A long, distinguished career has taken Army Colonel Pia W. Rogers ’01 J.D./M.P.A. to assignments around the globe and led to her current position at the Pentagon.

On June 28, she we will return to where her professional journey began, Syracuse University, to give the keynote address at the 2024 Maxwell School master of public administration convocation ceremony, as the school celebrates its 100th anniversary.

Rogers plans to talk about her path in the 22 years since earning a Maxwell M.P.A., as well as her commitment to public service and her advice for graduates. “Today my energy is derived from those around me—subordinates, peers and superiors—and how we, collectively, improve our foxhole,” she says.

After being commissioned at Syracuse University through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program and earning her undergraduate degree in journalism from Newhouse in 1998, Rogers went on to complete the J.D./M.P.A. dual-degree program in 2001.

She joined the Army’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps in 2002 and has been an active-duty soldier for 22 years. During that time, she has been stationed at numerous locations across the globe, including Taegu, South Korea; Kabul, Afghanistan; and Bolslawiac, Poland. In the U.S., she has worked in Maryland, Virginia, Kansas, North Carolina, Colorado and now, at the Pentagon, where she serves as the chief of legislation, investigations, and nominations for the Office of the Chief Legislative Liaison, U.S. Army.

Maxwell’s M.P.A. program was the first program of its kind in the nation and was one of the original educational offerings of the Maxwell School when it opened in Slocum Hall on Oct. 3, 1924, thanks to the vision and support of George Holmes Maxwell. The yearlong program runs from July to June and has consistently been ranked No. 1 by peers surveyed for U.S. News & World Report. It blends theory and practice to prepare service-oriented leaders for careers in a wide-range of fields in the public and private sectors.

The convocation ceremony begins at 10 a.m. in Hendricks Chapel with welcoming remarks by Patrick Edwards ’24 M.P.A. and a graduating student address by Omer Keles ’24 M.P.A.   

At the conclusion of the keynote and student addresses, the Brady K. Howell Maxwell Alumni Award will be presented to Judith Douglas ’77 B.A. (AmSt)/’81 M.P.A. Douglas is the industry chair of the Collaboration Council for the American Council for Technology - Industry Advisory Council Executive Committee.

Douglas’s public service leadership spans federal, state and local levels of government, as well as nonprofit organizations, academia and private Industry. She is being honored for her innovative and collaborative contributions across industries and her ongoing involvement as an alumna.