Dr. Saundra Reinke, director of the Master of Public Administration program and associate professor of political science, has been named interim director of ASU’s Center for Immigration Studies.

“I know that Dr. Reinke will do a fine job directing the center and its activities,” says Dr. Samuel Sullivan, vice president for academic affairs. “She will continue the quality and distinctness for which the center has come to be known.”

The center was created in 2006, and its focus has been primarily on Georgia’s Latino communities. It has sponsored several campus forums dealing with immigration and the law, conducted research for the Georgia Latino Acculturation Study, and engaged in outreach in the local Latino communities.

Dr. Reinke will focus the center’s research on identifying community programs and policies that help immigrants adjust to life in the United States.

The center is housed in the Department of Political Science, as is the Master of Public Administration program, which she also directs. “Because of Dr. Reinke’s leadership, the MPA program was recently approved for accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Public Administration, which is the most prominent accreditation that an MPA program can receive. We are enormously proud of this achievement and of her work as director of the program,” says Dr. Sullivan.

One of the newest and most popular tracks in the program is Homeland Security. The track prepares students for the challenge of preparing our nation and our community for disasters resulting from terrorism, accidents, or natural causes. The first students in this track graduated in May.

The MPA program is getting a positive reputation and is attracting students from other major universities in our region,” says Dr. Reinke. “We’re preparing the next generation of leaders. We expect to one day open the newspaper and see the names of our community leaders and know they came through our program at ASU.”

Dr. Reinke, a former U.S. Air Force officer, was also instrumental in having the university join the Servicemembers Opportunity College (SOC), which allows ASU to have a presence at Fort Gordon. SOC gives soldiers the opportunity to attend ASU and receive some credit based on specific military training they may have received. Dr. Reinke chairs the Fort Gordon liaison committee which works to improve relationships between Fort Gordon and ASU.

“Because of her efforts, we will develop and maintain a close relationship with our friends at Ft. Gordon,” says Dr. Sullivan.

In addition to the roles she holds at ASU, she serves on the editorial board of the PA Times, the monthly newspaper for the American Society for Public Administration. She also finds time to volunteer in the community and was a member of the 2005 (the best class) class of Leadership Augusta. She also serves as an ordained deacon in the Episcopal Church. She says her faith and Jesus Christ are what keep her going. “Making my little piece of the world a little bit better is my abiding passion,” she says.

Her work was recognized in 2008 when the Girl Scouts selected her as one of their Women of Excellence. The award recognizes women who embody the ideals of confidence, character, courage, and service.

“I am very proud of Dr. Reinke’s accomplishments and pleased with the exceptional work that she is doing on behalf of Augusta State University,” says Dr. Sullivan.

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