About the Evans School

The Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington is the pre-eminent graduate school of public policy and management in the Northwest, and ranks nationally in the top tier of graduate schools in its field.

We emphasize policy analysis and management through our:

Find out more about our mission, and courses and degrees.

Administration

Sandra O. Archibald, Dean and Professor

Ann Bostrom, Associate Dean of Research

Richard O. Zerbe, Jr., Associate Dean of Academic Affairs

Ann Marie Borys, Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs

Linda Lake, Assistant Dean for Finance of Operations

Jason Smith, Assistant Dean of Student Services & Admissions

Message from the Dean

Welcome to the Evans School of Public Affairs, ranked nationally in the top tier of schools of public policy and management and the pre-eminent school in the Northwest. For those who wish to actively shape public policy and the democratic tradition, the School is a vibrant community offering many opportunities for learning, research, professional development, and public engagement.

Whether you are a prospective student, administrator, or public or nonprofit leader, joining the Evans School means becoming a member of a well-established, highly skilled professional community. The faculty, administration, practitioner instructors, and student body have all been selected for their commitment to excellence, their record of innovative thought and performance, and their ability to work across political lines. While every member of our community works to accomplish different objectives, we share the goal of serving the common good, finding real solutions to real problems, and measuring success by our actions in public and nonprofit service.

Across the nation and the world, the scope of public life is being redefined. Changes in the economy, the environment, social welfare, population, and technology are making the challenges we face as a society increasingly complex. One result is a blurring of the boundaries that have traditionally separated the public, nonprofit, and private sectors. Thus, our society needs innovative thinkers and highly skilled communicators who can lead successful collaborations within and across these sectors. Our graduates serve in a wide variety of roles: as elected officials, public agency directors, policy and budget analysts, community organizers, policy advocates for environmental and social policy issues, international development professionals, researchers, and nonprofit leaders and managers.

For more than 40 years, members of the Evans School community have been learning from one another how to approach public policy analysis and management in a rational, efficient, and equitable manner. We also work together to build each person's capacity for leadership. Two qualities consistently characterize the most inspiring leaders in our society: the ability to hold the vision and optimism that we can make our communities and environment a better place; and the ability to communicate that vision to the public, effecting real change in attitudes and institutions.

The Evans School is proud of all of its graduates and faculty who have become those leaders. I hope you will join us.

Sincerely,

Sandra O. Archibald

Learn more about Dean Archibald and the mission of the Evans School.

Evans School Mission

We are committed to improving the quality of public and nonprofit service.

We strive to educate leaders to meet community challenges with compassion, vision, analytic rigor, and practicality.

We pursue research and ideas that work to strengthen sound public policy and management.

We are dedicated to serve the community and promote thoughtful, civil, public deliberation.

We value integrity, respect, and excellence in our own institution, in our graduates, and in the community.

Find out more about the history of the Evans School.

History

Formerly known as the University of Washington Graduate School of Public Affairs, the Evans School was founded in 1962 as the nation’s first school of public affairs at a public university. The Evans School was renamed in 2000 to honor one of Washington State’s most revered politicians, Daniel J. Evans, who served both as a U.S. Senator and Washington State Governor.

In 2003, the Evans School welcomed its sixth dean, Sandra O. Archibald, who is working to take the school’s strong legacy of public service and academic achievement created by her predeccessors – Brewster Denny, Jared Hazelton, Hubert Locke, Margo Gordon, and Marc Lindenberg – into the next era.

In 1987, the University of Washington gifted Parrington Hall to the Evans School. After two years of extensive exterior renovations and upgrades of the 85-year-old building, the administrative and faculty offices of the Evans School were transferred to it from the basement of Smith Hall.

Parrington Hall is the second oldest building on the university’s main campus in Seattle. It was built in 1902 and originally served as the university’s science building. It was renamed in 1929 after the university’s popular English Professor Vernon L. Parrington, who is best known for his Pulitzer-Prize winning book Main Currents in American Thought. It is possible that Parrington might not have felt honored by having the building posthumously named after him, as he is said to have once remarked that the building was the ugliest he had ever seen.

