Sungho Park

Associate Professor Sungho Park is a teacher-scholar whose research focuses on public budgeting and financial management. His work examines how governments can effectively allocate and manage financial resources to sustain public goods and services while advancing the public interest. Central to his research agenda is understanding government budgetary decisions and their consequences for fiscal conditions and outcomes, with particular emphasis on their measurement, monitoring, evaluation and prediction. He also studies the factors that shape these decisions and outcomes, including fiscal federalism, fiscal rules, budget reforms and mechanisms, financial accounting and reporting, policy design and collaborative governance.

Park’s research has been supported by organizations such as the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and published in leading scholarly journals, including Public Budgeting & Finance, Public Management Review, and The American Review of Public Administration, among others. His work has received several scholarly honors and awards, including the Best Book Award from the Association for Budgeting and Financial Management for his book, "Understanding Municipal Fiscal Health: A Model for Local Governments in the USA."

Drawing on his research expertise, Park teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in public budgeting, government financial management, and state and local finance. His pedagogical approach emphasizes problem-based and communication-driven learning, encouraging students to address real-world policy and management challenges while engaging in meaningful collaboration with peers from diverse backgrounds, perspectives and career stages. He also has substantial experience mentoring undergraduate and graduate students.

In addition to his research and teaching, Park is actively engaged in professional and community service. He currently serves as an associate editor of the International Journal of Public Administration and contributes to other scholarly journals and professional associations through editorial, leadership and service roles. Beyond academia, he is committed to community engagement, particularly through translating research into actionable knowledge, disseminating information to stakeholders and providing analytical support to inform public decision-making and management practice.

Prior to joining the Glenn College, Park spent eight years at the University of Alabama, where he served as both an assistant and associate professor. He received his PhD in Public Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and his MPA and bachelor’s degree in Public Administration and Economics from Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea.