University of Central Florida
11/14/2024 | Press release | Archived content
UCF Emergency Management Professor Inducted as National Academy of Public Administration Fellow
Each year, the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) inducts a new cohort of academic and industry professionals in the public administration field to serve as academy fellows. The 2024 cohort is comprised of 42 inductees - and Claire Connolly Knox, professor of emergency and crisis management, is one of them.
NAPA fellows are tapped to provide insight and experience to address current and emerging issues in government, from overseeing academy projects and lending expertise to providing guidance and contribution to discourse on government.
"The 2024 class of academy fellows reflects a wide range of professional experience, including dedicated civil servants and accomplished academics," says Terry Gerton, president and CEO of NAPA. "These 42 leaders will be an enormous asset to the academy in the years ahead, and we look forward to working with all of them to help create a bright future for our country."
Fellows are selected based on a rigorous review of an individual's contributions to the field of public administration and policy. The Fellows Nominating Committee makes its recommendations to nearly 1,000 existing fellows, who then vote on which candidates to induct. Those currently serving in the academy include former cabinet officers, members of Congress, governors, mayors, state legislators, prominent scholars, executives, nonprofit leaders and more. A new cohort of academy fellows is inducted annually during NAPA's fall meeting.
One of only 24 NAPA fellows in Florida, Knox is also the school's first female faculty member to achieve this honor - a distinction she says she finds both rewarding and humbling. As a first-generation college student hailing from coastal Louisiana, Knox says she doesn't take any of her educational or research-based accomplishments for granted. Knox, who also serves as the academic program coordinator for UCF's emergency and crisis management master's program, is the fifth professor in the School of Public Administration to be named a NAPA fellow. Her induction to the academy follows those of Kuotsai "Tom" Liou in 2015, Jeremy Hall in 2020, Pegasus Professor Naim Kapucu in 2021 and Abdul-Akeem Sadiq in 2023.
"To have this amazing honor is extremely humbling, and I could not have done this without the support of friends, family, mentors and colleagues who have guided me on the path that got me to where I am now," she says. "So much of my research and mentorship approach has been focused on lifting up the next generation. My research is the nexus between emergency management, climate change and social equity, which I blend with my lived experiences. This academy allows us the opportunity to work with the elite of public administration - from all levels of government and academia - to tackle wicked problems by pushing for good governance through the study and practice of public administration."
Knox says that one of the greatest responsibilities that comes with being a fellow is providing recommendations for consideration by federal government, which sometimes entails being a voice for those who might not have one.
"Being from coastal Louisiana, I've seen the suffering and environmental injustices that come disaster after disaster," she says. "In the field of emergency management, we're good at documenting lessons learned, but we're not always good at implementing them, which is what needs to be done if you want to build resilience. That implementation piece is where much of our research is focused and what we advocate for. This is an amazing opportunity to take those lived experiences and combine them with innovative, community-based research to effect change."
Grant Hayes, dean of the UCF College of Community Innovation and Education, says Knox's expertise in emergency management will be a valuable contribution to the NAPA fellowship.
"I am pleased that Dr. Knox has been invited to join an elite group of academy and industry professionals in public administration, reflecting her dedication to conducting impactful research and informed advocacy," Hayes says. "This strong commitment to engaging in transformative research aligns well with our college's central mission of collaborating with community stakeholders to create innovative solutions to complex social issues."