Find out more about the history of the University of Washington, and people of inspiration behind the Evans School, including:

Dael L. Wolfle

Dael Lee Wolfle (1906-2002) left a legacy of distinguished public service and significant contributions to the field of science and public policy. After founding the Department of Psychology at the University of Mississippi, he served as a civilian training administrator for the U.S. Army Signal Corps and then as a technical aide for the Office of Scientific Research and Development. These experiences prepared him superbly for 16 years of service as executive director of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, where he also published the prestigious Science magazine.

In 1970, Wolfle returned to the Graduate School of Public Affairs (now the Evans School), where he taught and inspired students of public administration until his last organized seminar in 1996. Major organizations sought Professor Wolfle's expertise for numerous committees and advisory panels, including the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, UNESCO, the U.S. Office of Education, the National Science Foundation, the President's Committee on Scientists and Engineers, the President's Science Advisory Committee, the Pacific Science Center, the Russell Sage Foundation, the American Medical Association, and the American Cancer Society. Professor Wolfle published numerous articles and books on the discovery and use of scientific talent and received many honors and awards, including the UW's Alumnus Summa Laude Dignatus Award in 1979.

He earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Washington and a Ph.D. in experimental psychology from The Ohio State University.

Daniel J. Evans

Daniel J. Evans ranks as one of the most distinguished leaders in the history of Washington State. Perhaps best known as governor of the State of Washington, from 1965 to 1977, he has demonstrated a lifetime commitment to public service. He has longstanding ties to the University of Washington, and exemplary experience in the fields of governance, education and the environment.

Before entering politics, Dan Evans was a civil engineer. After graduating from the University of Washington with degrees in civil engineering (BS, 1948, MS, 1949), he worked as a structural engineer for the City of Seattle, Associated General Contractors, and in private practice. In 1956, he entered politics as a member of the Washington State House of Representatives, where he served from 1956 to 1965.

He became governor of the State of Washington in 1965, serving an unprecedented three consecutive terms. He was recognized as "One of the Ten Outstanding Governors in the 20th Century" (University of Michigan study, 1981). After declining to run again, he assumed the presidency of The Evergreen State College in Olympia in 1977. From 1981 to 1983, he also served as chairman of the Pacific Northwest Electric Power and Conservation Planning Council. In 1983, after the death of Senator Henry "Scoop" Jackson, Evans was appointed and then elected to the US Senate. In 1989, he chose not to run again.

Mr. Evans is active with a large number of community and nonprofit organizations. He chaired the National Academy of Science's Commission on Policy Options for Global Warming, and co-chaired a delegation to monitor the elections in Nicaragua with former President Jimmy Carter. From 1989 to 1994, Mr. Evans also served as a political analyst for KIRO radio and TV. He also taught as a lecturer part-time at the Evans School from March 1989 to March 1990. Currently he heads his own consulting firm, Daniel J. Evans Associates.

In addition, he has served on numerous corporate and civic boards, including Costco, Puget Sound Energy, and the Nature Conservancy. In 1993, he was appointed by Governor Mike Lowry to the Board of Regents for the University of Washington, where he has served as both vice president (1995-96), president (1996-97), and chair of the Capitol Assets Committee. His term on the Board of Regents ended in 2005.

Dan Evans and his wife Nancy have three grown sons, Dan Jr., Mark, and Bruce, and nine grandchildren.

Find out more about the Evans School and its history.

Nancy Bell Evans

Nancy Bell Evans' tireless work as a civic volunteer brings energy, grace, and passion to public and nonprofit service. A leader and innovator, she was a founder and chair of the Friends of Cancer Lifeline, national chair of the First Ladies’ Mental Health Month, founding trustee at Planned Parenthood of Olympia, and founder of the Governor’s Mansion Foundation.

Nancy's passion for music is reflected in her life-long commitment to the arts. Nancy was a co-founder and board member of the Governor's Festival of the Arts and has been a trustee for the Seattle Symphony Orchestra for nearly 30 years. In addition, Nancy was a trustee for the Washington State Capitol Museum and Patrons of South Sound Cultural Activities.

Nancy is actively engaged in the community and currently serves on the boards of the Benaroya Hall Music Center, Northwest Parkinson's Foundation, and KCTS Public Television. Her commitment to higher education and the University of Washington is also noteworthy. She is a former member of the visiting committee for the School of Public Health and Community Medicine, a current member of the visiting committee for the Evans School of Public Affairs.

