In an unprecedented sweep, all three recipients of the William A. Carlson Fellowship award – presented by the California Redevelopment Agency in March – are current students at the USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development.

Among both professionals and scholars of public administration, Carlson is recognized as having been one of California’s preeminent executives in the field of redevelopment. Today, the fellowship program bearing his name offers graduate students statewide the chance to learn about redevelopment as a career opportunity in the public sector.

Erika Martin, who will graduate May 16 with dual public administration and planning master’s degrees; Pear Utrapiromsuk, who also will graduate this month with a master of public administration degree; and Frederick Steinmann, a first-year doctor of policy, planning, and development student, received the awards during the state agency’s 2008 conference in Anaheim.

It was the first time in which all three winners came from the same institution, said John Shirey, executive director of the California Redevelopment Agency.

Representing more than 350 redevelopment agencies, the CRA is a not-for-profit organization that supports and promotes redevelopment statewide through strategic planning, education and legislation. It established the fellowship program in 2004.

As fellows, students are given the opportunity to interact with and learn from leading professionals by attending one of the association’s two redevelopment institutes or the annual conference, at no cost.

“This fellowship will be a very good complement to my education at SPPD by studying redevelopment in more detail,” Utrapiromsuk said. “In the public administration program, the focus is on building leadership and management skills, and students are well prepared for dealing with issues at the local government level.”

According to Shirey, the essential purpose of the fellowship is to increase exposure to careers in community development, economic development and redevelopment for students throughout the state.

“All of us are competing for a shrinking workforce – a large number of baby boomers are retiring, and we must find new people to fill their roles,” he said. “This program is a way to grow our future and, at the same time, give students a chance to explore a field they wouldn’t normally pursue.”

Shirey also noted that several past winners now work in redevelopment for both agencies and consulting firms.

This year’s honorees continue that trend.

Utrapiromsuk currently works as a development analyst for the City of Long Beach Redevelopment Agency. As a member of the agency’s downtown team, she facilitates projects involving hotel and condominium sites as well as researching and writing staff reports.

Steinmann is an associate consultant for David Paul Rosen and Associates, a firm specializing in financial and development advisory for affordable housing, market rate housing, redevelopment and local economic development.

Martin interns at the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency and will be promoted to development analyst in June. Her current work includes streetscape enhancements and planning the city’s first dog park in the downtown area.

“I always wanted to work in redevelopment because it focuses on fixing communities that need the most help,” Martin said. “And by getting recognized, it really opened doors for career development.”

All three recipients agreed that the awards underscore their school’s reputation as a leader in scholarship and research.

“This speaks very highly to the quality of education at SPPD,” Steinmann said. “It certainly speaks to how well SPPD is viewed by the larger economic development and redevelopment community throughout the State of California and beyond.”

The most recent U.S. News & World Report rankings, released in March, rated SPPD No. 7 among “America’s Best Graduate Schools” for public affairs. Overall, SPPD finished in the top 3 percent of public affairs schools nationwide.

One of the distinguishing features of the school is its unique multi-disciplinary approach, according to Jack H. Knott, the C. Erwin and Ione L. Piper Dean and Professor of SPPD.

He added that SPPD actively fosters collaborative work across public administration, public policy, health administration, urban planning and real estate development.

“The fellowship awards reflect how SPPD is able to bring together the various disciplines that are crucial to solving today’s problems, especially with regard to development and redevelopment,” Knott said. “And that truly sets us apart.”