Sandra Archibald

Emeritus Dean

Dr. Sandra O. Archibald served as dean of the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington from 2003-2019. Under Dean Archibald’s leadership, the Evans School ascended 20 spots to become a U.S. News & World Report top-five institution and is now nationally recognized for excellence in research and learning. In addition to growing its respected MPA program, Dean Archibald established the Evans School’s Executive MPA, PhD, and Global MPA programs, raised $100M+ in private support for School priorities, and led the renovation of the School’s historic facility, Parrington Hall. More than 2,600 Evans School students graduated during Archibald’s tenure as Dean.

She is the past president of the Association of Public Policy and Management, the top national research organization in her field, and has held numerous leadership positions with the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration and the American Society for Public Administration. In 2009, she was elected to the prestigious National Academy of Public Administration, involved in the most important and complex public governance issues that public administrators face. She has held academic appointments at—the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota and Stanford University, and with national advisory committees including the Academe, Policy, and Research Senior Advisory Committee to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Advisory Council and the Educators’ Advisory Panel to the U.S. Comptroller General and the Government Accountability Office. She holds a doctorate in agricultural economics from the University of California, Davis, and a master’s degree from the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. Archibald has made significant contributions to policy making and civic engagement in the United States and abroad. She was director of economic analysis for Rockefeller’s Commission on Critical Choices for Americans, served in the Office of Research and Development in the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and has worked extensively in Central and Eastern Europe designing environmental curriculum and academic programs for higher education. She has also worked with several United Nations agencies on questions of sustainable development.

Dr. Archibald has served on numerous National Research Council committees for the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine focusing on a variety of environmental policy issues. She has served as a consultant to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Interior, and numerous other state, national, and international organizations. In June 2010, Governor Christine Gregoire named Dr. Archibald as one of three dozen leaders to serve on the Committee on Transforming Washington’s Budget.

Dr. Archibald’s research interests focus on the intersection of economics, institutions, and public policy. She is the co-author and author of more than 100 research publications. She has won several teaching and research awards, including the Public Administration Educator of the Year award from the American Society for Public Administration in 2009. Archibald is also the recipient of numerous research grants, most recently from the Northwest Area Foundation. She teaches economics for policy analysis, environmental and natural resource policy, and advanced policy analysis.

Dr. Archibald chaired the University of Washington Environmental Stewardship Advisory Committee, served as a member of the University of Washington’s Leadership Council and the President’s Council on Enterprise Risk Management Policy, and served as Chair of the Board of Deans.

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