A Spokane native, Nancy earned a BA in music from Whitman College, where she is now a trustee. Nancy and her husband Daniel J. Evans are recipients of the 2001 E. Donnall Thomas Medal of Achievement from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, the 2003 First Citizen's Award from the Seattle-King County Association of Realtors and the Puget Sound Business Journal , and the 2004 Legacy Award from the Rainier Institute. They have three sons and nine grandchildren.

Find out more about the Evans School and its history.

Marc Lindenberg

Marc Lindenberg (1945–2002) was Dean and Professor of the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington. He divided his career between active public service in international development organizations and teaching and research at Harvard University, the University of Washington, and as Dean of the Harvard-affiliated Central American overseas business school, INCAE. As CARE USA’s Senior Vice President for Programs from 1992 to 1997, Lindenberg led global programs in more than 36 countries providing over $400 million in resources for humanitarian relief and development.

He was on the boards of Oxfam America, TVW, the Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation, the Washington Red Cross, and Npower, and on the fellows nomination committee for the Ashoka Foundation. He has facilitated strategic planning exercises for the Gates Foundation, the U.N. Foundation, the World Bank and many other organizations. He worked as an advisor to past presidents of Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala and Ecuador.

Dr. Lindenberg’s most recent book, Going Global: Transforming Relief and Development NGOs, has been nominated for the Ludwick Fleck and Rachel Carson Prizes, the ARNOVA Award for Outstanding Book in Nonprofit and Voluntary Action Research, and the Virginia A. Hodgkinson Research Prize.

Find out more about the Evans School and its history.

Betty Jane Narver

Betty Jane Narver (1934-2001) was a senior research fellow at the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs. She was formerly the Director of the Institute for Public Policy and Management, a research unit within the Evans School. Narver's work covered education reform efforts within Washington and nationally as well as efforts to reform the welfare system. She conducted research on a number of national and state programs, particularly those dealing with social and health services, fiscal policy, and state growth management policy.

Much of Narver's work focused on workforce preparation, especially for traditionally underserved populations. She was appointed by three governors to serve as Chair of the Washington State Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board and was a member of the Governors' School to Work Task Force. Narver also served as Chair of the National Governor's Association's State Workforce Investment Board Chairs' Association. With support from the German Marshall Fund, she lead study teams from the Pacific Northwest to observe workforce preparation programs in Germany, Denmark and Sweden. She participated as a faculty member for the European Institute on Workforce Development.

Ms. Narver had a long involvement in city and regional issues. She was a past president of the Municipal League of King County, past chair of the Group Health Foundation Board, and a member of the Education Working Committee of the Washington Roundtable. She was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Seattle Public Library and was a Board member of its Foundation. Ms. Narver received the University of Washington's 1991 Outstanding Public Service Award. On the national level, she served on the Boards of the Urban Libraries Council, The Cross-City Campaign for Urban School Reform and the National Civic League.

Narver held an M.A. degree in classical Chinese language and literature from the University of Washington.

Find out more about the Evans School and its history.

Location

The main campus of the University of Washington (UW), where the Evans School is located, is three miles north of downtown Seattle between the shores of Lake Washington and Lake Union in the heart of the Pacific Northwest.

A Region Full of Diversity

The Seattle area is a complex, distinctive metropolis that is old enough to have confidence and charm, and new enough to be innovative and surprising. It is a city of highly diverse neighborhoods and communities reflecting a variety of ethnic and cultural influences. Many who visit Seattle find themselves intrigued by its complexity and charmed by the beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

The neighborhoods surrounding the UW campus are known as Wallingford and the U-District, two residential sections of the city long considered to be one of the most attractive in the nation for their abundance of original 1920s craftsman houses.

Seattle is also an internationally recognized center for trade, education, high-tech manufacturing, and medical care and research.

Surrounded by Natural Beauty

Seattle, the "Emerald City," has twice been called the most livable city in the United States because of its:

  • Active dedication to the arts,
  • Progressive local government,
  • Healthy business community,
  • And a mild climate with less annual rainfall than New York and Atlanta

Seattle is also surrounded by a natural landscape of mountains and water that is the envy of most major metropolitan areas. From the top of the Space Needle at 600 feet in the air, there is a breathtaking view in every direction—sometimes rugged, sometimes placid. Iconic features of Seattle that can be seen from the Space Needle include:

  • Elliott Bay,
  • Lake Washington,
  • Puget Sound,
  • The Olympic Mountains,
  • The North Cascades,
  • And Mount Rainier.

