Rutgers—Newark graduate student earns award named for late lieutenant governor

Gihun Heo, a Master of Public Administration student at Rutgers—Newark's School of Public Affairs and Administration, was recently recognized for his efforts in the realm of public service with the Honorable Sheila Oliver Service Award, according to a press release. 

Growing up watching his father's efforts as a local government official and having served more than 10 years as a civil servant in South Korea's Ministry of Labor himself, Heo was inspired to pursue a career in public service, he said in an interview with The Daily Targum. 

"My interest in the public sector goes back a long way," he said. "Recently, my biggest contribution has been the revision of South Korea's trade union law, which strengthened workers' right to organize. This revision led to South Korea signing the International Labor Organization's (ILO) Freedom of Association Convention."

Despite his extensive work in public administration, Heo said he was hesitant to apply for the award but was ultimately encouraged to do so with the support of his wife and close friend.

After receiving information about the award from Aaron Gibbs, associate dean of Student and Academic Services in the School of Public Affairs and Administration, Heo said he began piecing together his application materials, including a personal statement advocating for his candidacy and a letter of recommendation from a professor.

He said he approached Suzanne Piotrowski, director of the Master of Public Administration program, for a letter of recommendation due to the positive experience he had while taking her course on open government.

"She understood my accomplishments and my passion for the Newark community better than anyone else," Heo said.

Following a competitive selection process, he said he was granted the award by the New Jersey Municipal Management Association, an organization that is focused on advancing the standard of local government.

While he is not currently a member of the association, he said he hopes to join its efforts in the future.

He added that the award was created in the name of Sheila Oliver (D-N.J.), the state's former lieutenant governor. Before her death in August 2023, she was known for her work as a public servant regarding issues like affordable housing and homelessness, Heo said.

"She is an inspiration to anyone studying public administration," he said. "Sheila Oliver is the kind of public servant I most aspire to be, and I couldn't be more honored to receive an award in her honor."

While his definitive plans for the future are unclear, he said he hopes to always lead with compassion first and foremost. Heo envisions a future of public administration where policy is designed with a "cool head and warm heart," he said in reference to English economist Alfred Marshall.

"The Sheila Oliver Award has helped me to reaffirm that commitment," Heo said. "I'm confident that if I approach the tasks ahead of me with that philosophy, I will reach the goals I have in mind, both as a public servant and as a person."