Aaron Smith-Walter is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science.

Aaron Smith-Walter, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, MPA Interim Director

College
College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Department
Political Science
Phone
978-934-5229
Office
Dugan Hall - 2nd Floor

Education

  • Ph.D., (2015), Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University - Blacksburg, Virginia
    Dissertation/Thesis Title:Crafting the Public: Cultural Theory and the Public Participation Mechanisms Chosen By Administrators in Metropolitan Planning Organizations
  • Other: Public Administration, (2007), James Madison University - Harrisonburg, Virginia
  • BS: Sociology, (2002), James Madison University - Harrisonburg, Virginia

Selected Awards and Honors

  • Wilson Fund for Faculty Professional Development (2016), Scholarship/Research - University of Alaska Southeast
  • Public Administrators at Virginia Tech MPSA Conference Scholarship (2014), Scholarship/Research - Virginia Tech
  • Larry Terry Ph.D. Candidate Award for Paper Is Government (Un)Dead?: What Apocalyptic Fiction Tells Us About Our View of Public Administration (2014) - High Table 2014 Public Administration and the Failure of Politics.
  • Public Administrators at Virginia Tech ASPA Conference Scholarship (2013), Scholarship/Research - Virginia Tech
  • Larry Terry Ph.D. Student Award for Paper Who Is “The Public” – Investigating Public Participation Plans for Clues to Its Meaning. (2013) - High Table 2013 (Re)Mastering Democracy
  • Public Administrators at Virginia Tech TPAC Conference Scholarship (2012), Scholarship/Research - Virginia Tech

Selected Publications

  • Smith-Walter, A., Sharif, F.S. (2014). Is Government (Un) Dead?: What Apocalyptic Fiction Tells Us about the View of Public Administration. International Journal of Organization Theory and Behavior, 17(3) 336-366.
  • Peterson, H., Smith-Walter, A., Pierce, J. (2014). Research Design and the Narrative Policy Framework.
  • Ko, J., Hur, S., Smith-Walter, A. (2013). Family-Friendly Work Practices and Job Satisfaction and Organizational Performance Moderating Effects of Managerial Support and Performance-Oriented Management. Public Personnel Management, 42(4) 545-565.
  • Ko, J., Smith-Walter, A. (2013). The Relationship between HRM Practices and Organizational Performance in the Public Sector: Focusing on Mediating Roles of Work Attitudes. International Review of Public Administration, 18(3) 209-231.

Selected Presentations

  • Public Will as Shared Policy Beliefs: An NPF Approach and Application., April 2016 - Chicago, IL
  • Narrative Cognition and Cultural Networks: How Groups Inform Campaign Finance Reform Preferences. - 111th Annual Meeting, September 2015 - San Francisco, CA
  • Narratives Everywhere., April 2015 - Chicago, IL
  • The Good, the Bad, and the Worthy: Examining the Effects of Policy Venue and Partisanship On the Portrayal of Stakeholders in Policy Narratives Surrounding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. - LSA 50th Annual Conference, May 2014 - Minneapolis, MN
  • Research Design and the Narrative Policy Framework., April 2014 - Chicago, IL
  • Gun Stories: How Evidence Shapes Firearm Policy in the United States. - 35th Annual Fall Research Conference: Power of the Past-Force for the Future., November 2013 - Washington, D.C.
  • Policymaking in a Money-Driven Political System. - 2013 International Conference on Public Policy, June 2013 - Grenoble, France
  • The Political Dynamics of National Climate Change Governance in the United States. - Law and Society Association: Power, Privilege, and the Pursuit of Justice: Legal Challenges in Precarious Times., May 2013 - Boston, MA
  • Who is “The Public”: Investigating Public Participation Plans for Clues to Its Meaning. - Center for Public Administration and Policy: High Table 2013: (Re)Mastering Democracy, April 2013 - Blacksburg, VA
  • The Competing Values Surrounding Health Care Reform in the United States Federalist System. - 2013 American Society for Public Administration Conference: Governance & Sustainability: Local Concerns, Global Challenges., March 2013 - New Orleans, Louisiana
  • The Political Dynamics of National Climate Change Governance in the United States. - Dupont Summit 2012: Pressing Issues Amid the Political Maelstrom, December 2012 - Washington, DC
  • Employing the Philosophy of Pragmatism in the Classroom: Eliciting a Range of Views and Perspectives. - 35th Annual Teaching Public Administration Conference: 2012 Teaching Public Administration Conference, May 2012 - South Padre Island, TX
  • Is Government (Un)Dead?: What Apocalyptic Fiction Tells Us About Our View of Public Administration. - 25th Annual Meeting of Public Administration Theory Network- Exploring Borders: New Realities, Challenges, and Solutions., May 2012 - South Padre Island, TX