MPA-ESP students JP Leous and Neal Parry win Andrew Wellington Cordier Essay contest

Two students in the Master of Public Administration program in Environmental Science and Policy (MPA-ESP) at the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) recently won the Andrew Wellington Cordier Essay contest, which was established in honor of the former dean of SIPA.  J.P. Leous and Neal Parry, who will graduate in May 2006, were awarded the prize for their policy analysis entitled, "Who is Responsible for Marine Debris? The International Politics of Cleaning Our Oceans."

Leous and Parry used work conducted in their summer MPA-ESP workshop on the Marine Debris, Research, Reduction and Prevention Act as a foundation for further research into the international politics and policies of ocean protection. The MPA-ESP Workshops in Applied Earth Systems Policy Analysis and Management challenge students to apply their theoretical knowledge and functional skills to address real-world environmental policy and management issues.  Leous' and Parry's paper first appeared in the Fall/Winter 2005 edition of the Columbia University Journal of International Affairs (JIA) under the issue theme: The Politics of Sea and Regulating Stateless Space.

The Andrew Wellington Cordier Essay competition is held twice yearly to encourage student participation in the public policy and international affairs dialogue.  Leous and Parry received formal recognition for their work at the JIA Winter Conference, which celebrated the release of their Fall/Winter 2005 issue.

The Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science Policy is a twelve-month program that trains sophisticated public managers and policymakers, who apply innovative, systems-based thinking to environmental issues.