Originally from the mid-sized Midwestern city of Peoria, Illinois, Austin M. Aldag, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Administration in the department. Before joining Mississippi State University, Aldag served as a Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and he also maintains research affiliations with the University of Illinois Chicago’s Networks & Governance Lab and Indiana University’s Ostrom Workshop. He teachings both Ph.D. and MPPA-level courses such as Research Methods for Public Affairs, Public Program Evaluation, and Scope of American Public Administration.

Aldag received his Ph.D. and Master’s degree in City & Regional Planning from Cornell University and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Illinois Wesleyan University. His scholarly work has appeared in several academic journals including, but more limited to, Public Management Review, The Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, The Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, and Local Government Studies. 

Having been trained at another rural, land grant, R1 university, Aldag applies his extension and applied research process to many persistent public-sector issues such as public service delivery, inter-local cooperation, contracting, and particular questions surrounding rural local governance. Aldag works closely with local practitioner organizations in his work. When he is not teaching, conducting research, or working with local practitioners, Aldag enjoys exploring new city-building board games and assembling one of his many city-themed LEGO sets.