School of Public Administration PhD Student Profiles

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of PhD students and candidates in Public Administration

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Bit An

Del Bharath

Doctoral Candidate Specializations: Public Budgeting & Finance, Urban Mangement Email: ban@unomaha.edu

Doctoral Candidate Specializations: Public Policy, Urban Management Email: dbharath@unomaha.edu

Bio Bit An is a doctoral candidate in the School of Public Administration. His research interests include public finance and budgeting, community district organization, public and nonprofit financial management, and the financial relationship between nonprofits and local governments.

Bio Del Bharath is a doctoral candidate in the School of Public Administration. She completed her Bachelors in English and Psychology at Florida Atlantic University before moving to Nebraska to serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA. This fostered an interest in public administration, specifically in increasing effectiveness and efficiency in the nonprofit sector. She pursued her MPA at UNO and received her degree with a concentration in nonprofit management in May 2014. Her research attempts to link public administration theory with practice by examining the questions asked by practitioners in the field.

His current research interests span both the government and nonprofit sectors.

He studies how fiscal institutions influence decisions made by nonprofit organizations and governments. Bit wants to contribute to strengthening public finance and budgeting policy through his research.

Education MPA, Arizona State University MPA, University of Seoul BA, Public Administration, Hansung University

Research Interests Public Budgeting & Finance Urban Policy and Community-based organizations Public & Nonprofit Financial Management Fiscal Institutions and Fiscal Decision-making

Research Interests Nonprofit management Board governance Civic engagement Volunteerism National service programs Urban studies Gentrification Community redevelopment.

CV Link https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Del_Bharath

Education MPA, Nonprofit Concentration (2014) University of Nebraska at Omaha BA, English (2005) Florida Atlantic University (Boca Raton, Florida) BA, Psychology (2005) Florida Atlantic University Professional Background Assistant Professor, Savannah State University

Felipe Blanco

Kristin B. Broyhill

Doctoral Student Specializations: Public Policy, PA Theory Email: fblancosanchez@unomaha.edu

Doctoral Candidate Specializations: Public Policy, PA Theory Email: kbroyhill@unomaha.edu

Bio Felipe Blanco was born and raised in Mexico City, where he received his BA in Economics and his Master’s in Public Administration and Public Policy. Upon completion of his Masters, he worked as an Adjunct Professor at the Center for Teaching and Research in Economics (CIDE). At CIDE, he studied and wrote about performance evaluation systems and public policy and democracy. He also taught graduate courses on public administration and organizational theory.

Felipe has also served as an independent consultant for federal and local government agencies in Mexico. He has collaborated on multiple research projects to analyze a variety of public policies: from national public health systems with over 50 million affiliates, to state level programs to promote high school completion.

Bio Kristin B. Broyhill is a native Nebraskan and competed her BA and MA degrees at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Before returning to Nebraska for graduate school, she earned her International Peacekeeping Certificate at the Austrian Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution and her Texas Teaching Certificate with the Texas Teaching Fellows. In addition to teaching middle school ESL, social science, and language arts; she has worked in the nonprofit sector with organizations such as the U.S. Committee for the UN Development Program in Washington, DC and the Kalahari Peoples Fund in Austin, TX. During her studies and nonprofit work, she participated in fieldwork researching government relations and economic development in Mexico, South Africa, and Namibia.

In 2016, Felipe and his wife moved to the U.S., where he worked as a Community Organizer for the Health Access Program at Nebraska Appleseed, a nonprofit organization based in Lincoln.

Since graduating with her Master’s degree, Kristin has remained in higher education, serving as UNO’s Department of Political Science’s academic program coordinator and teaching political science courses.

Felipe is also a Hip-Hop artist known as Elemsiburron and a craft beer enthusiast that hosts a brewery tour in Spanish at Zipline Brewing Co. every month.

Education Bachelor of Arts, International Studies University of Nebraska-Lincoln Master of Arts, Political Science University of Nebraska-Lincoln Research Interests Civil Society Economic Development Public Implementation Local Government

Publications and Conference Papers Miller, Jennifer, McMahon, Patrice, and Broyhill, Kristin, The ICTY as a Realist Institution: International Courts, Accountability Networks, and Transitional Justice (2011).

APSA 2011 Annual Meeting Paper. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1900500 Broyhill, Kristin, and Adrianne Daggett. What These People Want? Indigenous self-determination through the lens of John Marshall. 2nd Annual CIC-AISC Faculty Research Symposium. 2009. Michigan State University.

Dakota Caldwell

Lucas Casey

Doctoral Student

Doctoral Student Specializations: Urban Management, Nonprofit Management Email: ljcasey@unomaha.edu

Email: dakotacaldwell@unomaha.edu Bio Dakota Caldwell is a native of Glasgow, Kentucky. He is a first-year doctoral student in the School of Public Administration. Dakota received both his Master’s in Public Administration and Bachelor’s degree in Systems Management from Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky. At WKU, Dakota focused his studies and research on social capital in gentrifying communities.

Specifically, he focused on how community resistance to gentrification policy affects social capital and networks. He also has research interests surrounding social stratification, migration, and generally how policy affects social class.

Dakota has served as an intern for the city of Bowling Green in the Neighborhood Services Division where he spent time working with migrant communities in Bowling Green. He also worked at WKU as an ADA compliance assistant where he ran the front-end of the University’s transcription system. These experiences helped Dakota realize the importance of policy for underserved communities and the critical role that public entities play in filling gaps left by the private sector and current public policy.

