Amanda M. Girth is an associate professor and faculty director of Washington Programs at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University. She is a nationally recognized expert in acquisition policy and practice. Her research examines how governments design and manage contracts to strengthen accountability and implement performance incentives, as well as the dynamics that foster innovation in complex acquisition systems.
Her scholarship appears in leading outlets such as the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Public Administration Review, Journal of Supply Chain Management, and Implementation Science. She has been recognized with a best paper award from the Journal of Supply Chain Management and the American Political Science Association’s Leonard D. White Award for best dissertation in public administration. She is a principal investigator on a series of U.S. Department of Defense–funded projects through the Acquisition Innovation Research Center that diagnose systemic barriers to innovation and design tailored interventions for the acquisition workforce. Her work on market structure and mid‑sized suppliers has informed federal oversight and policy debates, including invited testimony before the U.S. Congress, and is cited by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
Girth also studies the use of contracts and formal partnership agreements to align health, child welfare, and social service systems. She was a co‑investigator on externally funded research supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that examined cross‑system collaborations to address the opioid crisis and improve outcomes for children and families.
As faculty director of Washington Programs, Girth leads the Glenn College’s Washington, D.C. office and manages its portfolio of academic and experiential learning programs. She builds and sustains partnerships throughout the federal ecosystem, creates transformative experiences for students, engages alumni, and works to deepen Buckeye presence in the nation’s capital.
Prior to her academic appointments, she was a manager at a global consulting firm where she led information technology transformation initiatives for federal agencies. Her public service career began as an intern in Michigan state government and evolved into her first full-time role. She went on to serve in the executive and legislative branches, advancing policy initiatives related to disability, civil rights, and women’s issues. She brings this practitioner experience into her research and leadership, focusing on real-world challenges facing public managers and developing practical, evidence-based solutions.
Girth received her doctorate in public administration from the School of Public Affairs at American University. She holds a Master of Business Administration from The George Washington University, and a Bachelor of Science in public administration and policy from Oakland University.
She is an adjunct fellow in the Center for the Industrial Base at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a member of the Research Council for the Systems Engineering Research Center/Acquisition Innovation Research Center. She previously served as editor‑in‑chief of the Journal of Strategic Contracting and Negotiation and is actively involved in several professional associations in editorial, governance, and support roles.
