Dr. Kathe Callahan

Dr. Kathe Callahan is an assistant professor in the School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Campus at Newark. Dr. Callahan’s research and teaching interests focus on civic engagement, public sector accountability and performance measurement. In particular, she studies the impact of citizen participation on performance measurement and improvement. Dr. Callahan’s most recent book, Elements of Effective Governance: Measurement, Accountability and Participation, (Taylor & Francis, 2007) explores the relationship between performance measurement, public sector accountability and citizen participation. Through theoretical and practical discussions she highlights the importance of measuring government performance in ways that resonates with the public. She has published in a number of edited volumes and journals, including the Public Administration Review, Public Performance and Management Review, International Review of Public Administration, the journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting and Financial Management, and the International Journal of Public Administration. In addition to her academic research, Dr. Callahan has conducted numerous applied research projects including studies to assess the effectiveness of performance measurement initiatives for the New Jersey Department of Education, the New Jersey Office of Economic Growth and Rutgers University. In 2006, she was selected to serve as the chair of the performance management committee for Newark Mayor Cory Booker. In 1998, Dr. Callahan was instrumental in designing and implementing the first Sloan-funded citizen-driven performance measurement initiative at Rutgers University. Dr. Callahan is a board member of the Center for Accountability and Performance (CACAP) and a member of the Task Force on Accountability for the American Association for Public Administration. Dr. Callahan holds a Ph.D. in public administration from Rutgers University.