Maureen Berner

Maureen Berner first joined the School of Government in 1998. She teaches evaluation and analysis courses for MPA students and provides similar training and advising to state and local government officials throughout North Carolina. Her personal research focuses on the ability of local organizations to address food insecurity, poverty, and income inequality. She has worked with nonprofits, food banks, local governments, and state agencies. Berner was a 2014–2016 UNC Thorp Engaged Faculty Fellow, a Visiting Scholar with the University of Ghent in Belgium in the fall of 2017, and recipient of numerous academic rewards. She earned a PhD in public policy from the LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin; an MPP from Georgetown University; and a BA in global studies from the University of Iowa.

Selected Publications “Measuring Poverty by What’s on the Kitchen Table,” Food and Poverty: Food Insecurity and Food Sovereignty among America’s Poor. Edited by Leslie Hossfled, Vanderbilt University Press. Scheduled pub date: September 2018.

Research Methods for Public Administration, 6th ed. Elizabethann O’Sullivan, Gary Rassel, Maureen Berner, and Jocelyn DeVance Taliaferro. Routledge. 2017.

“Organizational Capacity of Nonprofit Social Service Agencies,” with Sharon Paynter. Journal of Health and Human Services Administration 37, no. 1 (2014), pp. 111–45.

Everyday Statistics for Public Managers, 2nd ed. International City County Management Association. 2013.

"Minority Contracting Programs: A Critical Juncture of Public Policy, Administration, Law, and Statistics.” Heather Martin, Maureen Berner, and Frayda Bluestein. Public Administration Review, 67, no. 3 (May/June 2007), pp. 511–20.

“Learning From Your Neighbor: The Value of Public Participation Evaluation for Public Policy Dispute Resolution.” Maureen Berner and John Stephens. Journal of Public Deliberation. October 2011.

“What Constitutes Effective Citizen Participation in Local Government? Views from City Stakeholders.” Maureen M. Berner, Justin M. Amos, and Ricardo S. Morse. Public Administration Quarterly 35, no. 1 (2011).

Additional Publications Books

Working Without a Net: Hunger, Poverty, and Food Assistance Programs in America Maureen Berner and Sharon Paynter. Under review agreement/conditional contract with Lynne Reinner Publishers. 2010. (Estimated 250 pp.)Berner contribution: 50%

Research Methods for Public Administration. 4th Edition. Elizabethann O’Sullivan, Gary Rassel and Maureen Berner. Addison Wesley Longman. 2002. (498 pp.) Berner contribution: 20%

Edited Books

Desigualdad Y Cambio Industrial Una Perspectiva Global James K. Galbraith y Maureen Berner. Ediciones Akal, S.A. 2004. (326 pp.)Berner contribution: 50%

Inequality and Industrial Change: A Global View. James K. Galbraith and Maureen Berner. Cambridge University Press. 2001. (323 pp.) Berner contribution: 50%

Book Chapters

"Measuring Inequality and Industrial Change." James K. Galbraith and Maureen Berner in Inequality and Industrial Change: A Global View. Edited by James K. Galbraith and Maureen Berner. Cambridge University Press. 2001. pp. 16-29. Berner contribution: 50%, particularly section 2.3 to end.

“Buildings Matter: The Connection between School Building Conditions and Student Achievement in Washington D.C.” Designing Places For Learning. Edited by Anne Meek. (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the Council of Educational Facility Planners, International) 1995. pp. 85-87. Berner contribution: 100%

Refereed Articles

“Learning From Your Neighbor: The Value of Public Participation Evaluation for Public Policy Dispute Resolution.” Maureen Berner and John Stephens. Journal of Public Deliberation. October2011.

“When Even the ‘Dollar Value Meal’ Costs Too Much: Food Insecurity and Long Term Dependence on Food Pantry Assistance” Maureen Berner, Sharon Paynter, and Emily Anderson. Public Administration Quarterly, Vol. 35 No. 1. Berner Contribution: 40%

“Two Models for Nonprofit Funding Allocation: Lessons for Non-profit Managers from the National Literature and Ten Local Governments” Maureen Berner, Meredith Hatch, and Eileen Youens. The Journal for Nonprofit Management. Vol. 14, No. 1. (New York, New York: Support Center for Nonprofit Management, Fall 2010) pp. 31-46. Berner contribution: 50%

“Beer in the Firehouse: A Case Study.” Maureen Berner and Trina Ozer. Public Performance/Productivity and Management Review, Winter, 2008. pp. 275-289. Berner contribution: 66%

“A Portrait of Hunger, the Social Safety Net, and the Working Poor.” Maureen Berner, Trina Ozer and Sharon Paynter. Policy Studies Journal, Volume 36, Number 3, August 2008. pp. 403-420. Berner contribution 33%.

