University of New Orleans

Dr. Robert Whelan has been named Interim Dean of University of New Orleans' College of Urban and Public Affairs following Fritz Wagner's decision to step down as Dean to pursue other interests. Dr. Whelan has been on the faculty of CUPA for 18 years, and has served as Associate Dean, coordinator for the Masters of Public Administration and Doctoral Programs. He is involved in the American Society for Public Administration and the Urban Affairs Association and serves as the chairperson of the Slidell Planning and Zoning Commission. He was honored with the Donato J. Pugliese award for service to SECOPA. Dr. Whelan has published in the International Journal of Public Administration, Public Administration Quarterly, Public Administration Review, and the Journal of Urban and Public Affairs as well as co‑authored Urban Policy and Politics in a Bureaucratic Age with Clarence N. Stone and William J. Murin. He recently completed a book chapter on the development of sports facilities in New Orleans and is finishing a manuscript on the response of Canadian local governments to fiscal crisis. His latest project focuses on economic development in Quebec City.

The University of New Orleans College of Urban and Public Affairs morns the loss of a valued member of its faculty. Dr. Robert O. Washington passed away in July of 2000. Dr. Washington joined UNO in 1988 as Vice Chancellor for Graduate Studies and Research, Dean of the Graduate School and Professor of Urban and Regional Planning in the College of Urban and Public Affairs. Among his accomplishments was the development of both the PhD program in urban studies and also the state's only graduate certificate program in gerontology. A specialist in social planning, Dr. Washington had served as a consultant for over 30 years to local, state and federal governments on matters related to child welfare, employment and training, and the design and evaluation of human services systems. He will be missed by both UNO and the community.

CUPA is the lead consultant on the Jefferson Parish Comprehensive Plan effort of Jefferson Parish Louisiana. An initial contract includes a survey of the unincorporated areas of the parish as well as a citizen education and visioning program.

CUPA is embarking on a two year land use study of the City of Kenner. The study will culminate in a blueprint for future development of the city. CUPA researchers will review the city's zoning texts and ordinances and examine how regulations affect the city's infrastructure.

Formal establishment of the Intermodal Transportation Policy and Implementation Center, housed within CUPA, is expected this year. ITPIC is expected to raise UNO's transportation profile through education, research, and consulting to business and government.