Hometown: Fangaloto, Tonga
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Bachelor of Arts in Political Science – Brigham Young University – Hawai’i
Graduate Institution and Major: Master of Public Administration – Brigham Young University.
Research Interests: My research interests include public management, representation, gender, and ethical leadership in local government. I am particularly interested in the various systems designed to help women succeed in male-dominated fields, such as law enforcement.
Relevant Professional Experience:
2023-2024 – Graduate Research Assistant, Public Service Lab, BYU Marriott School of Business (MPA Program), Provo, Utah.
2023-2024 – Teaching Assistant, Dr. Robert Christensen, The Foundation of Public Service (MPA 684), BYU Marriott School of Business (MPA Program), Provo Utah.
2024 – Teaching Assistant, Dr. David Matkin, Public Finance, BYU Marriott School of Business (MPA Program), Provo, Utah.
Working Paper:
Fifita, Malissa, Christensen, Robert K., and Hart, David. “Ethics in Public Administration and Beyond: A Bibliometric Analysis.”
Professional Reports:
Fifita, Malissa and Christensen, Robert K. (2024) Comparative Analysis Report for the Utah Lake Authority.
Professional Affiliations:
Pi Sigma Alpha, The National Political Science Honor Society (2019)
Honors and Awards:
University Fellowship, The Ohio State University, 2024
Stewart L. Grow Award: Presented to a student in the BYU Marriott School of Business (MPA Program) in Provo, Utah, who best demonstrates traits of excellence.
Personal Interests: spending time with my family, hiking, exploring places, and Korean & Chinese television drama.
This commentary is intended as an addendum and recent update to the original research article published in World Affairs, “The High Representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina: The Unusual Institutional Arrangement of a Non-Authoritarian, yet Controlled, Democracy”