Jennifer Flynn, MPA 2004

Research Analyst, National Fire Protection Association

How did you find yourself in the MPA program?

Prior to the MPA program, I was an undergrad at UCONN working on my B.A. in Sociology.  I was undecided about what I wanted to do after graduation but knew I wanted to make a difference and help people.  I was in the library and saw a flyer about the Department for Public Policy-specifically Non-Profit Management.  In my senior year, I enrolled in Resource Development for Non-Profits and knew I wanted to enter the program full time.  I graduated from the MPA program in 2004 with a double focus in Non-Profit Management and Public Finance.   While I was in the program, my favorite classes were the research and statistics classes, which I use in my current position.

What do you do now for work?

I work at the National Fire Protection Association as a Research Analyst.  NFPA is an international nonprofit that develops, publishes, and disseminates more than 300 consensus codes and standards intended to minimize the possibility and effects of fire and other risks.  There are 300 employees at NFPA and we serve 81,000 members.  I work in the Division of Fire Analysis and Research.  Our department is responsible for the statistics about the U.S. fire problem-where are fires occurring and what are the leading causes and I author and publish several reports a year.  The data we use comes from the reports that municipal firefighters complete after responding to a fire.  My most recent reports include Characteristics of the Home Fire Victim, Structure Fires in Barns, and Children Playing with Fire. In addition to this, I write articles for the NFPA Journal, which is published every two months.  My favorite parts of the job include writing articles and answering questions when people call or email with specific requests for information.

What is your greatest challenge in your working situation now?

My greatest challenge has been learning all of the fire terms, acronyms, and fire department procedures.  I came into the position knowing how to perform analyses and write reports, but didn’t have the background or education in the fire service.  A lot of the people that work at NFPA have some relation to the fire service, either they themselves were a firefighter or they were related to a firefighter.  I’ve had to learn a lot about fire codes and fire code adoption, and specific terminology.

How does your MPA degree help you on a daily basis? What skills do you directly use?

Statistics, research methodology, and organization’s and management, are the classes that have helped me the most in my position.  I perform literature reviews, use excel to run secondary analyses, and I’ve written and conducted interviews with fire chiefs, fire marshals, and inspectors to gather information.

What advice would you give to a current student in the MPA program?

Make connections with peers, professors, and alumni.  There are many opportunities to use the MPA degree and networking is a great way to find out what’s out there and what suits you.