Jason Jensen
-
Professor,
Political Science & Public Adm
- Public Administration / Public Policy
Contact Info
- Email: jason.jensen2@UND.edu
- Office: 701.777.3547
- Dept: 701.777.3831
Office Address
Political Science & Public Adm
Nistler Hall Room 324 H
3125 University Avenue, Stop 8379
Grand Forks, ND 58202-8379
Curriculum Vitae
Biography
Jason L. Jensen is a Full Professor at the University of North Dakota and previously held the Korus Endowed Professorship. He earned his Ph.D. in Public Administration from the University of Kentucky.
Dr. Jensen’s research spans public administration, public policy, and organizational behavior, with publications appearing in leading journals such as the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory and Public Administration Review. His work has addressed topics including policy diffusion, decision-making processes in public organizations, nonprofit management, and more recently, emerging areas such as technology governance, artificial intelligence, and nonprofit fundraising dynamics.
In addition to his research, Dr. Jensen has held several leadership roles within the university, including Associate Dean of the College of Business and Public Administration and Executive Director of the Institute of Policy and Business Analytics, which he helped found. He has also contributed to major institutional initiatives, including serving as campus co-lead for the Innovation and Economic Prosperity (IEP) designation effort. He has received multiple awards for teaching, research, and service.
Dr. Jensen’s research focuses broadly on public administration and policy, with an emphasis on how institutions, organizations, and individuals respond to changing policy environments. His work integrates quantitative methods, meta-analysis, and applied policy research to examine both theoretical and practical questions.
A central theme of his research is governance and institutional behavior, including studies of policy diffusion, decision-making processes, and the role of legitimacy and influence in public organizations. This line of work has contributed to understanding how policies spread across jurisdictions and how actors navigate complex institutional environments.
A second area of focus is regulation and emerging technologies, particularly in domains such as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and artificial intelligence. This research examines how public attitudes, regulatory frameworks, and institutional signals shape the development and acceptance of new technologies.
Dr. Jensen also conducts research on nonprofit organizations and fundraising, including the role of events, stakeholder engagement, and relationship-building in shaping giving behavior. This work connects organizational strategy with donor behavior and resource development.
Finally, his research includes organizational behavior and workforce dynamics, including meta-analytic work on job satisfaction and employee adjustment over time. This stream bridges public administration and organizational psychology, with implications for both public and private sector organizations.
Across these areas, his work is unified by an interest in how structures, incentives, and interactions shape behavior and outcomes in complex organizational and policy settings.