"The Federal Budget’s Core and Periphery: Patterns of Budget Outcomes." Journal ofPublic Budgeting, Accounting and Financial Management, Volume 17, Number 4, (PrAcademic Press: Winter 2005) pp. 437-470. Berner contribution: 100%

“A Race to the Bottom? Exploring County Spending Shortfalls under Welfare Reform in North Carolina.” Public Budgeting and Finance, Vol. 25, No. 4 (Blackwell Publishing: Winter, 2005) pp. 86-104. Berner contribution: 100%

“A Case Study of Program Evaluation in Local Government: Building Consensus through Collaboration.” Maureen Berner and Matt Bronson. Public Performance and Management Review, Vol. 28, No. 3 (M.E. Sharpe, Inc.: March 2005) pp. 309-325. Berner contribution: 50%.

“The Shifting Pattern of Government Support: Food Stamps and Food Bank Usage in North Carolina” Maureen Berner and Kelly O’Brien. Voluntary and Non-Profit Sector Research Vol. 33, No. 4 (Sage Publications: December 2004) pp. 655-671. Berner contribution: 50%

“Learning Through Action: How MPA Public Service Team Projects Help Students Learn Research and Management Skills” Gordon P. Whitaker and Maureen Berner. Journal of Public Affairs Education, Vol. 10, no. 4 (The National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Education: 2004) pp. 279-294. Berner contribution: 40%

"State of the States: A Review of State Requirements for Citizen Participation in Local Government Budgeting." Maureen Berner and Sonya Smith. State and Local Government Review, Vol. 36, No. 2 (Carl Vinson Institute of Government: Spring 2004) pp. 140-50. Berner contribution: 50%

"Current Practices for Involving Citizens in Local Government Budgeting: Moving Beyond Method" Public Administration Quarterly, Vol. 27, No. 4 (Winter 2004) pp. 410-432. Berner contribution: 100%

“Welfare Reform: Testing the Ability of the Block Grant Formula to Meet States’ Needs” Spectrum: The Journal of State Government (Council of State Governments: Fall 1996) pp. 38-51. Berner contribution: 100%

“Building Conditions, Parental Involvement, and Student Achievement in the District of Columbia Public School System”Urban Education, Vol. 28, No. 1 (Corwin Press-Sage Publications: April 1993) pp. 6-29. Berner contribution: 100%

Under Review at Peer-Reviewed Journals

“Measuring Organizational Capacity: Will Social Service Non-Profits Come Up Short?” Sharon Paynter and Maureen Berner. Submitted February, 2011 to Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly. Berner contribution: 50%

Other Published Articles/Reports

North Carolina's Educational Service Delivery Model for Children with Hearing or Visual Impairments. Evaluation Report. Paul Caldwell, Owen Franklin, Sarah Waterman, Maureen Berner, Ann McColl, Abby Parcell, and Emily Anderson. March 17, 2008. Berner contribution: 10% (executive summary).

Evaluation of Land Acquisition Process. Evaluation Report/Briefing Memorandum. North Carolina Trust for Public Land, 2007 – 2008. Maureen Berner. (University of North Carolina School of Government. June, 2008. Berner contribution: 100%

Evaluation of North Carolina Prisoner Services, 2005-2007. Maureen Berner and Joe Gavrilovich. University of North Carolina School of Government. June 2007. Berner contribution: 66%

“Program Evaluation in Local Governments: Building Consensus through Collaboration.” Maureen Berner and Matt Bronson. Popular Government (University of North Carolina School of Government: Winter 2002/2003) pp. 29-34. Berner contribution: 50%

"So You Want to Do a Survey?" Maureen Berner, Ashley Bowers and Laura Heyman. Popular Government (University of North Carolina School of Government: Summer 2002) pp. 23-32. Berner contribution: 50%

"Citizen Participation in Local Government Budgeting." Popular Government (University of North Carolina School of Government: Summer/Spring 2001) pp. 23-30. Berner contribution: 100%

"Incrementalism, Congressional Power Structures and Budget Deals—What Really Matters to Budget Policy? Insights from a Behavioral Analysis of the U.S. Federal Budget from 1962-1995." One-page summary of dissertation. PA Times, the newsletter of the American Society for Public Administration. December, 2000. Berner contribution: 100%

"A Framework of Sound Principles, Concrete Practices." Book Review Popular Government (Institute of Government: Spring 2000) pp. 39-42. Berner contribution: 100%

“The Structure of the U.S. Federal Budget 1960-1995: Beyond Incrementalism” Dissertation. LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin. Berner contribution: 100%

Fields of Expertise Citizen Participation and Civic Involvement Food Insecurity/Food Assistance Programs Poverty Program Evaluation Public Administration Research Methods for Public Administration Social Service Programs Survey Methodology