producing new research that helps citizens and institutions govern societies more efficiently and effectively. Our goal is to help create freer, fairer, more sustainable, more inclusive, and more bountiful outcomes for everyone.

Faculty are the cornerstone of our efforts to realize this mission. Our award-winning researchers conduct vital studies on important questions in criminal justice, political science, and public policy, helping us both to understand the world of public affairs better and to propose solutions for urgent problems. The faculty’s broad knowledge and expertise attract outstanding students from the undergraduate level through doctoral studies, including certificate training. Their work generates ideas that promote and sustain positive social change.

Students provide the inspiration and the hope for a better future. We aim to give students the expertise and knowledge they need to shape their passion, enthusiasm, and talent into the directed purpose and capacity they will need to change our communities and our world for the better.

To help students make this transformation, Rockefeller College has invested deeply in partnerships with organizations in the public, nonprofit, and corporate sectors to provide internships and career experiences. These life-altering experiences help to integrate ideas, knowledge, and skills into professional practices and habits of mind that make our students successful on day one of their career. Our alumni networks in Albany, New York City, Washington, and around the country and world are a critical component in ensuring our students’ successes.

I am excited about what the College has accomplished and about where we will go together. As a public institution, we operate in a special space. We provide a rich selection of opportunities to students who have historically used them to transform their personal futures. Many have also gone on to careers in public affairs and related fields with the sense that they can and should make the world a better place. Whether you are a prospective student thinking about a degree, an alum seeking to pay it forward, or an interested citizen of the world, please let us know how we can get you involved in the exciting things happening at Rockefeller College!

Sincerely,

Julie Novkov, Dean
Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy

Office of the Dean

Julie Novkov
Dean, Professor, and Collins Fellow 
Milne 102 |  [email protected]


 

Lizzie Barlow
Director of Communications and Marketing
Milne 121A | [email protected]


Zakhar Berkovich
Director of Undergraduate Student Services
Humanities B-16 | 518-442-3113 | [email protected]


Casey Crandall
Director of Development
Milne 119A | [email protected]


Carolyn DeLuise
Administrative Assistant                                            
Milne 102 | [email protected] | 518-442-5244


Ashley Dwyer
Director of Internships & Career Services
Milne 105A | 518-442-5253 | [email protected]


Janine Gestwick
Contact Office Assistant
Humanities B-16 | [email protected] | 518-442-3112


Sheena Loughlin
Director of Student Affairs
Milne 107 | [email protected] | 518-442-3248


Joan Marso
Undergraduate Internship and Career Coordinator
Humanities B-16 | [email protected] | 518-442-3112


Barbara Mathews
Assistant to the Dean and Chairs
Milne 115 | [email protected] | 518-591-8767


Jaclyn Napoleon
Director of Graduate Recruitment and Admissions
Milne 110 | [email protected] | 518-442-5247


Joan Nellhaus

Assistant Dean                                              
Milne 121C | [email protected] | 518-442-5426


Renee Wallingford
Assistant Dean
Milne 122B | [email protected] | 518-442-5246


Dyana Warnock
Director of Graduate Student Services
Milne 108 | [email protected] | 518-442-5249

 

College Organizational Chart
Rockefeller Advisory Board
The Board is comprised of distinguished Rockefeller College alumni and friends who have demonstrated a commitment to the College and the University.


Vincent J. Abramo, BA ’67
Construction Safety & Occupational Health Manager, Overseas Buildings Operations
U.S. Department of State


Angela Albertus, BA ’88
Program Director, Juvenile Justice
National District Attorneys Association (NDAA)


Joe Bonilla, BA ’11
Managing Partner, Senior Media Director
and Co-Founder, Relentless Awareness


Donald E. Boyce, III, BS ’06, MPA ’08
Regulatory Relations, Fannie Mae


Lola Brabham, BA ’96, MPA ’00
President, Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU)


Peter W. Brusoe, BA ’03, MA ’04
Assistant Professor of Economics and Political Science, SUNY Delhi


David Buck
Principal, Government and Public Services,
Deloitte Consulting LLP


Michael T. Cassidy, BA ’08, MPA ’10
Partner, Brown & Weinraub, PLLC


Gerard Citera, BA ’77
Senior Policy Adviser, Division of Trading and Markets, 
Securities and Exchange Commission


Jonathan Doh, MA ’86
Associate Dean of Research and Herbert G. Rammrath Endowed Chair in International Business, Villanova University, School of Business


Deborah Eichhorn, MA ’88
Senior Level Telework Special Assistant,
U.S. Government Accountability Office


Rose Gallagher, BA ’15, MPA ’16
Director, Government Affairs and Policy,
Travere Therapeutics
 

Heather Hart, BA ’11
Director, Capital Introduction Division, Wells Fargo Corporate & Investment Banking


Rochelle Haynes, BA ’02
Managing Director, What Works Cities-Bloomberg Philanthropies


Frank Jazzo, BS ’80
Member, Fletcher,
Heald & Hildreth, PLC (retired)


Lawrence J. Korb, PhD ’69
Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress


Tanya Meisenholder, PhD ’13
Director of Gender Equity,
The Policing Project, NYU School of Law
 

Cara Pace, BA ’93
Chief Executive Officer,
United Hospice of Rockland


Cecelia F. Pelkey, MPA ’95
Advisory Board Co-Chair,
Director of Government Affairs, Capitol City Group, Ltd.
Attorney, Harrington & Vitale, Ltd.