Education MPA, Local Government Administration, Western Kentucky University BS, Systems Management–Information Systems, Western Kentucky University

Research Interests Public Policy Social Capital Social Stratification Migration

Bio Lucas Casey has a diverse professional background which includes positions on city staff with two growing suburban communities, time as the executive assistant to the president at a small private university, and a stint as a local TV news anchor at the ABC-affiliate in Des Moines, Iowa. He is currently serving as the business development manager and local government consultant for Iowa at Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. A constant through his varied experiences is Luca’s interest in and involvement with local government systems and processes. During his time in the doctoral program, Casey intends to explore professional management on local governments; especially related to younger managers in the city management profession and small- and medium-sized communities.

His interest in local government also has led to numerous opportunities for community involvement, including current service on the Greaer Des Moines Partnership Government Policy Council and the West Des Moines Quality of Life Council. Lucas also previously served in the United States Marine Corps Reserves.

Lucas is a lifelong Iowan. He was born and raised in Manson, Iowa and currently lives in West Des Moines, Iowa, with his wife and three children.

Education BA, Public Administration: Economics and Finance University of Northern Iowa (Cedar Falls, Iowa) MPA, Public Policy Drake University (Des Moines, Iowa)

Melanie Chapman

Minshuai Ding

Doctoral Candidate Specializations: Public Policy, PA Theory Email: mmchapman@unomaha.edu

Doctoral Candidate Specializations: Urban Management, Public Budgeting & Finance Email: mding@unomaha.edu

Bio Melanie Chapman is a doctoral candidate with a diverse academic background in Physical Education and Recreation, Health Education, Sociology, Human Ecology, and Philosophy. Her work draws attention to the interface between health research, public policy, and administrative practice. Through a strong engagement with local coalitions to improve population health outcomes, her research interests include governance networks; critical social and post traditional theory; health equity; and, power relations and agency. Melanie has a strong background in qualitative research methods, with particular emphasis on interviewing, focus group facilitation, and discourse analysis.

Bio Minshuai Ding is a doctoral candidate in the School of Public Administration. Born and raised in Mainland China, Minshuai has strong concerns about problems in bureaucracy, political liberty, and urban management. He is exploring the possibilities of institutional arrangements for delivering public service and specifically focuses on special districts. His ongoing research revolves around specialized governance of public transportation and library services. He takes public finance as a crucial perspective to look into the operation of public organizations.

Melanie completed her MPA at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and BA at Laurentian University (Sudbury, Ontario, Canada). She has a background in program evaluation, research, and teaching and was previously a Research Assistant in the Department of Medicine and Dentistry and lecturer in the Physical Education & Recreation Department at the University of Alberta (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada).

Minshuai has been a dedicated nonprofit practitioner. He worked for four years as a researcher and editor at Transition Institute in Beijing, an organization winner of Templeton Freedom Prize awarded by Atlas Network in 2010. He is also a volunteer for Long Island Chinese American Association in New York State, which brought him a citation from the executive of Nassau County, NY. On the UNO campus, he is serving the Waldo Society, a doctoral student group in the SPA.

In her free time, Melanie competes in triathlons and is a certified triathlon coach and race director. She is an active volunteer member with USA Triathlon in the Regional Planning, North Central Women’s Working Group to create resources and tools and offer mentorship to provide opportunities for women in the sport of triathlon.

Minshuai is a loyal reader of Jorge Luis Borges, Oswald Spengler and the Ostroms. Fishing and archery are new hobbies that Midwestern life gives him.

Selected Publications Donovan L, Hartling L, Muise M, Guthrie A, Vandermeer B, Dryden DM. (2013). Screening Tests for Gestational Diabetes: A Systematic Review for the U.S. Preventive Service Task Force. Annals of Internal Medicine. 159(2): 115-122.

Hartling L, Dryden DM, Guthrie A, Muise M, Vandermeer B, Aktary WM, Pasichnyk D, Seida JC, Donovan L. (2012). Screening and Diagnosing Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Evidence Report/ Technology Assessment No. 210. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Publication No. 12(13)-E021-EF. Rockville, MD.

Carrier BK, Muise M, Cummings GG, Newburn-Cook C. (2009) Healthcare Succession Planning: An Integrative Review. Journal of Nursing Administration. 39 (12): 548-555. Michigan State University.

CV Link https://unomaha.academia.edu/MelanieChapman

Education MPA, Rutgers University-Newark, NJ, 2013 BA, Literature & Chinese Language Beijing Language and Culture University, China, 2008

Research Interests Urban Management: specialized governance, local governance network, public transportation, public libraries, social problems in urban areas.

Public Finance: funding structure of public organizations, use and effects of public grants.

BJ Fletcher

Lora Mae Frecks

Doctoral Candidate Specializations: Public policy, Urban Management Email: bjfletcher@unomaha.edu

Doctoral Candidate Specializations: Information & Technology Management, Public Policy Email: lmfrecks@unomaha.edu

Bio B.J. Fletcher is a doctoral candidate at the School of Public Administration, University of Nebraska at Omaha. His research interests focus on public policy, food policy, and comparative policy, in particular, on food security and poverty in the United States and internationally. His research also focuses on socially vulnerable populations in the urban context around issues related to social policy and has an interest in public administration ethics.

Bio Before returning to school, Lora managed the intellectual property portfolio of a public medical research university. Continuing her work with innovators and inventions, Lora volunteers with other civic hackers in Nebraska and serves as the treasurer for the American Society of Public Administration’s (ASPA) Section for Science & Technology in Government (SSTIG). Her research focuses on community members’ co-production of services and resources with governments and nonprofits. She can be found online at frecks.info.

