Prior to joining UMKC, Dr. Opp spent 13 years on faculty at Colorado State University where she was also the founder and director of the Masters of Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) program. In 2021-2022, Opp was a Fulbright Scholar to Mauritius where she studied Covid-19 policymaking and sustainability on the island nation. She also taught a class on public sector ethics at the University of Mauritius and led a series of workshops on public ethics in the Republic of Seychelles.
Dr. Opp is a community engaged scholar that focuses on questions of local sustainability, economic development, and urban affairs in her research, teaching, and community service activities. Her research has appeared in a number of academic and professional outlets including Urban Affairs Review, Journal of Urban Affairs, Economic Development Quarterly, and Local Environment, to name a few. She is also the author or editor of six books- including one printed as part of the ASPA series on public administration and policy in 2013. She had the distinct pleasure of being one of the inaugural “Pracademic Fellows” at the Environmental Protection Agency working in the Office of Policy in 2016. She continues her federal engagement with several agencies in the areas of sustainability, community economic development, and environmental policy providing research and technical support for various policy efforts.
Ph.D. (2007) Urban and Public Affairs, University of Louisville
Senior Policy Advisor, Department of Health and Human Services, 2022-Present
Fulbright Scholar to Mauritius, 2021-2022
Pracademic Fellow, Office of Policy, Environmental Protection Agency, 2016