Dr. Michael Pennington

Michael S. Pennington serves West Virginia State University as the Chair of the History & Political Science Department, the Director of the Graduate Program in Public Administration, as Coordinator of Interfaith Relations within the National Center for Human Relations, and as an Associate Professor of Public Policy & Administration. He completed his Ph.D. at Texas A&M University in 2008. Dr. Pennington received his MPA from West Virginia University in 1998, and is a proud, undergraduate alum (1997) of West Virginia State University. His interests center on public management, administration, as well as environmental and energy policy. He has written articles for Public Administration Review, Economic Development Quarterly, The Oxford Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards Management, the Encyclopedia of Public Administration and Public Policy, and has presented papers at numerous conferences including the annual meetings of the Midwest Political Science Association, Southern Political Science Association, American Political Science Association, and the American Society for Public Administration.  Dr. Pennington enjoys barbecuing, baking, and gardening in his free time, is an avid college sports fan, a music lover, and a tireless supporter of his home state.
 
Dr. Pennington regularly teaches the following courses in the MPA Program:
MPA 600—Introduction to Public Administration
MPA 605—Public Policy Process and Analysis
MPA 610—Human Resources Management in the Public Sector
MPA 607—Morality Policy
MPA 630—Organizational Theory and Management
MPA 632—Advanced Public Management
MPA 636—Strategic Planning
MPA 655—Professional Capstone Experience