Xiaoheng Wang, Ph.D.

Public budgeting and finance

Financial management of state and local governments

Fiscal health

Survey methods

Public management

Public Budgeting and Financial Management

Research Methods

Public Policy 

Publications

Holbrook, A. L., Lavrakas, P. J., Johnson, T. P., Crosby, A., Polskaia, P., Wang, X., Hu, X., Kapousouz, E.,Cho, Y., Silber, H. (forthcoming). Using Experimental Vignettes to Study how Survey Methods and Findings Affect the Public's Evaluation of Public Opinion Polls: Considering a Dual Process Approach. Survey Research Methods.

Yazici Aydemir, N., Wang, X., & Wu, Y. (2025). A comparative study of municipal fiscal responses to the COVID-19 and the Great Recession. Chinese Public Administration Review, 15396754241309009.

Abeygunawardane, S. K., Aravinthan, V., Wang, X., Pahwa, A., & Singh, C. (2024). Examining Power System Resilience from the Perspective of Consumers: A Review. IEEE Access.

Wang, X., & Cheng, J. (2023). The Effects of Fiscal Decentralization on Municipal Fiscal Health. State and Local Government Review, 55(4), 288-302.

Wang, X., Holbrook, A., & Feeney, M. (2022). The Role of Department Type in Public Managers’ Attitudes Toward Social Media Use. The American Review of Public Administration, 52(6), 457-471.

Wang, X., & Chen, C. (2021). An empirical analysis of capital assets condition ratio in local governments: the case of Florida counties. Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, 34(2), 330-346.

Holbrook, A., Sterrett, D., Crosby, A., Stavrakantonaki, M., Wang, X., Zhao, T., & Johnson, T. (2019). Survey Experiments and Changes in Question Wording in Repeated Cross-Sectional Surveys. In the Edited Book: Experimental Methods in Survey Research: Techniques that Combine Random Sampling with Random Assignment (Wiley Series in Survey Methodology). Wiley Publisher.

 

Recent Conference Presentations

"Assessing Infrastructure Resilience in the State of Kansas." Annual Conference of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA). Washington D.C., March 2025.

"Hazard Mitigation and Infrastructure Investments: When Good Intentions, Plans, and Implementation: Go their Separate Ways." Annual Conference of Association of Budgeting and Financial Management (ABFM). Cleveland, OH, September 2024.

"Understanding Fiscal Impacts of Extreme Weather Events in the State of Kansas." Annual Conference of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM). National Harbor, MD, November 2024.

"Examining Public Managers’ Perceptions on Financial Conditions: Insights from Local Governments in Kansas." Public Management Research Conference (PMRC). Seattle, WA, June 2024.

“Political Orientation, Attitudes Toward Science, and Positivity/Negativity Towards Survey Research” Annual Conference of the American Association for Public Opinion Research Annual Conference (AAPOR). Atlanta, GA, May 2024.

“Property Tax Policy Changes During COVID-19 and Great Recession: An Empirical Investigation of 100 Major US Cities.” Annual Conference of Association of Budgeting and Financial Management (ABFM). Denver, CO, October 2023.

“Contracting-out and Financial Conditions—Evidence from Municipal Governments in Florida.” Annual Conference of World Social Science Association (WSSA). Phoenix, AZ, April 2023.

“An Analysis of Fiscal Slack in Michigan Counties.” Annual Conference of Association of Budgeting and Financial Management (ABFM). Miami, FL, September 2022.

“A Comparative Study of Municipal Fiscal Responses to the COVID-19 and the Great Recession.” Annual Conference of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA). Jacksonville, FL. March 2022.

“Financial Condition and Contracting Out in Local Governments in the U.S.” Annual Conference of Association of Budgeting and Financial Management (ABFM). Washington D.C., September 2021.

Wang, X. “Examining the Impact of Tax and Expenditure Limitations on Financial Condition of Major American Cities.” (Revised to Resubmitted at Public Performance & Management Review)

Wang, H.-C., Krause, R., & Wang, X. “Concerns and Collaboration around Infrastructure Resilience in Rural and Urban Places.” (Revised to Resubmitted at State and Local Government Review)

Wang, X., & Siciliano, M. D. “Internal Competition and Performance: The Mediating Role of Psychological Safety.” (Under Review)

Wang, X. “Examining Public Managers’ Perceptions on Financial Conditions: Insights from Local Governments in Kansas.” (Under Review)

Teaching Assistant, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2014 - 2019

Instructor, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2019

Instructor, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2016

WSU Award for Research/Creative Projects in Summer (ARCS): 2020

Convergence Science Initiative Award: 2020

The Institute for the Study and Economic Growth (ISEG) Research Grant Award: 2019

UIC Department Award for ICPSR Summer Program in Quantitative Methods of Social Research (University of Michigan): 2017

UIC Graduate School Council Travel Award: 2016,2017

UIC Presenter Award: 2017

Member of Pi Alpha Alpha Honor Society (NASPAA): 2012

Research Grants

NSF EPSCOR Track 1: “Adaptive and Resilient Infrastructures driven by Social Equity (ARISE),” Sponsored by National Science Foundation, $1,615,786. (May 2022 – May 2027). Co-Principal Investigator.

"Using Probabilistic Machine Learning to Enhance Access to Drinking Water in Kansas," Sponsored by The Kansas Water Institute, $50,000. (September 17, 2024 – June 30, 2026). Co-Principal Investigator.

"Enhanced Resilience of Drinking Water Accessibility in KS Using Probabilistic Machine Learning," Sponsored by Kansas NSF EPSCoR, $50,000. (July 1, 2024 – August 31, 2025). Co-Principal Investigator.

“Integrating Social Equity into Infrastructure Maintenance Planning Towards Resiliency,” Sponsored by Kansas NSF EPSCoR, $50,000. (April 1, 2023 – May 31, 2024). Co-Principal Investigator.

“Sedgwick County Fiscal Analysis,” Sponsored by Sedgwick County, Kansas, $50,310. (Jan 2023 – Oct 2023). Co-Principal Investigator.

“Smart Fusion Material Discovery Research Cluster”, Sponsored by Wichita State University President’s Convergent Science Initiative. $300,000. (October 1, 2020 – September 30, 2023). Co-Principal Investigator.

“Transmission Planning Under High Renewable Penetration”, Sponsored by Sunflower Electric. $120,000. (February 10, 2020 – March 31, 2021). Co-Principal Investigator.

“The Effect of Fiscal Decentralization on Municipal Fiscal Health—A Panel Study of Large American Cities”, Sponsored by the Institute for the Study of Economic Grow (ISEG). $5,000. (Sep 2019 – May 2020). Principal Investigator.

“An Empirical Study of Municipal Financial Condition in the U.S.”, Sponsored by Wichita State University RESEARCH/CREATIVE PROJECTS IN SUMMER (ARCS). $4,000. (June 8, 2020 – August 8, 2020). Principal Investigator.

Ph.D, Public Administration, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2019. Dissertation:  The Financial Condition of America’s Large Cities:  The Role of Fiscal Institutions, Decentralization, and Intergovernmental Aid

MPA, Public Administration, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2012

BA, Management, Nanjing Tech University, 2010

BA, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Nanjing Tech University, 2010