Assistant Professor of Public Administration and Policy

Curriculum Vitae

Michelle L. Lofton is an Assistant Professor of Public Administration and Policy (Ph.D., Syracuse University). Professor Lofton’s research interests broadly explore the intersection of public finance and public management by investigating financial tools and techniques to better inform management, strategy, and policy decisions. Much of her research experience focuses on local government financial management in the United States in respect to working capital management, fiscal constraints, and budgeting. Her current research activities investigate the motivating factors and strategies used by local government managers to manage short-term resources including unrestricted cash, short-term debt, and interfund transfers. With a passion for continual learning, Professor Lofton serves as a researcher engaged in expanding knowledge in public administration and persistently striving to educate others.

Education

Ph.D. in Public Administration – Syracuse University, 2018

Master of Public Administration – The University of Georgia, 2013

Bachelor of Science, Business Administration and Economics – Trinity University, 2011

Areas of Expertise

Public financial management
Public budgeting and finance
Public management

Affiliations

American Society for Public Administration (ASPA)
ASPA – Association for Budgeting & Financial Management (ABFM)
ASPA – Conference of Minority Pubic Administrators (COMPA)
ASPA – Georgia Chapter
ASPA – Section on Intergovernmental Administration and Management (SIAM)
Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management (APPAM)
Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA)

Research Interests

Professor Lofton’s has two research agendas: (1) the impacts of financial managers’ decision-making on a government’s ability to manage its resources, and (2) the effects of imposed fiscal and economic constraints on a government’s ability to manage resources. Her work is primarily concentrated on financial and strategic factors that motivate the use of short-term resources including unrestricted cash and short-term debt as well as imposed fiscal constraints which can impact the use of short-term resources.