Rate My Professor Jennifer Purcell

Dr. Jennifer W. Purcell serves as Professor of Public Administration, Interim MPA Director, and Internship Coordinator in the School of Government and International Affairs at Kennesaw State University, part of the Norman J. Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Her contributions to political science and public administration include teaching courses such as POLS 1101, POLS 3310, POLS 3343, PAD 7250, and LDRS 3100. Purcell's academic background comprises a Doctor of Education in Adult Education from the Department of Learning, Leadership, and Organization Development at the University of Georgia (2013), a Master of Public Administration from Valdosta State University (2010), a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Business Administration from Mercer University (2006), and a Graduate Certificate in Organization and Leadership Coaching from the University of Georgia (2022). She previously held a tenured appointment in the Department of Leadership and Integrative Studies at KSU and has taught leadership, change management, program development, and evaluation courses across six academic departments, including Interdisciplinary Studies, Social Work and Human Services, and the University of Georgia's Department of Lifelong Education, Administration, and Policy. Administratively, she has served as KSU Faculty Senate President (2018-2019), a multi-term member of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, Chair of the Leadership and Integrative Studies Faculty Council, inaugural Graduate Faculty Fellow, Interim Graduate Program Coordinator for the Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Ethics, Interim Director of Faculty Success, and Assistant Director for Engagement in the KSU Office of Community Engagement. Prior to her academic career, Purcell held professional and administrative roles in higher education and the nonprofit sector focused on leadership development and community engagement.

Purcell's research specializations center on leadership capacity building in organizational and community contexts, with emphasis on boundary-spanning, organization development, coaching, collaboration, public leadership, organizational learning and development, women in leadership, leading change, and action research, particularly in higher education community engagement. Her key publications include "The Covid Shift: Working women's punctuated equilibrium" (Purcell, J. W., Rodriguez, D. X., & Ring, K. A., 2022, Leadership & Organization Development Journal), "Boundary spanning leadership among community-engaged faculty: An exploratory study" (Purcell, J. W., Pearl, A., & Van Schyndel, T., 2021, Engaged Scholar Journal), "Disciplinary Expertise and Faculty Credentialing in Leadership Studies: Advancing a Necessary Conversation" (Purcell, J. W., & Smith, D. N., 2023, Journal of Leadership Studies), and a chapter "Future directions for community engagement in higher education" in Building the Field of Higher Education Engagement (2019). She guest-edited special issues of the Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement (anticipated Fall 2024) and serves as an editorial board member for the Journal of Community Engagement Scholarship, former associate editor for JHEOE, and reviewer for leadership and community engagement journals. Purcell has received major awards including the 2016 AASCU John Saltmarsh Award for Emerging Leaders in Civic Engagement, 2018 KSU Outstanding Early Career Faculty Award, 2020 University College Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activity Award, 2021-2022 KSU Faculty Diversity Fellow for Gender and Work Life Issues, 2023 KSU Tenured Faculty Enhancement Leave, and 2024 RISE Research Fellow. She mentors early- to mid-career faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates; provides faculty success coaching, dissertation research coaching, and community-engaged methodology consultation; and holds roles such as Georgia State Chair for the ACE Women's Network and Co-Chair of the Emerging Engagement Scholars Workshop.