Tomas P. Lauth, [April 27, 1938- May 13, 2023], a state budget scholar, was professor (1981-2013), chair of the political science department (1988-2001), and founding dean (2001-2013) of the School of Public and International Affairs, at the University of Georgia. He received a B.A. from Notre Dame (1960) and a Ph.D. at Syracuse University (1976). His career included working on a multi-city education study funded by the Carnegie Corporation (1964-1966), as instructor and associate dean at Hofstra University (1966-1974), associate professor of political science at Georgia State University (1975-1981), before joining the University of Georgia faculty in 1981 where he chaired 30 dissertations and taught in its study abroad program in Italy (1998-2001). His 1978 article on zero-based budgeting started a life-long interest in and advising officials on Georgia budgeting that culminated in his capstone project, Public Budgeting in Georgia (2021). In addition to numerous articles, his books include The Politics of State and City Administration (1986) and Budgeting in the States (2006). He received the Pugliese award (1998), was a NAPA fellow (2000), and NASPA president (2000-2001). At UGA, he delivered UGA’s 100th anniversary Graduate Commencement address (2001) and received the President’s Medal (2020).