Morgan Ralph
About Me
When I was in Kindergarten, I told everyone I wanted to be a beach lifeguard when I grew up. From the very beginning, I have always had a desire to help others. My interest in local government and civil service began in elementary school during class wide elections and civics courses. I carried this interest into high school through participation in the American Legion Auxiliary Virginia Girls State conference and a love of Leslie Knope from Parks and Recreation. My journey to Virginia Tech’s Center for Public Affairs and Policy (CPAP) started in 2020, when I was a freshman at Virginia Tech.
I brought a love of civil service and fascination of how local government worked in every class I took, but it wasn’t until I was seated in an introductory public policy class my first year that I realized I wanted to pursue a career in public service (though not as a beach lifeguard). The next few years at Virginia Tech, I completed coursework related to public and environmental policy, fascinated with how they intersected. My senior year of undergraduate coursework focused on government structures, environmental problem solving, and how public policies are shaped to address the needs of the public. I was inspired by my professors in the School of Public and Urban Affairs and supported by those same professors as I knew I wanted to further my education within the school.
I hold a Bachelor of Science in Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation and a Bachelor of Arts in Public and Urban Affairs from Virginia Tech. My professors encouraged me to continue my education with Virginia Tech and follow my passion for civil service. After graduating with my undergraduate degrees in the Spring of 2024, I began my journey as a student of CPAP. I started my Master of Public Administration and Local Government Management Certificate in the Fall of 2024.
My studies in the CPAP program have changed my life for the better. Every class has built upon itself, equipping me with newfound analytical, management, leadership, and normative foundational abilities. As I transitioned directly from my career as an undergraduate to a graduate student, I could see how poignant my studies in the program were. Each assignment, project, and paper I completed in the MPA program was impactful. I was given the freedom to research and present topics I am passionate about, from the issues affecting my hometown to environmental concerns across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Throughout the program, the professors and classmates have offered up new experiences, knowledge, and a sense of community. I am confident in the person I have become and know I can rise to meet the challenges modern public administrators face.
While a student in CPAP, I had an amazing professional opportunity to work as a Graduate Assistant for Virginia Tech’s Division of Facilities Office of Energy Management. This role allowed me to follow my passions for sustainability, the environment, and public service. In my graduate assistantship, I was able to apply concepts like the policy process or organizational behaviors learned at night into direct practice the following day. I was taught how organizations and systems interacted, leadership can motivate people and would then observe those principles in practice within the Office of Energy Management. Working with the Office of Energy Management gave me opportunities to engage students, faculty, and staff to promote energy conservation, advise policy decisions, and understand how a government organization operates firsthand. I have had a direct influence on Virginia Tech’s Climate Action Commitment Assessment, observing the real challenges of policy implementation and evaluation brings for a diverse stakeholder group. I am incredibly proud of my Co-Authorship of the 2024 Virginia Tech Greenhouse Gas Inventory, a report that I managed data for, conducted calculations, and helped write for the University. This role leveraged my passions for public engagement, designing programs to meet the needs of the Virginia Tech community, and allowing me to flourish in a field that married my interests.
Each artifact across my portfolio reflects my passion for the environment and my community. My work focuses on decisive leadership, management theory, and policy processes across different levels of government. The common themes throughout my portfolio are environmental policy and legislative decisions in Virginia, particularly in Southwest Virginia and the New River Valley. My work reflects key topics and concerns public administrators need to understand to best serve their community. This portfolio features key artifacts that review the Mountain Valley Pipeline in Giles County, and the effects of Data Centers on residential electric rates. All of my artifacts show a deep understanding and ability to make ethical decisions, an aptitude for leadership, and concrete analytical capabilities. My time in CPAP has been truly transformative and I am so grateful to say I have become a public administrator.