The UCF School of Public Administration honors Mary Ann Feldheim, director of nonprofit management and associate professor of public administration and nonprofit management, for her dedicated service and support to the school. Feldheim joined UCF as a visiting instructor in 1997 and after over 20 years with the university, is set to retire in January 2019.
Mary Ann Feldheim celebrating her retirement with her husband Larry, Knightro and Naim Kapucu, director of the School of Public Administration. Many would describe Feldheim as a trailblazer. That can be seen through her accomplishments at the School of Public Administration and UCF at large, including becoming the first woman in the school to obtain tenure. In 2005, Feldheim became the chair of the Department of Public Administration. Under her strategic leadership, the department grew exponentially, adding several programs including nonprofit management, emergency management, research administration, and urban and regional planning. As the department was recognized for extending beyond just public administration degree programs, it was renamed the School of Public Administration in 2011, with Feldheim as the school’s founding director.
Mary Ann Feldheim with Maria-Elena Augustin, assistant director of the Center for Public and Nonprofit Management, and Thomas Bryer, new director of the master's degree in nonprofit management. Other accomplishments during her time as director include: the master’s degree in public administration's recognition as one of the top 100 public administration programs in the US, the master’s degree in nonprofit management’s recognition as one of the top 25 nonprofit management programs in the US, and the establishment of the Center for Public and Nonprofit Management. Under Feldheim’s guidance, the School of Public Administration’s premier annual publication, Focus, was developed, which highlighted the accomplishments of the students, faculty and alumni of the School of Public Administration.
Most recently, Feldheim served as the program director for the master of nonprofit management. The program, in addition to several other accomplishments, was the first nonprofit management program in the world to receive accreditation from the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA).
Her dedication has certainly influenced the continued growth of the School of Public Administration. It is without a doubt that she will be missed throughout the School of Public Administration and the entire UCF community. Feldheim and her husband, Larry, plan to thoroughly enjoy retirement, starting with a cruise around the world.
The School of Public Administration at the University of Central Florida is dedicated to providing a quality education to undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in pursuing careers in nonprofit management, urban and regional planning, research administration, emergency management, and public administration. We strive to create a brighter future for our students so that they, in turn, can better serve the community.