He has also done work on emergency management and food security. His dissertation project examines food insecurity among college students by taking a phenomenological approach to understanding their lived experiences and the role of social construction of identity in policy design to address college students’ needs.

Education Masters of Public Affairs, Public Policy University of Missouri-Columbia MS, Personal Financial Planning University of Missouri-Columbia BA, Business Administration – Finance Westminster College, Fulton Missouri

Research Interests Public policy Food policy Comparative policy Urban studies Public administration ethics Qualitative and quantitative research methods for public administration Emergency management and food security Publication MacNabb, E., & Fletcher, B.J. (2019). Hurricanes, Disasters, and Food Insecurity: The Intersection of Two Social Events.

Emerging Voices in Natural Hazards Research, 121.

Cambridge, MA: Elsevier Inc.

Education MPA University of Nebraska at Omaha BA, Biology Chadron State College Professional Background Intellectual Property Manager University of Nebraska Medical Center, Intellectual Property Office/UNeMed Corporation, 2001-2010

Research Interests Citizen Participation e-Government Information Policy Innovation Policy Peer-Reviewed Publications Publication Frecks, Lora Mae, 2011. “Patent Donations” in the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) Technology Transfer Practice (TTP) Manual: Volume IV. July 2011.

Sue Ann Gardner

Joel Gehringer

Doctoral Student Specializations: Information & Technology Management, Public Policy Email: sagardner@unomaha.edu

Doctoral Student Specializations: Public Budgeting & Finance, PA Theory Email: jfgehringer@unomaha.edu

Bio Sue Ann Gardner is a second-year doctoral student. She has been a librarian in public higher education throughout her career. In her work as the Scholarly Communications Librarian at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), she helps to administer one of the largest institutional repositories in the world, making academic literature available online for free to any interested reader (https://digitalcommons.unl.edu). She is a fully promoted faculty member at UNL and regularly serves as a consultant, peer reviewer, and conference organizer.

Bio Joel Gehringer is a fourth-year doctoral student in the School of Public Administration. Joel is currently Director of Annual Campaigns at the University of Nebraska Foundation, heads the annual fund for UNO and oversees strategy and analytics for annual giving campaigns among the University of Nebraska campuses – UNK, UNMC, UNL – and hospital Nebraska Medicine. In his ninth year in the position, Joel strives to increase philanthropic support of public higher education in Nebraska.

She gained an interest in public administration as she became aware of its relevance to her work in academic libraries. As libraries transition to virtual means of access and connection, aspects of digital governance have become relevant to library operations, which drew her to UNO’s Digital Governance and Analytics Lab. As its mission statement reads, the work of the Lab affords the opportunity to explore and “develop innovative theory and practice to advance digital governance and data analytics for the creation of public values.”

Joel is interested in studying how nonprofit leadership, public-private partnerships, nonprofit policy and philanthropy can affect democratic outcomes, encourage civic participation, foster public service motivation, increase access to education and reduce inequality. Specifically, he is pursuing research into the role of philanthropy in higher education, how it affects the discourses of education as a public good, and who benefits from fundraising and philanthropic activity. Additionally, Joel has an interest in the role technology and social media play in distorting civil society and public discourse.

Joel was born and raised in Omaha and lives in the city with his wife Taylor (Ph.D. in industrial/organizational psychology at UNO) and two rambunctious, comical dogs (no formal education).

Education MLS State University of New York College at Buffalo

Professional Background Scholarly Communications Librarian / Professor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

BS, Geosciences State University of New York College at Buffalo

Metadata Librarian / Associate Professor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Education MA, Social Sciences (political psychology/public opinion emphasis) University of Chicago

Graduate Certificate, Public Management University of Nebraska Omaha

Librarian / Assistant Professor, Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium

BJ, News-Editorial (double-major in political science) University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Professional Background University of Nebraska Foundation, Director of Annual Campaigns – UNO, UNK & UNMC Creighton University, Direct Mail Coordinator, Creighton Fund

Dell Gines

Josephine K. Hazelton

Doctoral Candidate Specializations: Public Policy, PA Theory Email: rgines@unomaha.edu

Doctoral Student Specializations: Urban Management, PA Theory Email: jhazelton@unomaha.edu

Bio Dell Gines has a deep passion for seeing disadvantaged and economically challenged communities grow and thrive through innovative economic development strategies. As a Senior Community Development Advisor for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, his primary responsibility is to support the Banks small business and economic development initiatives across the seven

Bio Josephine K. Hazelton is a Doctoral Student in the School of Public Administration at the University of Nebraska Omaha as well as a Graduate Research Assistant in the Community and Regional Planning department at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. Her research interests center around questions of power and social justice in transportation planning and policymaking. Specifically, Josephine is interested in the role transportation administrators play in advancing mobility justice in car-centric urban environments. Some of her most recent research explores issues of gender equity in public and active transportation planning.

During his work at the Federal Reserve Bank Dell has created numerous programs and projects including the creation of the Grow Your Own Guide to Entrepreneurship Based Development, the regional micro-finance alternative lender database and Small Biz Day programs across the region, which connected over 600 entrepreneurs to local small business resource providers.

A gifted speaker and presenter, Dell has spoken across the nation on entrepreneurship based economic development, entrepreneurship ecosystems and developing local rural and urban economies through developing entrepreneurship growth strategies. In 2013 he served as the keynote presenter for the National Economic Gardening Conference, a panelist at the National Workforce Investment Board Conference, and presented at numerous other conferences and seminars across the region and nation.

