Marxe Student Selected as a 2019 Presidential Management Fellow
May 8, 2019
Marc Boyd (’19), a Master of Public Administration student at the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs, was selected from more than 4,000 applicants for the 2019 Presidential Management Fellow (PMF) program.
As part of the two-year fellowship, Boyd will begin working at the Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) at Los Angeles Air Force Base this fall as an acquisition program manager.
“We are very pleased for Marc, who succeeded in the most demanding competition there is for first-time federal civil servants,” said David Birdsell, PhD, dean of the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs. “The Marxe School’s MPA program provides a terrific boost out of the gate for people bent on an extraordinary career in public service and we are looking forward to great things from Marc in this assignment and beyond.”
Boyd echoed Dean Birdsell’s assessment that his education at Marxe was instrumental to landing such a coveted career-building fellowship.
“To get an opportunity like this so early in my career is the chance of a lifetime, and I have my Marxe School professors, Baruch College, and the entire CUNY system to thank for preparing me to succeed in the assessment and application process,” Boyd said. “I hope I can make Baruch proud!”
A Flagship Leadership Development Program
Established by Executive Order in 1977, the PMF program attracts and selects outstanding graduate students across academic disciplines for rigorous assignments in the Federal government. Known as a flagship leadership development program, the fellowship aims to train a “cadre of potential government leaders” who are well-prepared to meet the future challenges of public service.
Working in the Space Field: “A Dream Come True”
Boyd has been a “lifelong enthusiast of all things space,” and said his PMF placement at the Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) is a “dream come true.” According to Boyd, the space field is still in its early days and he is excited to start the two-year PMF program.
“My commitment to public service is absolute, and I would have been honored to begin my career with the federal government wherever I ended up. But to land at a place like SMC, given my love for space… it’s pretty cool.”
The PMF website’s job description says that Boyd will “work side-by-side with military and civilian personnel engaged in ensuring America’s future in space. Your job will be to use state-of-the-art techniques to deliver sound management decisions to one or more of the Center’s projects or programs. Most importantly, you are in a pivotal role from day one and your work will have visible impact on mission success.”
Boyd is optimistic this experience will mark the beginning of a long career working for a federal agency.
“It is my hope to have an impactful career in government,” Boyd added. “Being appointed as a PMF is an amazing first step towards that goal, something which will provide enormous benefits throughout my career.”
Watch Now: Take a virtual tour of the Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs to learn first-head about programs and opportunities.
For graduate program information, go to the Marxe School Master of Public Administration website.
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