5 Questions with Faculty: Edmund Stazyk

ALBANY, N.Y. (Oct. 4, 2017) — Edmund C. Stazyk is an associate professor of Public Administration & Policy in Rockefeller College. He came to UAlbany after teaching for six years in the School of Public Affairs at American University in Washington, D.C.

Public administration expert Edmund C. Stazyk.

“I joined UAlbany for a number of reasons, including my desire to be a part of a collegial department with a strong history of shared faculty governance,” he said. “Other pluses included the beauty of upstate New York and a significantly shorter commute.”

What are you working on now?

Although my research interests are fairly diverse, I spend a great deal of time researching employee motivation and performance. Right now, I’m particularly excited about a project in which a colleague, Randy Davis, and I are building on a new taxonomy we’ve developed to explore how organizational goals affect employee motivation under different situations.

I’m also co-editing with [Edwin O. Stene Distinguished Professor of Public Administration at the University of Kansas] H. George Frederickson a handbook on American public administration, which is slated for publication later this year.

What made you decide to pursue your field?

Like many undergrads, I had every intention of going to law school and becoming an attorney. Public Administration was the farthest thing from my mind. My undergrad alma mater required pre-law students take a course on public administration. At the time, I couldn’t think of anything worse. Turns out, I loved that class, changed my major in short order, and the rest is history!

What was the last book you read for pleasure?

Benjamin Graham’s The Intelligent Investor.

What’s one thing students might be surprised to know about you?

In my free time — something I don’t have a lot of between work and a 3-year-old daughter — I enjoy fly fishing and have been teaching myself to play the banjo and ukulele. Fly fishing is something I’m good at . . . the banjo and ukulele, not so much.

What’s your favorite food, to eat or cook, and why?

BBQ. I earned my doctorate at the University of Kansas. BBQ is a way of life in Kansas—one that involves great food and great times with friends and family.

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