Thomas P. Lauth, Dean Emeritus of the School of Public and International Affairs and Professor Emeritus of Public Administration and Policy at the University of Georgia, died May 13, 2023. He was 85 years old. He was the founding Dean of UGA’s School of Public and International Affairs in 2001.
Dr. Lauth was a faculty member at UGA from 1981-2013 and served as Head of the Department of Political Science from 1988-2001.
In January of 2020, he was awarded the University of Georgia’s President’s Medal, an honor recognizing those who are not current employees of UGA but who have provided extraordinary support to UGA’s students, research and programs, as well as inspiration to community leaders.
Under Lauth’s 12 years of leadership as dean, SPIA quickly gained a reputation for excellence with world-renowned faculty, two research centers, multiple study abroad programs and highly successful students and alumni. Its public affairs graduate program continues to rank in the top ten in the nation.