With a commitment to fostering excellence in education, KDI School takes great pride in introducing the latest addition to its distinguished faculty: Assistant Professor Angela Park. In this interview article, the PR division welcomes her to campus as she shares her scholarly journey to KDI School. 

Hello Professor Park, can you share your background with our readers?

Certainly! Before joining KDI School, I was a faculty member at Kansas State University (KSU), USA. I joined KSU almost immediately after completing my doctorate in public administration and was promoted to associate professor right before I left there. I have many fond memories from my time at the school, and it was hard to say goodbye to everyone there, but I’m also exhilarated to be here. I also hold a master's degree in public policy from Michigan State University, USA, and a bachelor's degree in international relations from the University of Queensland, Australia. Outside the classroom, I enjoy quality time with my friends and family, strolling and watching movies.

Can you share your motivation for joining KDI School? 

I joined KDI School this past summer. I first heard about the school when I attended the NASPAA to receive an award. The NASPAA accreditation is a globally recognized program that ensures students’ access to the best quality education in public service and management. I would say it’s quite a rigorous process to go through, and I was impressed to find out that KDIS was among the few Asian institutions accredited by NASPAA. This puts KDI School in a strong position with global and regional recognition. The diverse student body was also another motivation. I know I thrive in a multicultural environment – it helps me grow both intellectually and spiritually. I teach two master’s courses (Policy Process Analysis and Policy Lab Practicium-1) this fall semester, and I’m excited to learn and exchange various comparative views on public management practices from all around the world. The last reason is quite personal; I lived overseas for over 20 years and always longed to be back home and near my beloved parents and in-laws. Especially now, as they’re getting old, I want to make sure my daughter forms lasting memories with them and learns to appreciate their love for her.

What was the recruitment process like with KDI School?

It was quite intense and thorough! I was grilled for about two straight hours – a lot of questions about the assumptions underlying my research as well as the validity of my research findings. It was certainly tough, but that alone tells me how much KDI School cares about the quality of teaching and the quality of research their faculty members generate. The faculty members who attended my job talk were experienced and had impressive knowledge and credentials in the field of public policy and administration. I believe such processes are designed to attract and select the best candidates to join the faculty, and I consider the overall process to have been intellectually stimulating and engaging. 

KDI School has great research labs, have you been acquainted with any?

Yes, I have been invited to join the Governance, Leadership, and Management Lab (GLM Lab). I am excited to work with them as the lab’s research focus and interests align with mine. I also have an interest in interdisciplinary research and projects. Before joining KDI School, I was part of an interdisciplinary team, consisting of researchers from engineering, computer science, geography, and economics. We were awarded quite a significant grant ($1,000,000) from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). I, unfortunately, had to withdraw from the project due to my relocation to KDI School, but I would say that the experience certainly opened my eyes to new perspectives and expanded my intellectual horizons. I envisage that working with the labs here at KDI School will result in collaboration with other public management and affairs scholars and students.

Considering you will serve as a research mentor/supervisor, what are the main research interests and fields?

My core research expertise lies in public management, especially managing public organizations. I employ a range of institutional theories to understand public sector behavior and policy outcomes. I’m especially interested in understanding how we can effectively implement and deliver policies/services that span across multiple departments, agencies, and even jurisdictions, and thus require a substantial degree of collaborative behavior. Sustainability and climate change policies are good examples, so they often serve as the primary context of my research. I would welcome students whose research interests closely align with mine, including environmental justice and resilience, or anything relating to underprivileged communities and populations. I do hold certain expectations for students; I believe that true learning and mentorship flourish only when students move beyond being passive consumers of knowledge and actively become producers of knowledge. My goal is to help them become independent researchers who can navigate the entire research process from formulating research questions to modeling and collecting data to successfully publishing their research. For anyone with this kind of mindset, I would be happy to walk them through the process and offer the necessary guidance and mentorship! 

See links to her Assistant Professor Angela’s profile.