As a leader in COMPA, Dr. White involved students in establishing the organization’s Journal of Public Management and Social Policy. He served as the Editor, and two of his students were the Assistant Editors. One of his former students is the current Editor-in-Chief of the Journal. As Past President of ASPA, he helped acquire funding to take 25 young scholars to South Africa to study its “Truth and Reconciliation” process.

Dr White has been a thought leader in the areas of environmental justice, diversity equity and inclusion (DEI), sustainable development, health disparities, talent management, and artificial intelligence. Not only has he written and lectured widely in these fields, but he has also fostered programmatic initiatives to help bring them to fruition. Former students and mentees are frequent collaborators for his work in these areas.

Dr. White was one of the founders of the environmental justice movement. His early work on “Race, Class and Environmental Hazards” continues to serve as a primer in understanding the politics and policy decision-making in this arena. It was his honor to write the forward for a book in this area by one of his former students. Dr. White writes about DEI, established and served as the Director of the Roscoe Robinson Initiative for Diversity and Public Service at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA). Similarly, accompanying his scholarship on health disparities is the Gulf Coast Center for Health Disparities, which he founded and directed, raising more than ten million dollars to address health issues in underserved communities.

Another aspect of Dr. White’s public service is his philanthropic stewardship. He taught his students and mentees by example, fostering the creation of seven permanent annuities. Five of these annuities support student professional development; one addresses health disparities, and the other helps the COMPA journal he created. Perhaps the most recognized aspect of Dr. White’s service is his international development work. He has lectured and conducted research in more than 70 countries. He is the Founder and Past Chair of the Consortium for International Management Policy and Development (CIMPAD).

Through his work with CIMPAD, Dr. White has helped organize conferences and workshops and supported development activities in 12 African countries. These activities include providing supplies and resources for constructing a rural school, supporting a community water project, an orphanage, incarcerated mothers with children, health centers, funding for students’ tuition, five youth entrepreneurship projects, etc. Many of Dr. White’s former students and mentees participate in CIMPAD activities. For instance, one of his former students coordinates the youth entrepreneurship projects, two are members of the steering committee, and five are advisors/mentors for youth entrepreneurs.

As indicated above, Dr. White’s public service contributions have been numerous and expansive. He has had a positive impact on the lives of countless individuals during his distinguished career. Dr. White will be 75 on April 10, 2024. We plan to use the weekend before this date to express our appreciation for his positive influence on our lives and the legacy he has left for us to follow.