With his background in business banking, non-profit executive management, community activism and as adjunct professor of Social Entrepreneurship at Creighton University, he brings a unique, community grounded perspective to the field of urban core and rural economic development. In 2011 Dell received the Omaha Jaycees TOYO award, given to the top 10 individuals under 40 who are making an impact in the Omaha, Nebraska community.

Education MS, Finance Bellevue University

Executive MBA University of Nebraska at Omaha

BS, Business Management Grace University

Prior to studying at UNO, Josephine was active in the effort to improve public transportation in California’s Central Valley as the 2016 Turlock Mayor’s Public Policy Scholar. Josephine previously served as an ASPA Founders’ Fellow (2018), a U.S. Department of Transportation Dwight David Eisenhower Fellow (2018), and a 2015 Panetta Institute Delegate in Washington, D.C. Josephine is originally from Northern California where she received a BA in Political Science and a Master of Public Administration degree from California State University, Stanislaus.

Research Interests Transportation Decision-Making Social Justice Feminist Urbanism Intersectionality in PA

Publication Jensen, C., Hazelton, J.K., & Wellman, G.C. (2019).

Finding ‘improvement’ in the language transportation planners use: A critical discourse analysis to illustrate an automobile-centric bias in transportation policymaking. Public Works Management and Policy.

Theodore W. Johnson

Nick Juliano

Doctoral Student

Doctoral Candidate Specializations: Urban Management, PA Theory Email: njuliano@unomaha.edu

Email: theodorejohnson@unomaha.edu Bio Theodore W. Johnson, a native of Ypsilanti, MI and first-year doctoral student within the School of Public Administration at UNO, is a new Instructor within UNO’s Aviation Institute. Previously, he served as the Director of the Aircraft Dispatch Program at Eastern Michigan University (EMU).

Theodore’s career in higher education began when he was selected to take over the Aircraft Dispatch program in January 2018, just a mere five months after graduating with his bachelor’s degree. This position allowed his passions for aviation and higher education to meld.

While he pursued his MPA from EMU,Theodore worked full-time as Lecturer and Graduate/ Research Assistant within the Aviation Department. In these capacities he assisted the Aviation Department Head with getting the EMU Aviation Program accredited by Aviation Accreditation Board International, routinely met with Federal Aviation Administration Inspectors to ensure regulatory compliance, and engaged in a multitude of outreach efforts to various underserved school districts on behalf of EMU and the Aviation Program. This was done to encourage racial and/or gender diversity in STEM-related fields, especially aviation. These roles coupled with his experience growing up and teaching in a diverse community are the essential goals for Theodore’s pursuance of a PhD in Public Administration and the focal point for his research interests. With his knowledge, skills, and abilities in conjunction with a doctoral degree, Theodore’s overarching goal is to expound upon the factors that contribute to a lack of or impede gender and/or diversity in specialized STEM fields like aviation.

Education

Professional Background

MPA, General Public Administration,Eastern Michigan University

Director of Aircraft Dispatch, Eastern Michigan University

Part-Time Lecturer, Eastern Michigan University –Aviation Certificate, General Public Management Eastern Michigan University Department BS, Aviation Management Technology–Aircraft Dispatch Eastern Michigan University

Research Interests Diversity in Recruitment Collegiate Aviation Online/Website Marketing Strategies Aviation Safety Transportation Policy

Graduate/Research Assistant, Eastern Michigan University – College of Engineering & Technology Human Resources Intern, Pittsfield Charter Township Flight Operations Intern, Masco Corporation – Masco Flight Operations (DTW) Lead Ramp Service Agent, Spirit Airlines (DTW)

Bio Nick Juliano is an accomplished senior leader with 25 years of nonprofit human services experience. He is currently President & CEO of Nebraska Youth Justice Initiative. In this role he is responsible for development and operation of an innovative multi-service agency serving youth and families involved in the local juvenile justice system. His diverse practitioner experience includes direct care, training and organizational development, program administration, business and program development, community engagement, and advocacy and public policy. Nick currently serves on a number of local, state, and national committees exploring juvenile justice system reforms.

During his career Nick has worked closely with public and private sector leaders in Nebraska and Iowa to improve child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Through his work he has seen the promise of public private partnerships in helping children and families achieve better life outcomes. In the doctoral program Nick has explored ways that public policy can improve these partnerships and accelerate efforts to strengthen communities in the region. His research interests include nonprofit government relationships, networks, urban communities with concentrated need, and the role of youth and family voice in human service delivery systems.

Professional Background Nebraska Youth Justice Initiative President & CEO; 2020 – present

Education MBA, University of Nebraska Omaha BS, Psychology, Creighton University

Growth Strategies LLC Founder and President; 2019 – present Boys Town Director Advocacy and Public Policy, Sr. Director Community Impact, and Sr. Director Business Development; 1995 – 2019

Seoeun (Grace) Jung

Yeonkyung Kim

Doctoral Student Specializations: Nonprofit Managaement, Information & Technology

Management Email: seoeunjung@unomaha.edu

Doctoral Student Specializations: Information & Technology Management, Public Policy Email: yeonkyungkim@unomaha.edu

Bio Seoeun (Grace) Jung is a second-year doctoral student in the School of Public Administration at the University of Nebraska Omaha. Before coming to UNO, she studied public service and administration specifically focusing on nonprofit management. Her current research interests include nonprofit and strategic management, nonprofit leadership, collaborative governance, organizational development, and social justice. For the future research at UNO, she hopes to learn what forms of strategic management, leadership, and network governance works the best for nonprofit organizations, and how these elements can contribute to improving social justice better life outcomes.

