Welcome
I am a Ph.D. candidate in Public Administration and Policy at the School of Public Affairs, Arizona State University, and a Graduate Research Assistant in the Center for Science, Technology and Environmental Policy Studies (CSTEPS).
My research focuses on public management, citizen–state interaction, public employee well-being, local government, and climate adaptation. My dissertation examines how public participation and community outreach shape public employees’ psychological states and workplace behaviors. In addition, my ongoing projects explore how public organizations respond to external uncertainties, such as extreme weather events and emerging technologies, to ensure organizational resilience and sustain public service delivery. I am also interested in survey and experimental methods. My work has been published in interdisciplinary outlets, such as PlOS ONE, International Journal of the Commons, Water Alternatives, Vaccines, and Women’s Health Reports.
Prior to joining ASU, I received my master’s degree and bachelor’s degree from Sun Yat-sen University in 2022 and 2019. My previous research centered on common-pool resources governance and institutional analysis, with a specific focus on water resources.
Please feel free to reach me at tpchen [at] asu [dot] edu.
- Public management
- Organizational Theory and Behavior
- Citizen-State Interaction
- Public Employee Wellbeing
Education
Ph.D. in Public Administration and Policy, 2026 (expected)
School of Public Affairs, Arizona State University, USA
M.Mgmt.Sc. in Public Administration, 2022
School of Government, Sun Yat-sen University, China
B.Mgmt. in Public Administration, 2019
School of Government, Sun Yat-sen University, China
Working Papers
Publications
Teaching
PAF 460: Public Service Ethics (Spring 2026)
Overview
Ethical dilemmas are a recurring challenge across various sectors, including business, education, technology, and public service. From questions about data privacy and artificial intelligence to public scandals involving misuse of power, ethics remain a central concern in public life. Public organizations, in particular, are under constant scrutiny as the actions of public officials carry significant moral and societal implications.
As a public manager, you will face difficult ethical choices that may relate to your relationship with a democratically elected legislative body, your relationship to citizens and community groups, matters of conscience, matters of regulation, and the ethical ramifications of public policy recommendations in which you are involved. Understanding the moral implications of your actions and resolving the dilemmas they pose are among the most difficult problems you will face in the public sector.
In this class, we will examine a variety of ethical issues faced by public managers. Some involve concerns that might arise in any organization—cases of lying, cheating, or stealing, or questions about what to do when you feel compelled to refuse an order from your boss. Others are more directly connected to the special values that underlie public service, involving the relationship between political leaders and career civil servants or between competing demands for efficiency and responsiveness. In all cases, the issues will be bound to the moral context of public service.
Course Objectives
- Enhance understanding of the moral foundations of public service
- Examine the relationship between democratic values and the practice of public administration, including issues of accountability and responsiveness
- Develop an awareness of specific ethical issues and problems within the field of public administration
- Build the capacity for ethical decision-making
- Understand the values at play in the relationship between administrators and citizens
- Develop a practical understanding of the constraints on and expectations of public administrators
- Develop skills in managing ethics within public organizations
- Learn to apply ethical reasoning to the consideration of public policy issues
Teaching Assistant
PAF 560: Community Resilience (Summer 2024)
- Evaluated student assignments
- Responded to student questions and provided academic support
- Curated and shared weekly policy-relevant news updates
PAF 160: Surviving the 21st Century (Summer 2025)
- Evaluated student assignments
- Responded to student inquiries and facilitated discussions
- Managed and moderated the online discussion board