Please fill out the form below to nominate an MPA Alum for either the MPA Hall of Fame at UAB or Sam Gaston Award for Excellence in Mentoring. These awards are presented at the Annual MPA Luncheon each Spring.

The MPA Hall of Fame at UAB was established in 2005 to recognize annually a distinguished graduate of the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (our old dept name) Master of Public Administration Program. The honor is determined by the MPA Alumni Network of the UAB National Alumni Society, on the basis of the inductee’s contributions to the field of public administration. The MPA Alumni Network members nominate alums for the award, and a vote from the general membership is held by the MPA Alumni Board to determine the honoree.

The Sam Gaston Award for Excellence in Mentoring was established in 2017 to recognize annually a distinguished practitioner in public administration or nonprofit organizations that have demonstrated major contributions in mentoring Master of Public Administration Program students at UAB. This award is named in honor of Sam Gaston, a public administrator for over 30 years, who has served as a guide, support, and leadership for many UAB MPA students during their careers. The honor is determined by the Alumni Board of the MPA Program, in consultation with the MPA faculty, on the basis of the inductee’s contributions to excellence in mentoring for the professional development of students in the UAB MPA Program