Education MPA, Public Service and Administration (Track: Nonprofit Management), Texas A&M University MPA, Public Administration, Yonsei University BA, Public Administration, Economics, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies

Research Interests Nonprofit Management and Leadership Collaborative Governance

Bio Yeonkyung Kim is a fourth-year doctoral student, with a focus on IT management and public policy. Her research interests lie in performance management, performance information, information technology and new technology in citizen participation.

For three years, she worked as a graduate assistant for the Digital Governance and Analytics Lab, specifically for the technology team of Advance (a project developed by the Nebraska Department of Transportation and University of Nebraska).

Yeonkyung has a background working in Korean government-sponsored research institutes, the Korea Institute of Public Administration (KIPA), and the Supreme Audit Institution of South Korea, as a research assistant.

Education: MA, Public Administration, Ewha Womans University BA, Public Administration, Ewha Womans University

Research Interests e-Government Digital Government Citizen Participation Performance Management IT Management

Yunseung Kim

Gabrielle L’Esperance

Doctoral Candidate Specializations: Public Budgeting & Finance, Public Policy Email: yunseungkim@unomaha.edu

Doctoral Candidate Specializations: Nonprofit Management, PA Theory Email: gehenderson@unomaha.edu

Bio Yunseung Kim is a doctoral candidate in the School of Public Administration studying in-depth budget execution, performance and financial resource management of state and local governments and public agencies. His focus is to find ways to increase the effectiveness, transparency, and responsibility of state and local governments’ fiscal management. His academic interest is in studying diverse modes of public service delivery and further evaluating the effectiveness of different form of public service management strategies such as intergovernmental collaboration and public-private partnerships, and the effect of budget allocation.

Recently, Kim participated in a project regarding inter-local collaboration and local fiscal outcomes in Nebraska. He is currently working on his dissertation on fiscal impacts of water and wastewater funding sources in Nebraska.

Education

Research Interests

Master of Public Policy, Seoul National University (Seoul, South Korea)

Public Service Provision Public Finance and Budgeting Intergovernmental Relations

BA, Public Administration, Chung-Ang University (Seoul, South Korea)

Professional Background Research Analyst, Research Center of State-Owned Entities, Korea Institute of Public Finance Research Analyst, Laboratory for Future Society Seoul Development Institute Research Assistant, BK 21 Project, Graduate School of Public Administration, Seoul National University

Teaching Experience Applied Statistics and Data Management, Fall 2017-Spring 2020 (undergraduate) Public Budgeting, Fall 2020 (undergraduate)

Publication Chen, Y. C., & Kim, Y. (2019). Adoption of e-government services by small municipalities. International Journal of Organization Theory & Behavior, 22(2), 174-190.

Bio Gabrielle E. L’Esperance is a doctoral candidate at the School of Public Administration, University of Nebraska at Omaha. Her dissertation, entitled “African NGO Relationships: A Study of Expression of Everyday Agency in NGOs,” studies the everyday acts of creativity on the part of African NGO leaders in their funding relationships with the Global North. Her previous research has addresses nonprofit capacity and nonprofit evaluation use.

Education MPA, International Non-Governmental Organization Management James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virgina BA, International Relations–Africana Studies James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virgina Publication Bryan, T. K., Walters, R. W., & L’Esperance, G. E. (2020). Conducting and utilizing evaluation for multiple accountabilities: A study of nonprofit evaluation capacities. Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 1-23. doi: 10.1002/nml.2143.

Research Interests NGO and nonprofit management Nonprofit evaluation Nonprofit accountability Qualitative research methods Critical and Postcolonial theories Teaching Experience Nonprofit Organizations and Management

Wei-Jie Liao

Kenya Love

Doctoral Candidate Specializations: Public Budgeting & Finance, Public Policy Email: wliao@unomaha.edu Bio Wei-Jie Liao is from Taichung, Taiwan. He is a fifth-year doctoral candidate in the School of Public Administration. Wei-Jie works for the Nebraska State & Local Government Finance Lab as a research assistant. He is also teaching undergraduate-level courses at UNO. In 2020, Wei-Jie received the Outstanding Graduate Paper Award from the Western Social Science Association. His work has been published in the Journal of Budgeting, Accounting and Financial Management, Municipal Finance Journal, and Journal of Public Administration (Taiwan). He is currently working on his dissertation which assess the use of one citizen participation mechanism, budget simulations, in the United States Education MPA, National Taiwan University BA, Political Science / Public Administration National Taiwan University Research Interests Citizen Participation in Budgeting Fiscal Health Capital Budgeting Debt Management Public Policy

Selected Publications Maher, C., Park, S., & Liao, W. J. (2019). Municipal Referenda Activity in Colorado: Responding to TABOR. Municipal Finance Journal, 40(3), 1-26 Liao, W. J., & Kuo, N. L. (2019). Capital Management and Budgeting in Taiwan. In A. Srithongrung, N. Ermasova, & J. Yusuf (Eds.), Capital Management and Budgeting in the Public Sector (pp. 258-279). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Teaching Experience Program Planning and Evaluation Public Budgeting

Doctoral Student Specializations: Public Policy, PA theory Email: kslove@unomaha.edu Bio Kenya Love is a public health practitioner who has spent over 13 years in local government. Before coming to UNMC Center for Reducing Health Disparities, she served as a Robert Wood Johnson Evaluation Fellow for the National Cancer Institute’s, Office of Science Planning and Assessment, and as a Community Health Planner II at the Douglas County Health Department. In this role, she developed and oversaw the Douglas County Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), workforce development and strategic planning initiatives. As the Community Health Program Manager for the Center for Reducing Health Disparities, Love’s focus is to improve population health in the North Omaha residents.

