History and Funders

For nearly 50 years, The Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) has prepared students to excel in positions of public service and leadership. Throughout this time, a significant component of its mission has been to produce professionals who adhere to the highest standards of ethics and public accountability. Many of our faculty members have focused their research specifically, if not exclusively, on ethical behavior and accountability in government and nonprofit organizations. That tradition continues today through the research of GSPIA faculty members like Carolyn Ban, Kevin Kearns, Angela Foster, Leon Haley, Jerome McKinney, John Mendeloff, Paul Nelson, Simon Reich, and others. Together, these scholars, as well as other faculty members in the University of Pittsburgh, comprise a critical mass of expertise, giving GSPIA a strong comparative advantage in framing and studying problems of ethics and accountability in all contexts - local, regional, national, and international.

Over the past four years, GSPIA has taken steps to formalize its commitment to the study of ethics and accountability and serving as a forum for public debate and dialogue. An initial grant in 2000 from LaVonne and Glen Johnson was used to design a successful lecture series and two conferences. Then, in the fall of 2003, the Johnson's renewed their support allowing us to create the Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership. The Johnson Institute reaffirms GSPIA's commitment to creating ethical leaders and provides an institutional platform from which to launch innovative and timely activities that will enhance the GSPIA student body, faculty and community at large surrounding issues of ethics and accountability in all areas of public life.