Quarles receives national public admin honor
A senior policy analyst at Mississippi State's John C. Stennis Institute of Government is receiving a national award for advancing the role of women.
The American Society for Public Administration recently selected Lydia Quarles for the 2012 Joan Fill Bishop Award, a major recognition for women who have helped increase women's participation in the field, contributed to the public sector and shown innovative leadership.
Quarles, also an assistant professor in the university's department of political science and public administration, will receive the honor March 5 at the ASPA national conference in Las Vegas.
During her career, Quarles has worked as an attorney and a judge. From 1993-2001, she was an administrative law judge with the Mississippi Worker's Compensation Commission, where she also served a six-year term as a commissioner. She continues to practice law in-state and operates a consulting business.
The largest and most prominent professional association for public administration, the American Society for Public Administration is dedicated to advancing the art, science, teaching and practice of public and non-profit administration. The organization works to promote accountability and performance, professionalism, ethics, and social equity.
Assistant professor Bethany Stich, a departmental colleague, nominated Quarles for the award. "She has made it her life's mission to make it easier for young women lawyers to develop into quality administrative law judges," Stich wrote in her nomination letter.
Since joining the Stennis Institute in 2006, Quarles has managed numerous projects and taught graduate-level public administration courses. She also provides research reports and training sessions for the Mississippi Legislature, and is managing editor of the institute's publication, "Perspectives on Women & Politics."
Quarles holds bachelor's and master's degrees in communications from the Mississippi University for Women in Columbus and a law degree from Samford University's Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Ala. (For more biolographical information, see www.sig.msstate.edu/lydia_quarles.php.)
"The acknowledgement of this administrative work by the American Society of Public Administration is a complement to the awards I have received on the 'legal' side of my work and recognition of the integration of the law and public administration in building capacity for women seeking professional careers in public administration work," Quarles said.
For more information, contact Quarles at 662-325-9196 or LQ1@sig.msstate.edu.
Robbie S. Ward | University Relations