As an expert, Ms. Love manages and facilitates community groups to assess health from multiple lenses, including need and impact, evidence, and dissemination. The culmination of these activities is used to inform and design programs, and content for materials to share progress, get input, and/or facilitate necessary conversations to further advance the health of Black/African Americans that reside in North Omaha. Her interests include creating healthy communities by identifying new ways of engaging community and addressing social determinants of health through collaboration, sustainable inclusivity, and shared power. Additionally, her broad range of public health experience includes but not limited to 1.) Program planning, 2.) Program implementation,3.) Culturally responsive evaluation, 4) Participatory Action Research.

Education

Research Interests

M.P.H. in Community Health Education University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Public Health.

1)To go further upstream to explore and improve fundamental social and economic factors deep-rooted in policy, systems, and antiquated belief systems to enhance community outcomes.

B.S. Community Health Education from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

2) To explore specific areas strongly perceived to be the community vital signs of wellbeing at the intersection of policy, community and economic development, and civic engagement.

Shawn Maxwell

Emily MacNabb

Doctoral Student Specializations: Public Policy, Nonprofit Management Email: shawnmaxwell@unomaha.edu

Doctoral Candidate Specializations: Public Policy (with a focus on Emergency Management) Email: emilynewman@unomaha.edu

Bio Shawn Maxwell’s interest and experience in public administration is diverse but with some parallels. Prior to deciding to pursue a PhD at UNO, she spent nearly ten years as a project coordinator with South Carolina’s leading federally qualified community health center, HopeHealth, Inc, where she managed a range of community-based projects and grants across five rural counties.

In her capacities there she directed projects and facilitated community partnerships such as: Veterans’ mental health and well-being, access to public health education for rural colleges and universities, coordination of health for incarcerated persons, and suicide prevention among youth. Ms. Maxwell also spent two years with the DeKalb County Community Foundation connecting and supporting local nonprofit organizations in the service areas of child care and well-being among youth.

The combination of these roles and her own experience growing up in a rural community is both the impetus for Ms. Maxwell’s pursuit of a PhD and the basis for her research. More specifically, she would like to further explore the impact of peer networks and collaborative groups in achieving well-being either as individuals or organizations, and what strategies can be identified and disseminated.

Education MPA, Nonprofit Management, Northern Illinois University BS, Experimental Psychology, University of South Carolina Upstate Certificate, Executive Management, Francis Marion University

Research Interests Peer Networks Collaborative Governance Collaborative partnerships Among Nonprofits Governance in Rural Communities Open Systems Theory & Process Evaluation

Bio Emily Newman was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska and is now working on her doctorate in Public Administration with an emphasis in Emergency Management. She did a portion of her undergraduate degree at the University of Haifa in Israel, while there focused her studies in counter-terrorism and nuclear proliferation. She has been able to use these areas of study to help assist in lobbying on Capitol Hill.

Emily also has a background in the nonprofit sector, including work with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Omaha-based educational theater organization RESPECT. Through her work with the ADL as a facilitator and RESPECT as both an Actor Educator and as Scheduling Coordinator, she has helped to educate students of varying ages on bullying, teen dating violence, suicide and depression, anti-Semitism on college campuses, and more. She links such work with her background in political science and counter-terrorism studies as being a spectrum of ways in which to observe human communications and interaction during emergency and disaster situations and prevention, from the individual to the societal level. Her research interests focus on emergency management policy and the effects that politics have on these policies.

Education BA, Political Science Minor in Religion University of Nebraska at Omaha MS, Political Science University of Nebraska at Omaha

Publication MacNabb, E., & Fletcher, B.J. (2019).

Hurricanes, Disasters, and Food Insecurity: The Intersection of Two Social Events. Emerging Voices in Natural Hazards Research, 121.

Cambridge, MA: Elsevier Inc.

Megan McGuffey

Rachael McLeod

Doctoral Candidate Specializations: Public Budgeting & Finance, Public Policy Email: mmcguffey@unomaha.edu

Doctoral Student Specializations: Public Policy, Nonprofit Management Email: rmcleod@unomaha.edu

Bio Megan McGuffey received her BA in political science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and pursued her MPA at UNO, with a concentration in local government management.

Megan is contributing to the growing focus on food systems and food policy studies in public administration. She also researches and works in the areas of citizen participation and active citizenship as well as nonprofits and multi-sector networks.

As a practitioner, Megan has completed nonprofit board service, authored technical reports on food systems topics, and served on various regional and statewide initiatives in Nebraska focusing on improving local food systems.

She believes in the power of bringing diverse stakeholders together to tackle wicked problems, which she supports through research and facilitation. She currently serves as the Food Systems Coordinator for Share Our Table, an Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan effort for community food security.

Megan also has a passion for teaching the next generation of public administration practitioners and informed citizens. She teaches various courses online and in-person on topics around public administration, public policy, nonprofits, and leadership. Megan also co-developed a new course, PA 8896 (Introduction to the U.S. Food System).

Publications Research Interests McGuffey, M. M., & Starke, A. (2017). Towards A Just Food System. In A. B. Hoflund, J. Jones, & Food Policy M. C. Pautz (Eds.), The Intersection of Food and Public Health: Public Policy Current Policy Challenges and Food Systems Solutions. CRC Press/Taylor & Francis.

Citizen Participation and Active Citizenship Local Government Management McGuffey, M. M. (2016). The Producer’s Perspective: Examining the Challenges of Providing Local Food. Food Studies: An Network Governance Interdisciplinary Journal, 6 (3), 13-26.

