College of Public Affairs and Community Service

Gaylene Armstrong, Ph.D. 

Campus Forum: March 18, 2024 | 3 P.M. | CPACS 132D

Since 2016, Gaylene S. Armstrong, Ph.D. has served as Director and Distinguished Professor for the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (Omaha and Lincoln campuses). She is also co-Director of the Nebraska Collaborative for Violence Intervention and Prevention, and in 2023 began serving as the UNO Faculty Athletic Representative to the NCAA. Her prior experience in academic leadership positions included several positions at Sam Houston State University (SHSU): Founding Department Chair for the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, SHSU Graduate Director, and Director of Research for the SHSU Correctional Management Institute of Texas. Armstrong obtained her Ph.D. from University of Maryland and is originally from Winnipeg, Canada.

Vanessa Lopez-Littleton, Ph.D. 

Campus Forum: March 21, 2024 | 3 P.M. | CPACS 132D

Vanessa Lopez-Littleton, Ph.D., RN, is an innovative thought leader with nearly three decades of leadership and management experience in healthcare, public service, and higher education. Dr. Lopez-Littleton is deeply committed to creating access and opportunities for the next generation of public service professionals. She is an award-winning educator who actively seeks to create inclusive and caring environments, while promoting student success and honoring shared governance. She is known for building strong community partnerships and working collaboratively across communities and disciplines to address structural causes of social and health inequalities.

Domonic Bearfield, Ph.D. 

Campus Forum: March 25, 2024 | 3 P.M. | CPACS 132D

Domonic A. Bearfield, Ph.D., is a Professor and Deputy Director at the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration at George Washington University. He previously served as Associate Dean of Student and Academic Services at Rutgers University-Newark. He is the past chair of the Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation (COPRA), the accrediting body for the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA). He is also a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration. He received his Ph.D. in Public Administration from Rutgers University-Newark. He also holds an M.P.A. from the University of Delaware and a B.A. in English from Norfolk State University.

Elaine Lu, Ph.D. 

Campus Forum: March 27, 2024 | 3 P.M. | CEC 230/231

Elaine Lu is a Professor and Director of Public Policy and Administration at John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City University of New York which houses the #1 public university MPA program in New York City (US News 2023). She has worked extensively with diverse communities and various professional associations for over a decade to advance public affairs. Her work on engaged scholarship, both funded and pro bono, spans domestic and international realms, earning her the Julia J. Henderson International Award from SWPA of ASPA in 2019. In addition to being the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Public Administration, her book co-authored with Dr. Willoughby, “Public Performance Budgeting: Principles and Practice,” won ABFM’s inaugural Best Book Award in 2022. She is committed to enhancing students' social mobility, engaging communities in democratic governance, and improving the quality of life through public higher education. She earned her Ph.D. in Public Administration from the University of Georgia and an MPA from the Truman School at the University of Missouri. 

About the Search 

The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) and its College of Public Affairs and Community Service (CPACS) seek a visionary, strategic leader to serve as the next dean of the college, starting in 2024.

The next dean will have the opportunity to lead collaborative efforts to build on the college’s many successes and develop a compelling vision for CPACS' future. The dean will enhance and grow the college's research and creative activity enterprise, develop and advance a strategic enrollment management strategy, and prepare CPACS graduates for professional success while strengthening UNO's connection to Omaha. The dean will be a champion for student, faculty, and staff success while advocating for the college and it's programs.

Search Committee Members