John D. Porcari, MPA ’85
Managing Partner, 3P Enterprises,
President, Axilion Smart Mobility
Operating Partner, Corsair Infrastructure Partners


Catherine Provost, BA ’05
Director of Constituent Services,
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen


Nic Rangel, BA ’06, MPA ’11
Executive Director, Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York (LASNNY)
 

Thomas Roach, BA ’83
Mayor, White Plains, NY


Gregory Serio, BA ’83
Managing Director, Park Strategies, LLC


Gary Striar, MPA ’79
Advisory Board Co-Chair, 
Regional Chief Executive Officer American Red Cross, Eastern New York Region (retired)


Alicia Tambe, BA ’11
Head of International Organizations for Connectivity & Inclusion, Meta


Michael Tobman, BA ’95
Principal, Tobman Strategies LLC


Barbara VanEpps, MPA ’92
Executive Director, New York State Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials

Internal Resources

Please visit our internal resources page for links to resources of particular use to the faculty, staff, and current students of Rockefeller College. 

Rockefeller College Quick Facts

History

A Brief History of the Rockefeller College

The Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy originated in 1947 as the Albany Graduate Program in Public Administration, a joint program of New York University and Syracuse University.

The new graduate program provided the rapidly expanding post-WWII state government of Governor Thomas E. Dewey with academic training in public administration. The State University of New York began to subsidize the training program in 1950, and in 1962 the State University of New York formally took over the program and renamed it the Graduate School of Public Affairs (GSPA). The new school offered MA and PhD programs in public administration and political science, and an MA in public affairs. An MPA was quickly added.

The school affiliated with the State University of New York at Albany (SUNYA) in September 1966. As part of SUNYA, the Graduate School took over the University’s Department of Political Science, adding undergraduate programs, and in 1981 created a Department of Public Administration and Policy.

In 1982, Rockefeller College was created, consisting of the GSPA, the School of Social Welfare, and the School of Criminal Justice. In 2000, the College was separated into different schools with GSPA becoming the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, named to honor the contributions of Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller who served from 1959-1973. In the spring of 2020, the School of Criminal Justice was once again brought under the Rockefeller College umbrella, joining the Department of Public Administration and Policy and the Department of Political Science. 

Today, Rockefeller College offers undergraduate, masters and doctoral level degree programs. Students are able to benefit from academic and experiential learning opportunities in the Capital Region and beyond to develop a strong foundation for careers in the public, nonprofit and private sectors as well as careers in teaching and research.

The Centers and Institutes that are part of Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy conduct state-of-the-art research and policy analysis, improve the knowledge and skills of employees in public and nonprofit agencies through professional development, and work with government at all levels in the United States and abroad to strengthen democracy and promote effective governing.

Academic Departments
  • Criminal Justice
  • Political Science
  • Public Administration and Policy
Degrees Offered

Please visit our program pages for a full listing of available academic programs. 

Application Deadlines

MPA, MIA, MA 
Fall: February 1 (Priority Funding Deadline), July 1 (Regular Deadline)
Spring: December 1

Graduate Certificate
Fall: August 1
Spring: December 15

PhD (Fall Only)
Political Science: January 15
Public Administration: January 1

Questions? Contact [email protected]

Tuition Value

Rockefeller College is proud to offer the most affordable tuition among its peers. Whether you already qualify for in-state tuition or are an out-of-state student who will get in-state tuition the following year, Rockefeller College has the best tuition value among all top 25 public affairs schools.

Please visit the Office of Student Accounts for more information on cost of attendance.

Faculty
  • 56 full-time faculty members
Students

Fall 2022

Bachelor’s 772
Master’s 317
Doctoral 103
Graduate Certificate 13
Non-Degree 4
Total 1,209

 

Graduation Rate

Our MPA program graduation rate is approximately 85%. The program is designed to be completed in two years of full time study. The majority of our students complete the degree within two years. The University allows students to switch between full-time and part-time study at any time, as long as their degree is completed within six years; this allows students the flexibility to pursue relevant internship and employment opportunities. For a detailed breakdown of program completion rates, based on our most recent NASPAA self-study (SSY) report, please see here:

  Initially Enrolled Graduated within 2 years Graduated within 3 years Graduated within 4 years Total Students Graduated and Persisting to Graduation
Total Number of Students in the SSY 2016-17 Cohort 49 31 37 39 39
Total Number of Students in the SSY 2017-18 Cohort 46 23 35 39 39