Susan M. Opp, PhD, is the Schutte Endowed Chair of Urban Affairs, Department Chairperson, and a Full Professor in the Department of Public Affairs at the Bloch School at the University of Missouri – Kansas City (UMKC). Prior to joining UMKC, Dr. Opp spent 13 years on faculty at Colorado State University where she was also the founder and director of the Masters of Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) program. In 2021-2022, Opp was a Fulbright Scholar to Mauritius where she studied Covid-19 policymaking and sustainability on the island nation. She also taught a class on public sector ethics at the University of Mauritius and led a series of workshops on public ethics in the Republic of Seychelles. Dr. Opp is a community engaged scholar that focuses on questions of environmental policy, sustainability, economic development, and urban affairs in her research, teaching, and community service activities. Since receiving her Ph.D. in 2007 from the University of Louisville, Dr. Opp has served as the director of a NASPAA accredited MPA program, founder and director of the Masters in Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) graduate program, graduate programs coordinator for the MA and PhD in political science, internship director, and a variety of other public and community service related roles. Her research has appeared in a number of academic and professional outlets including Urban Affairs Review, Journal of Urban Affairs, Economic Development Quarterly, and Local Environment, to name a few. She is also the author or editor of six books- including one printed as part of the ASPA series on public administration and policy in (2013). She had the distinct pleasure of being one of the inaugural “Pracademic Fellows” at the Environmental Protection Agency working in the Office of Policy in 2016. She continues her federal engagement with several agencies in the areas of sustainability, community economic development, and environmental policy providing research and technical support for various policy efforts.
