Zane Zupan, a Master of Public Administration (MPA) graduate student in the University of Vermont’s Department of Community Development and Applied Economics (CDAE), has been selected as a 2026 Founders’ Fellow by the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), one of the nation’s leading professional organizations for public service and public administration.
The highly competitive ASPA Founders’ Fellows program recognizes emerging leaders who demonstrate exceptional promise in public service, scholarship, and professional practice. Fellows are selected from across the country and gain access to mentorship, professional development opportunities, and national conference programming designed to support the next generation of public administration leaders.
Zupan is currently pursuing their MPA in CDAE’s nationally recognized public administration program, where their academic work focuses on equity-centered governance, administrative legitimacy, and the intersection of public administration and public interest law. Their selection as a Founders’ Fellow builds on an already distinguished record of academic excellence and civic engagement.
“The UVM MPA program has been catapulted into national prestige since Dr. Christina Barsky came aboard in 2024,” said Zane Zupan. “She has made this program a world class opportunity for engagement with practical community oriented problem-solving, which has made nationally acclaimed opportunities such as the Founders’ Fellows possible for students like me.”
Zupan has held roles across local, state, and federal government, including positions with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont, the Federal Public Defender’s Office, the Vermont State Legislature, and the Office of Congresswoman Becca Balint, as well as serving as a Civic Engagement Fellow at LGBT Tech. In that capacity, they authored “Beyond Healthcare: The Supreme Court’s Decision in U.S. v. Skrmetti Prolongs Uncertainty for the Digital Privacy of Transgender People,” a policy article examining how recent Supreme Court decisions may affect digital privacy and civil rights for transgender and LGBTQ+ communities.
A Truman Scholar and recipient of the University of Vermont’s prestigious F.T. Kidder Medal, Zupan’s applied research and professional work emphasize civil rights, health equity, and democratic participation, with particular attention to how administrative systems shape public trust and well-being.
“Zane exemplifies the values of public service, intellectual rigor, and justice-centered leadership that the Founders’ Fellows program seeks to cultivate,” said Christina S. Barsky, Director of the Master of Public Administration program and associate professor in CDAE. “Their work reflects a deep commitment to making public institutions more equitable, accessible, and responsive to community needs.”
As a Founders’ Fellow, Zupan will engage with a national cohort of emerging public administration professionals, participate in mentorship and leadership development opportunities, and contribute to ASPA’s scholarly and professional community. Zupan plans to use the fellowship to further their research on equity, administrative burden, and workforce well-being in the public sector, while continuing to bridge theory and practice through applied public service.