Nonprofit Management

Bio Rachael McLeod, a native of Kansas City, is currently the Administrative Director of Resource Development at Southeast Community College. In this position, she has seen how public policy affects federal grant funding in higher education as it relates to filling employer needs and narrowing skills and wage gaps in career/technical fields. She has worked as a reporter for the Lincoln Journal Star and the Des Moines Register specializing in covering stories about academic research, science, and the environment. She also was a technical editor at the U.S. Geological Survey Nebraska Water Science Center for nine years. Her master’s thesis explored the environmental history of the Nebraska Ordnance Plant near Mead, Nebraska, where pollution from the plant’s activities during WWII ultimately led it to being declared a Superfund Site by the EPA, requiring extensive soil and water remediation efforts. Her experiences as a practitioner in the public sector sparked an interest in the formulation and evaluation of public programs to determine their effectiveness and efficiency, and to improve accountability.

Education MA, Journalism (News-Editorial), University of Nebraska-Lincoln BA, Political Science, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Research Interests Public Safety Food Policy Program formulation, implementation, and evaluation

Richard K. Nkrumah

Jae Won Oh

Doctoral Student Specializations: Public Budgeting & Finance, Information & Technology

Management Email: lmfrecks@unomaha.edu

Doctoral Student Specializations: Public Budgeting & Fiance, Public Policy Email: joh@unomaha.edu

Bio Richard Nkrumah is a native of Cape Coast, Ghana, and a second-year doctoral student at the School of Public Administration at UNO. After his undergraduate studies at the University of Ghana, Richard worked in government through which he familiarized and developed a keen interest in governmental financial management, public budgeting, ethics & accountability, and technology in government. During his time as an MPA student, Richard worked with the Georgia Municipal Assembly (GMA) in an advisory position on various tax reforms that affected local governments in the state of Georgia.

He hopes to strengthen public financing, especially in Africa, through his research as an academic.

Education Master of Public Administration Georgia Southern University, Statesboro-GA BSc. in Business Administration University of Ghana, Accra-Ghana

Research Interests Public Budgeting & Finance IT in Public Service

Bio Jae Won Oh is a third-year doctoral student in the School of public administration.

He received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Stony Brook University and Masters in Public Policy from Korea Development Institute School (KDIS). Prior to studying at UNO, Jae Won worked as a research assistant at Korea Economic Research Institute (KERI).

In broad terms, his research interests focus on financial management in the public sector. Currently, as a graduate assistant he works on projects related to predicting and measuring financial condition of local governments. This year at Association for Budgeting and Financial Management (ABFM) conference, he presented his work, “Developing a Fiscal Condition Monitoring Approach for Nebraska Local Governments.”

Education BA, Economics Stony Brook University MPP Korea Development Institute School (KDIS)

Research Interest Public Budgeting & Financial Management Financial Condition of Local governments Fiscal Institutions Public Policy Publication Maher, C.S., Oh, J.W. and Liao, W.-J. (2020), “Assessing fiscal distress in small county governments”, Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management.

Carol RedWing

Reyna Lizet Reyes-Nunez

Doctoral Student Specializations: PA Theory, Public Policy Email: credwing@unomaha.edu

Doctoral Student Specialization: Public Policy Email: rreyesnunez@unomaha.edu

Bio Carol RedWing is a first year doctoral student in the School of Public Administration. She is an enrolled member of the Yankton Dakota Tribe with Santee Dakota descendancy. Carol received her Master of Public Administration degree, with a Nonprofit Management concentration from UNO. After graduating with her MPA, Carol dove further into the nonprofit field at Film Streams, an artbased 501(c)3 located in Omaha.

Carol loves creative expression of all kinds and holds a special place in her heart for public sector organizations that are devoted to the arts and culture. Along with being a board member of Mode Shift Omaha, she is also on the UNO Chancellor’s Native American Advisory Cabinet. Carol is a special faculty member and instructor with the Emergency Management and Disaster Services department and holds a seat with the UNO Native American Studies Executive Council. Her research interests include: the disparities facing marginalized communities, tribal sovereignty, Indigenous identity and historical trauma, community engagement, food and traditional medicine security, and public policy.

Education MPA, Nonprofit Management University of Nebraska at Omaha

Teaching Experience EMGT 1000 | Introduction to Emergency Management NAMS 1100 | Introduction to Native American Studies

BA, Environmental Science and Indigenous Studies University of Nebraska at Omaha

Professional Background Film Streams, Administrator | Membership Coordinator

AS, Natural Resource Management Haskell Indian Nations University | Lawrence, KS

University of Nebraska at Omaha, Service Learning Academy Graduate Assistant Joslyn Art Museum, Intern | Development Department, Education Department

Bio Reyna L Reyes-Nunez graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences in 2010 and a Master of Science in Political Science in 2018.

Her experience in the public administration includes working for the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs in Mexico City and the Consulate of Mexico in Omaha, Nebraska, where she focused her work on immigration policy, governmental programs for Mexican communities abroad and international events. In 2012, Reyna worked for the President of Mexico during his political campaign and his government transition team in the area of international affairs and immigration.

Reyna understands that culture and language should not be an impassable wall to mutual understanding and human progress. She believes that public policy and international cooperation are keys to building bridges among peoples. Her research interests include international policy, human security, international governmental organizations, international cooperation, and migration.

