The Michael A. Stegman Award for Policy Research and Advocacy was established in 2007 by the faculty to honor Professor Michael Stegman, first chair of UNC’s Department of Public Policy and previously a professor and Chair of the Department of City and Regional Planning. Throughout his forty-year career at UNC, Dr. Stegman produced high-quality policy research and analysis to advocate for affordable housing and for financial services and asset-building opportunities for the poor and working poor. Dr. Stegman served as Assistant Secretary for Policy and Research at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, chaired the White House Working Group on President Clinton’s National Urban Policy Report, and founded UNC’s Center for Community Capitalism. He retired from UNC to become director of policy for the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in 2007. In 2012, he became the Counselor to the Secretary for Housing Finance Policy at the US Department of the Treasury.

The Stegman Award for Policy Research and Advocacy will recognize a graduating public policy major who has demonstrated an ability to use policy research and analysis to advocate for social change and a commitment to play a future role in policy research and advocacy.

The Undergraduate Affairs Committee will recommend a recipient to the faculty of the Department of Public Policy. The recipient will be recognized at our spring departmental commencement ceremony.