Shuwen Zhang
I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Government and Public Administration at the University of Macau. I earned my PhD in Public Administration from the University of Illinois Chicago in 2025, with a specialization in collaborative governance, regional intergovernmental organizations (RIGOs), and social network analysis. My research examines how governments collaborate to address complex challenges that cross jurisdictional boundaries. I focus on the dynamics of decentralized local systems and their interconnections, exploring how local governments use diverse institutional arrangements to respond to regional issues that exceed the scope of any single entity.
I am also a member of the Network and Governance Lab since 2020 with a bunch of awesome researchers diving into all sorts of cool stuff! Check out our lab’s website to see the amazing research we’re up to!
Peer-reviewed Articles
Zhang, S., & Zehra, M.-E.-. (2024). Exploring Accountability Choices in Service Contracts for Collaborative PublicSafetyServices Provision. State and Local Government Review, 56(1), 6-25. https://doi.org/10.1177/0160323X231208958
Manuscript Under Review
Zhang, S.; Gutierrez-Meave, R.; Li, J. & Carr, J. Relational Contracting thru Selection-Based Accountability: Collaboration History, Shared Constituencies, and Justified Trust in Public Safety Contracts.
Zhang, S.; Siciliano, M.; Ivanich, J. & Schultz, K. Exploring the Relationship Between Substance Use and the Development of Friendships among American Indian Adolescents: Using the Exponential Random Graph Model (Project supported by National Institutes of Health: 5R21DA053789; PI: Jerreed Ivanich).
Zhang, S.; Lal, Y. & Albrecht, K. Unveiling the Bridge Builders: Exploring Distinctive Traits of Bridging Nonprofits in Public Health Network Domains
Zhang, S. Substance or Symbolism: How Effective Are Regional Intergovernmental Organizations (RIGOs) in Promoting Collaboration? An Augmented Synthetic Control Approach.
Ivanich, J.; Schultz, K.; Siciliano, M. & Zhang, S. Social Networks in American Indian Youth; A cross-sectional exploratory analysis of school-based, family-based, and other peers among 9th and 10th graders on one large plains reservation. (Project supported by National Institutes of Health: 5R21DA053789; PI: Jerreed Ivanich).
Research papers in development
Zhang, S.; Lal, Y. & Albrecht, K. Collaboration vs. Competition: Decoding the Ecology of Games in Public Health Collaboration and Competition
Zhang, S. & Fayemiro, O. The Role of the Nonprofit Sector among Regional Intergovernmental Organizations: A Mixed Method Study.
Zhang, S. How do the decision-making structures of regional intergovernmental organizations affect regional policy decisions?
Zhang, S. Unpacking the institutional complexity of public health regional governance organizations in the Chicago metropolitan area.
Li, J.; Zhang, S. & Carr, J. Measuring Tie Strength in Local Public Service Networks.
Li, J.; Zhang, S. & LeRoux, K. Does Collaborative Capacity Improve Nonprofit Performance? Evidence from a Longitudinal Study.
Teaching
Instructor - PPOL205: Programming and Data Analysis for public policy II. (Jan. 2023-May. 2023; Jan. 2024- May. 2024). Course design, lectures, supported students’ research projects and graded assignments/exams.
Lab Instructor and Teaching Assistant - PA402: Principles of Data Analysis. (MPA core course; Aug. 2020-Dec. 2020, Aug. 2022-Dec. 2022; Aug. 2022-Dec. 2022; Aug. 2023-Dec. 2023). Taught lab sessions and graded assignments.
Lab Instructor and Teaching Assistant - PA 541: Advanced Data Analysis I. (Ph.D. core course; Jan. 2021-May. 2021). Taught lab sessions and graded assignments.
Teaching Assistant - PA594: Social Network Analysis. (Aug. 2024-Dec. 2024). Supported class discussions, helping student with R programming language, advising student research projects and graded assignments.
Teaching Assistant - PA528: Program Evaluation. (Aug. 2024-Dec. 2024). Supported class discussions, helping student with R programming language, advising student research projects and graded assignments.
Teaching Assistant - PPOL 210: Introduction to Public Policy. (Jan. 2021-May. 2021). Supported online distance education course, interacted with students in online forum, and graded assignments.
Teaching Assistant - PPOL 307 Policy Analysis and Alternatives (Aug. 2020-Dec. 2020). Supported class discussions, interacted with students in online forum, and graded assignments.
Awards
The 2024 Academy of Management-Public and Nonprofit Doctoral Consortium Scholarship (Apr. 2024)
The 2024 Meier Public Management Research Conference Travel Inclusion Award (Apr. 2024)
2023 Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action Conference Scholarships & Travel Grants (Oct. 2023)
Donald C. Stone Award for Best Student Paper from the Section on Intergovernmental Administration and Management at American Society for Public Administration Annual Conference (Apr. 2023)
Department of Public Administration Scholar Award from the Department of Public Policy, Management, and Analytics at University of Illinois Chicago (Feb. 2020)