Susan Gooden
Susan Gooden is one of eight recipients of the YWCA Richmond’s 2019 Outstanding Women Awards. (Courtesy photo)

Susan Gooden, interim dean of the Wilder School, to be honored with Outstanding Women Award

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Susan Gooden, Ph.D., interim dean of the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, is one of eight recipients of the YWCA Richmond’s 2019 Outstanding Women Awards.

Gooden and the other honorees will be recognized at the Outstanding Women Awards luncheon April 26 at the Richmond Marriott.

“I am deeply honored to receive this award,” Gooden said. “This accolade recognizes the commitment of the Wilder School and VCU to social equity and making our region a better place to live.”

Gooden, a professor of public administration and policy, is being honored in the education category.

Gooden is an elected fellow of the congressionally chartered National Academy of Public Administration and past president of the American Society for Public Administration. At the Wilder School, she founded the Wilder Graduate Scholars Program and is the former executive director of The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute.

Her books include “Why Research Methods Matter: Essential Skills for Decision Making” (2018, Melvin and Leigh); “Race and Social Equity: A Nervous Area of Government” (2014, Routledge); and “Cultural Competency for Public Administrators” (2012, Routledge). Her research has been published in several journals including Public Administration Review, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, and The American Review of Public Administration.

She has received several awards and honors including the VCU Distinguished Service Award and Best Academic Paper Award from the Northeast Conference on Public Administration, both in 2016, and the Dr. Jewel Prestage Pioneer Award in 2015. 

Gooden was appointed to the Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation, the accrediting arm of the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration. She has previously served as an elected member to the national policy council of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. She is vice chair of the Virginia Community College System board.

“The Outstanding Women Awards embodies YWCA’s commitment to engage, develop and honor women leaders whose work helps make our community stronger,” said Linda S. Tissiere, CEO of YWCA Richmond. “Each of these women are being recognized for their significant achievement in leadership and their important impact on our region’s health and vitality.”