Gang Chen

Gang Chen is an Associate Professor in Public Administration and Policy at the University at Albany’s Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy, where he co-founded and co-directs the State and Local Government Finance Project (SLGF). He is a scholar of public budgeting and financial management whose work focuses on public pension plan management, fiscal transparency and disaster finance. His research seeks to bridge academic analysis and practical application, providing insights that are useful for governments, legislatures and international organizations.

Dr. Chen’s current research spans four areas. He studies public pension plan management, developing frameworks and simulation models that show how benefit designs, contribution policies, investment strategies and actuarial assumptions interact to decide fiscal risks, costs and long-term sustainability of pension plans. His work on fiscal resilience and disaster finance examines how governments prepare for natural disasters and how disaster assistance funding is distributed. In the area of fiscal transparency and accountability, he evaluates financial reporting and monitoring systems that make government finances more accessible and informative for both citizens and decision-makers. Finally, his research on state and local government financial management focuses on budgeting practices, fiscal stress, and legacy costs in states such as New York and Massachusetts, where he has also provided advisory support to government officials.

His work has appeared in top journals including Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory (JPART), Public Administration Review (PAR), Public Management Review (PMR), Public Administration (PA), American Review of Public Administration (ARPA), Public Budgeting & Finance (PBF), and Public Finance Review (PFR), and he is the lead author of Managing Public Pension Plans: Decisions, Challenges, and Reforms (Routledge, 2025). He has led or co-led research projects funded by major organizations, including the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB), Society of Actuaries, Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, Equable Institute, Crane Foundation, Arnold Ventures, Reason Foundation, Spencer Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trusts. 

Dr. Chen also advises governments and international organizations as a consultant and trainer. He has designed and delivered multi-year, USAID-funded Public Financial Management training to Zimbabwe Parliamentary staff, provided fiscal analysis to inform local governments on tax overrides and fiscal stress, and developed simulation tools for policymakers to assess pension and fiscal policy options. He has also delivered lectures and training sessions for state and local government officials in New York State. His balance of technical expertise, policy insight, and clear communication makes him a trusted partner for governments, legislatures and international agencies working to strengthen financial sustainability, resilience and transparency.

Research interests: Public Budgeting and Finance, Public Pension Plans, Fiscal Transparency, Disaster Finance and Emergency Management, State and Local Governments, Public Administration, Public Policy

Teaching areas: Public Budgeting, Public and Nonprofit Financial Management, Applied and Advanced Statistics for Public Policy and Management, quantitative research methods