Professor Emeritus Robertson Establishes Scholarship Fund for Future Public Administration Leaders
A distinguished professor emeritus of public affairs has made a generous donation to create a scholarship for students pursuing a Master of Public Administration at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Dr. Roby Robertson, founder of the UA Little Rock School of Public Affairs, and his wife Mary Robertson, who retired as the assistant dean of student services in the College of Nursing at UAMS, have gifted the university $30,000 to create the Dr. Roby D. Robertson Endowed Scholarship. The scholarship will provide assistance for education-related expenses including tuition, books, fees, and room and board for MPA students.
“All it takes is a couple of bad semesters or one family emergency to drop out of school,” Dr. Robertson said. “This scholarship may be the difference between a student staying in school or not. The scholarship is built around the model of helping students succeed. We are hoping that alumni from the School of Public Affairs will contribute to the scholarship over time so that we can help even more students succeed.”
Dr. Robertson joined UA Little Rock in 1983 and has been a key figure in the development of public affairs programs during his nearly four-decade tenure at the university.
“Dr. Roby Robertson was instrumental in the creation and development of what is now the UA Little Rock School of Public Affairs – particularly the Master of Public Administration program and the Arkansas Public Administration Consortium,” Director Derek Slagle said. “His continued support of the academic and applied practices in the School of Public Affairs is a testament to his lifetime dedication to public administration education and public service. We are grateful for the scholarship funding to honor Dr. Robertson’s long-term commitment to applied education and research opportunities for graduate and professional studies.”
UA Little Rock’s MPA program, the oldest accredited program in the state, has been responsible for producing some of the state’s best public administrators and leaders. Finos “Buddy” Johnson, a registered parliamentarian, joined the MPA program when he was a member of the staff of the Arkansas House of Representatives in the mid 1990s.
“What I found in the MPA program could not have served me better,” Johnson said. “The core faculty of Roby Robertson, David Sink, and Jerry Stevenson delivered coursework that opened my eyes to organizational theory, management, and practice that helped me understand the changing culture of my work place. He was a mentor in the truest sense and helped further my continued, successful path of a long and fruitful career in Arkansas state government. I salute him, the faculty of the MPA program, and the staff and administration of UA Little Rock for making opportunities for success available to me and countless others in our community.”
While serving as a faculty member at UA Little Rock, Dr. Robertson assisted with the creation of Central Arkansas Water, worked on creating the structure of the Clinton School of Public Service, and co-authored a major article on policy/politics in health systems.
“Dr. Roby Robertson’s work highlights the vital role that academic knowledge can play in real-world public administration,” said Tad Bohannon, executive director of Central Arkansas Water. “His ability to translate theoretical concepts into practical strategies significantly contributed to the success of Central Arkansas Water. By guiding his fellow commissioners and utility CEOs through complex challenges and ensuring that the utility maintained its world-class status, Dr. Robertson showcased how public administration can be both intellectually rigorous and practically impactful. His legacy serves as a model for how academic insights can be applied to achieve tangible results in the public service.”
For more than 25 years, Dr. Robertson worked with Dr. Donna Middaugh, associate professor emeritus at the UAMS College of Nursing, to share how healthcare professionals can manage complex healthcare systems and be effective political leaders. Dr. Robertson served as a guest lecturer in Middaugh’s Law, Policy, and Procedure course. The lecture was published as a chapter in four editions of the textbook, “Policy and Politics for Nurses and Other Health Professionals.”
“With his guest lectures, he shared his wisdom on how nurses and other healthcare providers can use the political process correctly in their workplace to effect change,” Middaugh said. “Dr. Robertson’s wisdom and practical applications, along with his memorable oral and written delivery, have influenced countless thousands of health professionals. I am thrilled that this endowed scholarship in his name will be yet another opportunity for his legacy to live on.”
Dr. Robertson was an integral part of the program’s success and continues to engage with faculty and students even after retirement in 2016. This new scholarship will support the next generation of public service professionals, empowering them to make a lasting impact in their communities.
“UA Little Rock resides in the heart of Arkansas with the state capital and government operations right around the corner,” Dr. Robertson said. “The versatility of a MPA is immeasurable. Not only do you learn how to run an organization but you learn the politics behind organizations. I want people who are interested in getting an MPA to see this scholarship as an opportunity to see how far they can go in their career with this degree.”
