Leadership change announced for School of Public Affairs & Administration

LAWRENCE — Stacey Swearingen White, director of the School of Public Affairs & Administration at the University of Kansas, has accepted a position as dean of the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois, Chicago. She will remain at KU through the spring semester.

John Colombo, interim dean for the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, has named Marilu Goodyear as SPAA’s interim director to lead the school through the transition.

The position is not new to Goodyear, having served as SPAA director from 2007 to 2014. She has also served in several leadership roles at the university, most recently as the associate vice chancellor at the KU Edwards Campus. In announcing her appointment, Colombo called Goodyear a proven leader.

Swearingen White, professor of public affairs & administration, has served in many roles throughout her 24 years at KU. She was hired as a faculty member in the urban planning program in 1998 and served as the program’s director from 2013 to 2019. Under her leadership, the program joined SPAA, strengthening the school’s reputation for graduating the next generation of leaders to serve communities on the local level. She was selected by the school’s faculty to serve as the SPAA director in 2019 when then-director Rosemary O’Leary stepped down to take leave and work with the Peace Corps in strengthening academic scholarship in developing countries.   

Swearingen White was a co-founder of and director of academic programs for KU’s Center for Sustainability.  She also served as a KU faculty fellow in the Office of Student Affairs, where she led a universitywide study determining levels of food insecurity among the student population.  She has held several leadership roles in the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning and is active in the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration. She has received several teaching and research awards during her time at KU.

“While we are sorry to see Stacey leave, we congratulate her on her appointment,” Goodyear said. “The fact that the SPAA director was chosen from a national search to lead the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois, Chicago, speaks to the quality of our school’s reputation. We have been leaders in not only local government, but in urban planning for years. Their choice shows they see Stacey is well-equipped to lead them to achieve their future goals. While it’s never easy to say goodbye to a colleague and friend, knowing she will continue in the field and continue to work as a partner on the national stage makes it easier.”   

Swearingen expressed appreciation for her time at KU.

“I am truly grateful for all the opportunities KU has given me,” she said. “While it is difficult to leave students, friends and colleagues for this next chapter, I am confident the School of Public Affairs & Administration is on a solid footing for continued success in the future.”