Two recent graduates of the master of public administration and public affairs program -- Thomas Radwick and Jesse Wolovoy -- have been selected for the U.S. government’s Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

"The PMF Program is the nation's most prestigious management training program for students graduating with degrees in public administration, management or policy," said Genie Stowers, professor and director of the Public Administration Program. "It's really a fast-track, management training program."

SF State has the highest number of fellows among all CSU campuses this year. CSU Dominguez Hills, CSU Sacramento and San Diego State University each has one. Stanford University also has one.

During the spring semester, Radwick and Wolovoy attended a PMF job fair in Washington, D.C., where hundreds of federal agencies in the executive branch including military departments, the National Security Agency and Department of State interviewed candidates.

Radwick, a San Francisco resident, is interested in welfare issues and has received a management analyst position with the Social Security Administration's regional office in Richmond, Calif. With a concentration in welfare states and a knack for writing, he interviewed for such positions as communications specialist and management analyst.

"At this point, I'd rather work in a field office than in Washington," Radwick said. "Field office work tends to involve the implementation of policies created in D.C."

After 10 years of experience in the public sector and completing her degree with an emphasis on policy analysis, Wolovoy landed a position with the Administration for Children and Families in San Francisco. In two years, the Oakland resident plans to advance to a program specialist position with child welfare.

"I'm interested in actually seeing [policy] implemented and working with agencies on a more local level," Wolovoy said.

Last year, four SF State students were named Presidential Management Fellows. All received jobs with a federal agency through the program.

The Master of Public Administration program is the only program accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs in San Francisco. The faculty is comprised of nationally known scholars -- three are former PMF participants -- who train students to excel in administration, governance and policy in the public and nonprofit sectors.

-- Student Writer Lisa Rau with Matt Itelson