The University Planning, Public Policy and Management department and its faculty earned nationwide recognition, thanks to a recent study analyzing publication impact.
The department ranks fourth, along with Columbia University, out of 84 universities nationwide in terms of how many publications the department’s faculty have produced. The department ranks third in how many times those publications are cited by others, according to a University press release.
PPPM Department Head Michael Hibbard said cited publications are a measurement of the impact the department is having.
“As a department, we want to have an influence on the field,” he said.
A Florida State University professor conducted the study, which examined publications between 1998 and 2002. The information will be published this spring in the Journal of Planning Education and Research, according to the press release.
Hibbard said the study is the first of its kind in the field.
“We had no basis for how well we were doing until this study was done,” he said.
In the department, which serves about 120 graduate students and 50 undergraduates, students learn how public policy works and how they can make a difference, Hibbard said. He added that students often end up working for government agencies, nonprofit organizations and advocacy groups.
“Our graduates are in real key positions to try and shape the future,” he said.
Graduate student Lorelei Juntunen said she is receiving a well-rounded education in the department.
“The quality of education in this department, I think, is pretty high,” she said, adding that the field of study encompasses social, environmental and physical aspects. “One of the good things about planning is that it’s so broad-based.”
Department faculty were also highly rated in the study, with Professor Judith Hibbard ranking first in the number of publications and third in terms of impact.
“It’s very gratifying, because I work in an area of health care policy so I’m very aware of the impact of my work,” she said. “But I don’t really see (the impact) outside my field or outside my little world.”
She said an example of how her work has made a difference is noted in a study she conducted of hospital performance. The study showed that when hospital performance is made public, hospitals are motivated to improve. She said others felt the publicity was absent before the study.
“We were able to show that, yes, it did make a difference,” she said.
She said publication impact means University faculty are well-known in their field, which reflects on the department and University as a whole.
“We’re helping shape the policy and direction of our fields,” she said.
Hibbard said it also means students have highly qualified professors.
“They’re studying with some of the leading figures in the field,” he said.
Assistant Professor Rich Margerum said the recognition also helps recruit students and faculty, as well as raise funds for the department.
“Alumni want to contribute to programs that are successful,” he said.
Margerum is ranked in the study’s top 50, along with Professor Jean Stockard.
Margerum said the study shows that students are receiving “cutting-edge” education from faculty.
“They’re kind of getting the latest findings and information,” he said.
Margerum said the department generally attracts motivated students who want to make a difference and who discover the area after studying other subjects.
“A lot of them get there in kind of a round-about way,” he said.
Junior Zak Bennett said he joined the department in the fall after transferring to the University as an undeclared major. “I’ve wanted to be a city planner for years,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to help a lot of people.”
He said the department was the right fit for his career choice.
“It’s definitely the right step for what I’m looking to do,” he said.