Quemuel "Q" Arroyo (MPA 2020) honored with NASPAA Award

NYU Wagner alumnus, Quemuel "Q" Arroyo (MPA 2020), MTA Chief Accessibility Officer, received the 2023 Alumni Spotlight Award for Outstanding Achievement in Public Service from the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA).

Q is the first Chief Accessibility Officer and Special Advisor to the Chairman & CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). In this capacity, Arroyo leads the implementation of policies, initiatives, and programs that reimagine and advance accessibility throughout the organization. He provides a holistic approach to accessibility across NYC’s subway and bus systems, Metro-North Railroad, and the Long Island Rail Road. Through his leadership, the MTA has established a $30 billion plan to make all NYC subway stations accessible.

The latest honoree is the third member of the NYU Wagner alumni community to receive this award. Hunter Johansson (MPA 2018) was recognized in 2022 for his outstanding work as the founder and CEO of Solar Responders, a nonprofit that enhances the capacity of first responders to save lives by providing renewable energy installations and backup power during hurricane seasons in Puerto Rico. In 2021, Kyleigh Russ (MPA 2020) was also honored for her nonprofit startup, Govern for America, which focuses on placing college graduates in public sector positions across the country.