Akheil Singla, PhD

Akheil Singla is an assistant professor at the School of Public Affairs at Arizona State University. In his research, which focuses on public financial management, he studies how governments generate, manage and use resources to discern how those actions affect the efficient and equitable delivery of services to the public. He seeks to identify potential interventions that can alter a government’s path away from fiscal distress and toward financial sustainability. 

Being a part of a collaborative and congenial community that the Glenn College faculty and staff fostered was a transformational experience for me. I learned and grew in ways I hadn’t even considered before I started at the college. Faculty like Charlotte Kirschner, Marty Luby and Rob Greenbaum fostered my interest in public finance. Others like Anand Desai, Stephanie Moulton and Trevor Brown pushed me to think critically about the world and how we can better understand it. And my doctoral colleagues helped me to understand that our goal must be to make our society a better place for everyone. Everything I do as a scholar is informed by these lessons.

Beyond what I learned as a student, the best part of my experience at the Glenn College was getting to spend years with my colleagues in the doctoral program. I formed bonds and friendships that I hope to maintain for the rest of my life. And I do not think my experience is unique among Glenn College alumni — there is a real sense of community and solidarity in the college that is infectious and enduring.

My research is focused on state and local governments and their financial health. Given the pandemic-related recession, much of my current work focuses on how governments can manage declines. One project looks at how the institution of municipal bankruptcy affects local government finances and their residents. Another looks at how state intervention via the appointment of emergency managers alters the fiscal situation and affects service delivery. The overarching goal of these projects is to identify potential interventions that can alter a government’s path away from fiscal distress and toward financial sustainability.

In addition to these projects, I also have work exploring the fiscal aspects of local law enforcement. A past project revealed that revenue-motivated policing or policing-for-profit tends to be more common in Black communities and when the law enforcement agency is whiter than the community it serves. Going forward, I am working to identify how the financial situation of governments affects the behaviors of law enforcement agencies.

I think the Glenn College has done a remarkable job of establishing itself among the top institutions in public administration and policy. The faculty are producing extremely important work and training students who are set up to do the same. I have no doubt that the college will continue down this path. My hope is that as the institution continues to grow, both in size and prestige, that it does not lose its sense of camaraderie.