James Agbodzakey

Dr. James Korku Agbodzakey is a Professor of Public Leadership and the Director of the Urban SERCH Institute at UNT Dallas. 
Dr. Agbodzakey has taught in areas such as General Public Administration, Public Policy, Organizational Studies, Budgeting and Finance and Nonprofit Management. His research is in areas such as healthcare/HIV and AIDS, public policy, public administration/bureaucracy, collaborative governance, nonprofit management, succession planning, public procurement, crime mapping and forecasting, oil/gas sector governance, education reform, housing and sustainable development. His public management and health services research using the collaborative governance framework has helped shape policies and strategies as a conduit to promoting health and general wellbeing of target populations at the local and regional levels across the U.S. 

He has also worked at and with Nova Southeastern University, the College of The Bahamas/University of The Bahamas, International Monetary Fund/Kelly Services, The United Nations, Broward Sheriff’s Office, Save Lower Volta Network (SALVONET), Hillel at Ohio University, Research International, Accra Metropolitan Assembly, FAU Public Procurement Research Center/National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, and Broward and Palm Beach County’s HIV Health Services Planning Councils, among others.

He studied at the University of Ghana, Ohio University and Florida Atlantic University. His professional association membership and service cut across local, state, regional, national and international levels. He recently served on the Executive Committee, and National Council of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), and as the President of the Conference of Minority Public Administrators (COMPA) in 2020-2021. He was a delegate for AIDS 2012 in Washington D.C., AIDS 2014 in Melbourne, Australia, AIDS 2016 in Durban, South Africa, AIDS 2018 in Amsterdam, Netherlands, & a delegate for the 10th IAS Conference on HIV Science in Mexico City, Mexico in 2019. Dr. Agbodzakey is committed to working with various stakeholders to help address contemporary complex urban challenges for citizens’ benefits through the lens of diversity, equity and inclusion for the greater good.