Alumni News Ph.D. Alumnus Takes Center Stage at Major Publication Dr. Jeremy Hall (Ph.D. '05)

When you meet Dr. Jeremy Hall (Ph.D. '05), you pick up on two things really quickly-- he's a Kentuckian through-and-through, and he has a great sense of humor. As Martin School students have found in the classes he has taught as a visiting professor, though, he is not only passionate about public service, but he is also a humble, hardworking team player.

Dr. Hall is a graduate of both our MPA and Ph.D. program, programs he took on after completing his Bachelor of Arts at Centre College. His dissertation focused on the new economy, titled "Disentangling Components of Innovation Capacity and Innovation Outcomes in Economic Growth and Development in the U.S. States."

Dr. Jennings, who was Dr. Hall's dissertation chair, had this to say about his student:

"Jeremy’s exceptional stream of scholarship started here while he was in our program and has never stopped.  He’s one of the hardest working scholars I’ve known in my 40 years teaching at universities. He has what Bob Rogers, a former Martin Colleague,  called 'the sacred spark,' a calling to develop and share ideas."

His current research projects focus on evidence-based practice and applying Maslow's hierarchy of needs to organizational development as it is related to university endowments. Both of these projects are collaborations with peers.

Dr. Hall has held faculty posts at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the University of Texas at Dallas, Rutgers, and is now a professor and the MPA Director at the University of Central Florida. He's also used his time and talents as a grant reviewer for the United Way, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Education, and has held leadership roles in national organizations, including the Public Management Research Association, American Society for Public Administration, National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration, and the Southeast Conference of Public Administration. Most recently, he was named the incoming Editor-in-Chief Of the Public Administration Review.

Dr. Hall is excited about two aspects of this newest leadership post. "First, our proposal was unique in that we created a Co-editorship for the first time in PAR history. I’m anxious to assemble our editorial team and see how the new structure performs. Second, there is something to be said for having your finger on the discipline’s pulse, and there’s no better place to stay on top of the latest cutting edge research than as editor of ASPA’s flagship journal."

We at the Martin School are so proud of Dr. Hall and are not in the least surprised by his achievements, both as a public servant and researcher. Of his time in our programs, Dr. Hall says, "My Martin School education prepared me for opportunities I hadn’t even imagined. Until this summer, I never even dreamed I might some day become editor of PAR."

When he isn't jet-setting between his various appointments, Dr. Hall is on his family farm. He enjoys carpentry, woodworking, gardening, and beekeeping. His wife recently added a pair of Scottish Highland heifers to the mix, too! Although his career has taken him far, he has always kept home close. "Naturally, for at least a week in March, I glue myself to the television like any true Kentucky native and root for the Cats to bring home another national championship."