Margaret Hughes and Robert T. Golembiewski Professor of Public Administration
Professor of Public Administration and Policy
PhD Program Director, Department of Public Administration & Policy
Dr. Willoughby has spent almost 40 years teaching, conducting research and consulting regarding public management, budgeting and finance. She has internationally recognized expertise of the legal foundations, use and effects of performance budgeting on U.S. state management, budgets and finances. Her 2001 book co-authored with Dr. Kurt Thurmaier (Northern Illinois University) examines the relationship between budgeting and policy development on the part of analysts employed in executive budget offices in 11 U.S. state governments in the South and Midwest. She served as grading team leader of budget and financial management for two iterations of the Government Performance Project, a national research effort funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts that examined management in the 50 American states. Her 2014 book co-edited with Dr. Marilyn Rubin (Rutgers) assesses revenues, expenditures and debt management in state governments. Her sole authored 2014 book, Public Budgeting in Context, examines budgeting at every level of government in the United States, with comparison to such practices in six other countries around the world. Her book, Public Performance Budgeting: Principles and Practice, co-authored with Dr. Elaine Y. Lu (Cleveland State University) studies the use of this budget reform by juvenile justice agencies in states with performance budgeting law and won the 2022 Best Book Award from the Association for Budgeting and Financial Management. Dr. Willoughby has taught graduate courses in public management, budgeting and finance, financial management, and research methods and undergraduate, graduate and doctoral courses in public budgeting and finance. She has an extensive background in consulting with and training numerous management, budget, finance and other government officials from around the globe regarding public budgeting and management practices. Dr. Willoughby is a National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) fellow. She is co Editor-in-Chief of Public Administration Review with Jos Raadschelders (Ohio State University), the field’s premier academic outlet for public administration and policy research.