Research Interests International Policy Human Security International Government Organizations International Cooperation Migration

Ryan Rouse

Josh Shirk

Doctoral Student Specializations: Public Policy, PA Theory Email: rrouse@unomaha.edu

Doctoral Candidate Specializations: PA Theory, Urban Management Email: jtshirk@unomaha.edu

Bio Ryan Rouse received both his undergraduate degree in Political Science with an emphasis on political theory, and a Master’s degree in Public Administration, from Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana. While pursuing these degrees he had the opportunity to work as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, and a Research Assistant for the Human Ecology Learning and Problem Solving Lab at MSU. His research interests include public administration theory, organizational theory and public policy. In particular he seeks to explore public management systems and their consequences for the production of worker identity in late-modern organizations.

Research Interests Public Administration Theory Organizational Theory Public Policy

Publication Nuri Heckler & Ryan Rouse (2020) Freedom of speech versus racial justice: Homeplace theory, antiparallelism, and becoming-minor, Administrative Theory & Praxis.

Bio Josh Shirk is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. His research looks at the historical shift from bureaucratic administration to contemporary market-based governance structures. He is especially interested in how human agency is enabled and contained by the organization of relations between politics, administration, and citizenship.

Special attention is focused on the workers’ range of work tasks, their encounters with performance management technologies, and the meaning they give to their work. The study will help shed light on the work and policy alienation experienced by street-level workers today and how policy continues to be reproduced or transformed despite it.

Education MS, Urban Studies University of Nebraska Omaha BA, General Studies University of Nebraska Omaha Teaching Experience Introduction to Public Administration Introduction to Urban Studies

Research Interests Market-based Governance Bureaucracy Social policy Citizen Participation Social and Political Theory Research Link https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Josh_Shirk

Taylor Smith

Xiaowei Song

Doctoral Student Specializations: PA Theory, Public Policy

Doctoral Student Specializations: Public Budgeting & Finance, Public Policy Email: xiaoweisong@unomaha.edu

Email: tssmith@unomaha.edu Bio Taylor Smith is a third-year doctoral student in the School of Public Administration with a focus on public policy and public administration theory. He received his BA in history, and MPA at UNO. His research interests include the study of network governance, common-pool resource issues, and the institutional arrangements and decision-making processes in local, state, and federal natural resource agencies. Taylor is currently studying water policy and governance in Nebraska focusing on ground and surface water management under Nebraska’s unique Natural Resource District system.

Taylor is currently a graduate research assistant at the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center. He joined the Center in 2016, and provides data management and analysis, as well as writing and presentation for a variety of esearch and evaluation reports.”

Education MPA, University of Nebraska Omaha BA, History University of Nebraska Omaha

Bio Xiaowei Song is a fourth-year doctoral student working as both a research assistant (RA) and teaching assistant (TA) in the School of Public Administration.

His research interests include performance budgeting, fiscal health, and capital budgeting.

Prior to joining in the doctoral program at UNO, Xiaowei took on diverse advisory programs for China’s local governments in evaluating and improving local public budgeting and financial management practices. This experience provided a solid foundation for him to develop a research interest in performance budgeting reforms in China. Particularly, he is devoted to investigating the institutional logics of performance budgeting and how different institutional arrangements affect the budget process and/or fiscal outcomes.

The research experience at UNO encourages him to examine the complicated relationship between citizen participation, budgeting process, policy adoption and/or fiscal outcomes. Currently, he is working on narrowing down his dissertation topic with a focus on local capital budgeting.

Education MA, Public Administration Sun Yat-sen University BA, Public Administration Liaoning Technical University

Research Interests Performance Budgeting & Management Local Fiscal Sustainability/Health Local Capital Budgeting & Finance

Morgan D. Vogel

Yi-Fan Wang

Doctoral Candidate Specializations: PA Theory, Public Policy Email: mdvogel@unomaha.edu

Doctoral Student Specializations: Information & Technology Management, Public Policy Email: yi-fanwang@unomaha.edu

Bio Morgan Vogel is a doctoral candidate at the University of Nebraska at Omaha in the School of Public Administration. She specializes in public management, public administration theory, and policy theory. Her research interests focus on public service as a vocation or calling, public service motivation, and leadership and ethics in public and nonprofit organizations. Her dissertation research advances a discourse of vocation for public administration through the work experiences of city managers.

Bio Yi-Fan Wang is currently a doctoral student in the School of Public Administration at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (Public Administration major) and Master in Public Administration from National Taiwan University (Taiwan). Yi-Fan was a graduate research assistant and a teaching assistant at the university he acquired the degrees. His research interests include e-governance, food policy, and policy implementation. In addition to the academic experience, he had worked as a congressional assistant in Legislative Yuan (Taiwanese Congress) for three years.

Education MPA, University of Dayton BA, Political Science University of Dayton Research Interests Motivation and Meaningful Work Organizational Behavior Public Service Ethics City Management Foundations of Public Administration Public Administration Theory Policy Theory

Publications Pautz, M. C., & Vogel, M. D. (2020). Investigating faculty motivation and its connection to work-life balance: Engaging public service motivation to explore faculty motivation. Journal of Public Affairs Education Symposium (online).

Vogel, M. D., Blair, R., & Deichert, J. (2019). A regional approach to mobility management: Promoting sustainability and economic growth through public transit (pp. 1-24). In O. Smirnova (Ed.), Building a Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure for Long-Term Economic Growth. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Casey, L. J., & Vogel, M. D. (2019). Preparing for the next generation: Profiles of millennial city managers and their approach to the job. State and Local Government Review 51(2), 122-133.

Education Master in Public Administration from National Taiwan University (Taiwan) Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (Public Administration major)

Interests e-Governance Food policy Policy implementation

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