Endless Recreational Opportunities

The city's population has a reputation for enjoying a vast range of recreational activities, and Seattleites generally refuse to let a few raindrops spoil:

  • Shopping at Pike Place Market,
  • Visiting the nationally acclaimed Woodland Park Zoo,
  • Taking in the annual Seafair festivities of boating and aviation,
  • Or hiking in the Olympic, Mount Rainer, or North Cascades national parks.

In fact, the residents of Seattle own more boats, see more movies, drink more espresso, and read more books per capita than those of any other city in the United States.

Seattlelites are also ardent sports fans and supporters of the UW Huskies, the Seattle Seahawks, Supersonics, Storm, and Mariners.

On sunny days the city's parks are filled with the enthusiasm of pick-up basketball, ultimate Frisbee, and pet-loving city dwellers.

There are also excellent resident opera and ballet companies, symphony and chamber orchestras, and a remarkable range of live theater companies that produce everything from repertory to world premieres.

Take a virtual tour of Seattle, or find out more about the Evans School and our Visiting Committee.

Visiting Committee

The Evans School Visiting Committee connects the school with the larger community. Committee members are volunteers who help us forge meaningful ties with students, alumni, donors, community leaders, and elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels.

Committee members also serve as mentors and role models for our students, and showcase the distinguished public and nonprofit service some of our graduates have come to exemplify.

Evans School Visiting Committee members include:

  • Virginia L. Anderson - President, The Safeco Foundation
  • Sandra O. Archibald - Dean and Professor, Evans School of Public Affairs
  • Linda Calbom, CPA, CGFM - United States Government Accountability Office
  • Bill Center - President, Washington Council on International Trade (retired)
  • John Chapple - Hawkeye Investments LLC
  • Lt. General Peter Chiarelli - U.S. Army
  • Chuck Collins - President, Colsper Corporation (retired)
  • Kerry Coughlin - Communications Director for the Americas, Marine Stewardship Council
  • Paul Demitriades - Principal, PB Demitriades Management & Consulting (retired)
  • Ronald P. Erickson - CEO, Extreme Molecular Sciences
  • Angela Evans - Daniel J. Evans & Associates
  • Daniel J. Evans - Daniel J. Evans & Associates
  • Nancy Bell Evans
  • Robert Flowers - Senior Vice President, Washington Mutual (retired)
  • Karen R. Fraser - Senator, State of Washington
  • Helene Gayle, MD, MPH - President/CEO, CARE
  • Christine Gregoire - Governor, State of Washington
  • Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney - Washington State Representative, 46th District
  • John Hoerster - Chair/Managing Director, Garvey, Schubert & Barer
  • Wendy Holden - Washington State Department of Health (retired)
  • Kate Janeway - President, Great Governance Group
  • John R. Kephart - Washington First International Bank
  • Jim Lane - Consultant, Osgood O’Donnell & Walsh
  • Gary Locke - Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
  • Patricia McKay - Executive Director, Medina Foundation
  • Neil L. McReynolds - Strategic Director, Buerk Dale Victor LLC
  • Gregory J. Nickels - Mayor, City of Seattle
  • David M. Olsen - Senior Vice President, Starbucks Coffee Company
  • Harry and Ann Pryde - Pryde Corporation
  • Norman B. Rice - Distinguished Practitioner-in-Residence, Evans School of Public Affairs
  • Charles T. Royer - President, Institute for Community Change
  • Ron Sims - King County Executive
  • Patricia Stonesifer - Senior Advisor, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
  • Lyn Tangen - Director, Government and Community Relations, Vulcan Inc.
  • Andrea Taylor - Director, North America Community Affairs, Microsoft Corporation
  • Robert Watt - Vice President, Government & Community Relations, Commercial Airplanes, The Boeing Company (retired)
  • Bruce Williams - Chief Executive Officer, HomeStreet Bank
  • Colleen Willoughby - President, Washington Women’s Foundation (Chairwoman)
  • Cynthia Zehnder - Chief of Staff, Washington State Governor’s Office

Find out more facts about the Evans School and its history.

