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AU tops nation with 34 Presidential Management Fellows

BY ADRIENNE FRANK

For the second year in a row, AU boasts more Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) than any other school in the country. Thirty-four graduate and law students were selected for the federal government’s prestigious two-year program, which puts fellows on the fast track to high-level management positions.

The School of International Service led the way with 20 finalists. Seven finalists are from the School of Public Affairs, four from the Washington College of Law, two from the Kogod School of Business, and one from the School of Communication.

SIS’s strong showing exemplifies its commitment to public service, according to Dean Louis Goodman.

“SIS is extremely proud of its 20 PMF finalists,” he said. “They, and all of our PMF applicants, show that SIS is profoundly committed to the idea which is central to the school’s identity: international service. “I know that they will have successful careers, and winning a PMF will give each of them a wonderful start.”

Shelly Dill, a PMF finalist and dual-degree student in WCL and SIS, came to AU with hopes of landing a federal government job.

“I chose to attend AU because of its commitment to training students to enter public service,” she said. “The PMF program is an exciting way to enter the federal government workforce with additional training, financial incentives, and the opportunity to move to different offices and departments within the federal government.”

Like Dill, Kelly McKellogg, a student in SIS, expects the fellowship to jump-start her career.

“I am hoping that the PMF program will enhance my career opportunities in the field of international communication, but more importantly, I hope it will expand my skill set and knowledge base to be a successful leader in public service,” she explained.

Although the number of finalists from AU dropped from 41 in 2005, the number of fellows nationwide also decreased this year, from 643 to 552. This year, AU topped such institutions as Harvard, Princeton, and Columbia; George Washington University and Georgetown had 19 and 31 finalists, respectively.

“This is an important indicator of the strengths of our graduate and law students and the extraordinary work of our faculty and their programs in preparing these students for careers and leadership in the public service,” said Interim President Neil Kerwin.

The PMF program was created in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter to attract top students from a variety of disciplines to federal service.

Photo by Jeff Watts

Twenty-four of AU’s 34 PMF finalists attended a reception last Wednesday at the Mary Graydon Center. One of the finalists, James Hedrick, a student in SPA, said his career goals are still “fuzzy,” but “that there’s nothing I want do that the PMF won’t help with.”