Debra Friedman - Public Sector Expert

Debra Friedman is an expert on the challenges and needs of the public, social services, and nonprofit sectors at the national and local level.

She is University Vice President and Dean of the College of Public Programs at Arizona State University's Downtown Phoenix campus.

She is deeply concerned about the impending shortage of qualified and trained leaders in the public sector.

Friedman has refined the vision and strategic plan of the College to ensure it directly impacts and connects with the urban community surrounding its location in central Phoenix, the fifth largest city in the U.S. Her expertise in community engagement and government relations enables her to mobilize various boards comprised of influential and highly visible community leaders to promote and strengthen institutional initiatives.

She oversees the College's "Spirit of Service" Scholars Initiative, which promotes a new generation of social and public servants who are dedicating themselves to finding new ways to effect long-lasting change for the public good through careers in government and nonprofit organizations.

Graduates of the College are leaders in government, nonprofit organizations, criminal justice and human service agencies.

Four schools and 10 centers comprise the College of Public Programs, including the Schools of Public Affairs, Social Work, Community Resources & Development, and Criminology and Criminal Justice. More than 35 undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees or certificate programs are offered through the College. The College of Public Programs is key to ASU's social embeddedness initiative and has more than 100 ongoing community partners in public, nonprofit and private sectors. The College offers new undergraduate and graduate degrees in public policy, nonprofit studies, tourism development and management, and criminal justice, among others. Two of the centers have been named through generous investments: the Lodestar Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Innovation, and the Bob Ramsey Executive Education Program.

Friedman served as associate dean of undergraduate education and associate provost for academic planning at the University of Washington before coming to ASU. In these roles, she was responsible for managing university-wide innovation programs, enrollment planning and strategic visioning initiatives. She is the author of numerous scholarly articles and a book. Friedman has taught at the universities of Iowa, Arizona, and Washington, and won distinguished teaching awards at the University of Washington and the University of Arizona. She was a National Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and a visiting scholar at both the Australian National University and the Russell Sage Foundation. Friedman earned her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Washington.

ExpertClick profile: http://www.expertclick.com/19-3688

College of Public Programs website: http://copp.asu.edu