Fast Facts

By the Numbers

Students in 2007-08

  • Master of Public Administration (MPA) programs: 299
  • Executive Master of Public Administration program: 63
  • Ph.D. in Public Policy & Management: 10
  • Total: 372

Faculty & Staff in 2007-08

  • Nucleus faculty: 32
  • Senior lecturers, and affiliate & adjunct professors: 7
  • Collegiate staff: 34
  • Research center staff: 22
  • Executive training staff: 7
  • Total: 102

Tuition in 2007-08

  • MPA Program: $9,917 (in-state) $21,964 (out-of-state)
  • Executive MPA program: $33,000
  • Ph.D. program: $9,417

Funding in 2007-08

  • State: $3.6 million
  • Grants & contracts: $7.3 million
  • Annual gifts: $882,140
  • Endowments for Excellence: $541,601
  • Endowments fellowships: $127,563
  • Annual fellowships: $58,660
  • Fee-based training: $224,840
  • Fee-based Executive MPA: $228,683
  • Endowment market value: $17.5 million
  • Total: $30.5 million

Global Outreach

  • Hubert Humphrey International Fellows: 13
  • Korean Civil Service Commission Scholars: 9
  • Peace Corps Master's International Students: 16
  • International Development Certificate Program Students: 35

Employment of Students in 2007

  • Employed or continuing education withing six months of graduating: 93 percent
  • Public sector: 60 percent
  • Nonprofits: 23 percent
  • Private sector: 17 percent
  • Average annual salary (2007): $48,985 (MPA) $52,700-$80,000 (Executive MPA)

Management & Policy Specializations

  • Education & Social Policy
  • Environmental Policy & Natural Resources Management
  • International Affairs
  • Nonprofit Management
  • Urban & Regional Affairs
  • Concurrent degrees with:
    • Public Health
    • Law
    • Forest Resources
    • International Studies
    • Urban Design & Planning

Distinguished Evans School Graduates

  • Virginia Anderson, President, Safeco Foundation
  • Peter Chiarelli, Lieutenant General, U.S. Army
  • Joan Fanning, Founding Executive Director, NPower
  • Karen Fraser and Joe McDermott, Washington State Senators
  • Neal Johnson, Government Performance Project Director, Pew Charitable Trust
  • Norman B. Rice, Former City of Seattle Mayor
  • Jill Wakefield, President, South Seattle Community College

Find out more about the Evans School by reading our Fact Sheet (455 KB PDF).

Working at the Evans School

To apply for non-faculty positions at the University of Washington (UW), visit the UW's Employment Opportunities web site. Once there, follow the instructions for internal and external candidates as appropriate. You will need to have a profile in order to apply for this position; please follow the instructions after selecting "Apply To This Job" above the job description.

Employment Opportunities

Faculty

Staff

  • Program on the Environment Research Assistant (Req # 48721)
  • Assistant Director of Career Services (Req # 46527)

To view the full description and apply for staff positions, use the Search and apply for UW jobs link. Then use the Req # included with the job listing above to locate the posting.

Map and Directions

UW Campus Map Illustrating Parrington HallMap

Driving Directions: Traveling North on I-5

Option 1: Underground Parking
From I-5 northbound, take the NE 45th Street exit (#169). Turn right onto NE 45th Street. Continue east about one quarter mile to 15th Avenue NE and turn right. Head south on 15th Avenue three blocks to NE 41st Street. Turn left at Gate #1 into the Central Plaza Garage. Stop at the gatehouse inside the garage for directions and a parking permit.

Option 2:
From I-5 northbound, take the NE 45th Street exit (#169). Turn right onto NE 45th Street. Continue east about one half mile to 17th Avenue NE. Turn right onto the main campus. Stop at the Gate #2 for directions and a parking permit.

Driving Directions: Traveling South on I-5

Option 1: Underground Parking
From I-5 southbound, take the NE 45th Street exit (#169). Turn left onto NE 45th Street. Continue east about one quarter mile to 15th Avenue NE and turn right. Head south on 15th Avenue three blocks to NE 41st Street. Turn left at Gate #1 into the Central Plaza Garage. Stop at the gatehouse inside the garage for directions and a parking permit.

Option 2:
From I-5 southbound, take the NE 45th Street exit (#169). Turn left onto NE 45th Street. Continue east about one half mile to 17th Avenue NE. Turn right onto the main campus. Stop at the gatehouse (Gate #2) for directions and a parking permit.

Parking at the University of Washington
Maps of the UW Seattle Campus