Public Affairs Research

Hugo Wall School of Public Affairs

The Hugo Wall School of Public Affairs reflects the vision of its namesake, Dr. Hugo Wall, a professor who served the University for forty-two years, from 1929 to 1971. In the mid-1940s, Professor Wall began envisioning an academic unit that would link the University and the community. The mission of the Hugo Wall School of Public Affairs is to engage a diverse faculty, staff and graduate students in applied learning and applied research that benefits the community. Through rigorous quantitative and qualitative analysis, the school's research addresses critical public sector issues, informs public policy decisions, and contributes to the advancement of effective governance and public service delivery. Whether examining public finance, urban development, environmental sustainability, or social equity, the school's research endeavors strive to enhance our understanding of complex challenges faced by the governments and non-profit organizations. The Hugo Wall School is also the home to two applied research centers: the Environmental Finance Center (EFC) and Kansas Public Finance Center (KPFC). Notably, the EFC has been selected to establish an Environmental Justice Thriving Communities. Deeply integrated into the local community, the school is involved in numerous projects with nonprofit and public partners providing applied learning opportunities for students and building community capacity.

Faculty Members Research Areas

Mark A. Glaser, Professor
  • Citizen and Community Engagement
  • Public Interest and Trust
  • Intergovernmental and Intersector Collaboartive Networks
  • Research Methods/program evaluation
  • Urban Policy

Hai David Guo, Regents Distinguished Professor of Public Finance
  • Transparency in fiscal-decision making
  • State and local government financial sustainability
  • Strategic competition and collaboration
  • Infrastructure financing

Ruowen Shen, Assistant Professor
  • Urban Governance
  • Local Governments
  • Inter-governmental Politics

Xiaoheng Wang, Assistant Professor
  • Public budgeting and finance
  • Financial management of state and local governments
  • Survey methods

Mercy Umeri, Assistant Teaching Professor
  • Social equity within the context of higher education
  • Policy influences in educational reforms

Samuel J. Yeager, Professor
  • Organizational behavior
  • Ethics
  • Personnel administration
  • Research methods