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Biography

I am originally from India; I came to the United States to pursue my academic and professional aspirations in the field of leadership and public affairs. I earned my Ed.D. in Leadership Studies from the University of Lynchburg and my Ph.D. in Public Affairs from The University of Texas at Dallas.

My interdisciplinary background brings together leadership studies, public administration, and organizational research. My scholarship examines administrative leadership, environmental governance, ethics in public administration, civic engagement among youth, and pedagogical creativity. As an educator, I am passionate about helping students develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to become thoughtful and effective leaders.

Degrees

Research Interests

My research interests include administrative leadership, environmental governance, ethics in public administration, civic engagement among youth, and innovative pedagogy in public affairs education.

My current research examines co-production in local government, ethics in public administration, youth civic engagement in the United States, and approaches to teaching ethics and emergency management in public affairs education. I also explore innovative approaches to teaching students through archival data and qualitative research.

My dissertation research developed a Strategic Administrative Leadership Framework through a qualitative analysis of 183 scholarly articles using multiple stages of systematic coding. I subsequently applied and examined this framework in the context of environmental governance by analyzing documents related to EPA administrators. In related work, I used an administrative critical consciousness framework to examine Carol Browner’s leadership through qualitative research.

Selected Publications

1. Aggarwal, J. (2025). From Pawn to King: Leveraging Chess for Leadership Development through Creative Education. Journal of Public Affairs Education. 31(3), 387 – 405. doi.org/10.1080/15236803.2025.2487730
2. Aggarwal, J., Hoang, T. (2026). Exploring Perceived Fairness in Performance Evaluation among Telecommuting Employees in Public Agencies. Public Administration Quarterly, 1-19.
3. Rabbi, M. F., Park, Y., Aggarwal, J., & Sabharwal, M. (2026). Effect of Ethical Leadership on Affective Organizational Commitment and the Mediating Role of Ethical Environment. Public Integrity, 1–19. 
4. Zeraatpisheh, A., Aggarwal, J., McCandless, S., & Sabharwal, M. (2026). Institutional Factors Shaping Job Satisfaction Among US Federal Employees. Public Administration Quarterly, 07349149261421561.
5. Benavides, A. D., Washington, F., Carey, C. D., Watts, J., & Aggarwal, J. (2025). Substance Use and Rural Homelessness in Texas Communities: The Need for Supportive Services. Journal of Public Management & Social Policy, 31(1), 4.

Book Chapter: Kuknor, S., Aggarwal, J., & Sabharwal, M. (2024). Social equity in public administration pedagogy: A comparative study between the United States and India. In Teaching social equity in public administration (pp. 301-328). Editors: Susan Gooden and Sean McCandless. Routledge.

Teaching Assignments

• LDSH 838: Seminar in Leadership Theory III -Introduction to Qualitative Research (Fall 2026)
• LDSH 826: Gender Issues in Leadership (Fall 2026)

Office Hours

By appointment