2023-2024 Graduate Bulletin

Robert J. Hong Memorial Scholarship

Robert Hong was a person of many dimensions. He served as John Jay’s Director of Educational Technology, also known as the “Blackboard Guru.” He had an academic background as an architect and urban planner. As an adjunct professor for over 25 years at John Jay College, he initially taught introductory courses in public administration. Gradually he moved to teaching courses in planning and finally, realizing the importance of the emerging computer technologies for students, he designed and offered a course entitled, "Computer Applications in Public Administration."

Some students have also had the good fortune to know Professor Hong as an instructor, in PAD 440, the senior seminar in the Public Administration major, which he taught for more than five years. Professor Hong designed the course to challenge students with hard cases and questions about ethics in public service. It is a testament to Professor Hong's reputation as a professor that this course consistently filled within hours of registration opening.

In 1994-95, John Jay College was asked by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to integrate an Associate Degree program into the initial training for police cadets on the island, as part of the Governor's commitment to make the police force a more professional law enforcement organization. The Department of Public Management faculty asked Robert Hong, who was fluent in Spanish, to represent the Department in this project. For more than a year he served in Puerto Rico, as a full-time member of the John Jay faculty, instructing the new police recruits in Spanish.

In 2008, Robert Hong passed away after a long battle with cancer. Throughout a series of treatments, he continued to demonstrate the qualities that are valued and loved by all of the members of the John Jay College community who knew him. He was informed, committed, innovative, skilled, dedicated and caring.

The Robert J. Hong Memorial Scholarship ($500) is awarded to a student excelling in the Masters of Public Administration program who has a strong commitment to service and the field of public administration.

Eligibility

To be considered, a student must:

  • Be enrolled in the Masters of Public Administration program
  • Have completed at least 12 credits
  • Have a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average

Application process:

To apply, you must submit a letter of self-nomination (maximum of 300 words) to the Office of Scholarships, Room 1280N, by the designated deadline. Your letter should detail your commitment to public administration and how you embody the spirit and perseverance of Robert Hong.