Tina Nabatchi, professor of public administration and international affairs at the Maxwell School, has received the 2026 SPAR Best Book Award (Edited Volume) from the American Society for Public Administration for her co-edited book Pathways to Positive Public Administration: An International Perspective (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2024).

The American Society for Public Administration, known as ASPA, is a professional association with about 10,000 members worldwide, including government officials, scholars, students and nonprofit professionals. The Section on Public Administration Research’s Best Book Award recognizes works that achieve their research goals, are well-written and make a lasting contribution to public administration literature.

Pathways to Positive Public Administration: An International Perspective examines trust in government and negativity bias in politics. The book advocates for a more optimistic approach to the study of government and addresses a range of practices and tools for public administration. With 27 contributions, the book calls for social, evidence-based learning in public policy.

Nabatchi is the Joseph A. Strasser Endowed Professor in Public Administration and serves as director and senior research associate for the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC). She is also a senior research associate for the Campbell Public Affairs Institute. Her research focuses on citizen participation, collaborative governance, conflict resolution and challenges in public administration. Her work has been recognized with multiple Syracuse University honors, including the Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Teaching Recognition Award.