Research

Research Identity & Expertise

What drives governance in the face of rapid societal and technological change? How do we create effective systems to address emerging challenges when traditional institutions fall short? These are the questions at the heart of my research. I believe that the ways we govern, through institutions, policies, and collective decision-making, shape the trajectory of our societies, profoundly influencing equity, sustainability, and resilience.

As a scholar of public administration, policy, and urban planning, I am passionate about understanding and addressing the dynamics of governance in fragmented or underdeveloped contexts. My research explores how governance systems emerge, evolve, and institutionalize during socio-technical transitions, such as renewable energy adoption, artificial intelligence regulation, and environmental restoration. I examine the critical roles nonprofits and collaborative actors play in bridging institutional voids, driving innovation, and fostering equitable, sustainable outcomes.

My work is grounded in the belief that effective governance requires more than just reactive policies; it demands proactive, inclusive, and adaptive systems that address complexity while prioritizing equity and sustainability. By integrating theoretical innovation with real-world applications, I aim to contribute to solutions that empower individuals, organizations, and communities to navigate the challenges of our rapidly changing world.

Through my research, teaching, and engagement with policymakers and community organizations, my ultimate goal is to help build governance systems that are not only functional but also fair and forward-looking. By uncovering the mechanisms behind governance evolution, I strive to support the development of systems that respond to today’s challenges while laying the groundwork for a more equitable and sustainable future.

Papers Under Review

Jangjoo, S. (2025). Institutional Voids, Technological Disruption, and the Contestation of Rule Formation: Toward an Integrated Perspective on Early-Phase Socio-technical Transitions. Policy Studies Journal.
Jangjoo, S. (2025). Governing AI in a Multipolar World: Addressing Ethical Risks and Institutional Gaps through the Institutional and Governance Evolution Framework. Research Policy.
Jangjoo, S. (2025). Filling Voids, Driving Change: Nonprofit Institutional Entrepreneurship in Florida Renewable Energy Transitions. Nonprofit Management and Leadership Early Scholars Fellowship Program.
Berlan, D., Denis-Luque, M., Sun, Y. & Jangjoo, S. (2024). Civil Society After Disasters. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly.
Jangjoo, S. (2024). Immigration Policy, Institutions, Precarity, and Wellbeing of Citizen Spouses in Mixed-Status Families. Administration and Society.
Jangjoo, S., Askari, S., & Doaee, A. (2024). The Role of Built Environment on Sense of Community and Women’s Community Wellbeing Perceptions in Residential Apartment Complexes. Cities.
Sadeghi, A. R., Alishahi, R., Panahi, N. & Jangjoo, S. (2025). Intersections of Gender, Culture, and Sound: Exploring Women’s Perception of Urban Green Space Soundscapes. Journal of Environmental Psychology.

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Jangjoo, S., & Tang, T. (2025). Renewable energy transitions from the ground up: Building a framework for local action despite limited state support. Cities, 158, 105737.
Sadeghi, A. R., Baghi, E. S. M. S., Shams, F., & Jangjoo, S. (2023). Women in a safe and healthy urban environment: environmental top priorities for the women’s presence in urban public spaces. BMC women's health, 23(1), 163. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-023-02281-8
Sadeghi, A. R., & Jangjoo, S. (2022). Women's preferences and urban space: Relationship between built environment and women's presence in urban public spaces in Iran. Cities, 126, 103694. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2022.103694
Sadeghi, A. R., Ebadi, M., Shams, F., & Jangjoo, S. (2022). Human-built environment interactions: the relationship between subjective well-being and perceived neighborhood environment characteristics. Scientific reports, 12(1), 21844. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-25414-9
Jangjoo, S., Hajipoor, K., & Lotfi, S. (2024). Empowering Cities through Eventful City Planning: A Toolkit for Enhancing Destination Competitiveness. Tourism Planning & Development. https://doi.org/10.1080/21568316.2024.2371835
Lotfi, S., Sholeh, M., Hajipoor, K., Jangjoo, S., & Fallah Manshadi, A. (2022). Event-Led Regeneration in Reconnecting the Ritual-Religious Structure of Historic Cities (Case Study: Inter-Connected Structure of Historic Shiraz). Geography and Urban Space Development, 9(3), 171-193. https://doi.org/10.22067/jgusd.2022.47725.0
Jangjoo, S., Hajipoor, K., & Lotfi, S. (2021). Providing Eventful City Planning Strategies Based on the Principles of Enhancement of Destination Competitiveness, Case Study: Shiraz, Iran. Journal of Tourism and Development, 10(3), 97-115. https://doi.org/10.22034/jtd.2020.239083.2079
Sadeghi, A. R., Khakzand, M., & Jangjoo, S. (2019). Historical analysis of the role of bazaar on the formation of iranian islamic urban forms; case study: Shiraz, Iran. Armanshahr Architecture & Urban Development, 12(26), 89-101. https://doi.org/10.22034/aaud.2019.89058

Working Papers

Bridging Formal Institutional Designs and On-the-Ground Adaptive Practices through SysML and Hetero-Functional Graph Theory: A Policy Network Approach. - with T. Tang. Paper presented at NSF GCR Workshop 2025. Ready for submission to PSJ.
Translating Performance Between Funders and Nonprofits - with D. Berlan and G. VanLandingham. Paper presented at ARNOVA 2024. Ready for submission to PPMR.
Contested Rule Formation in Institutional Voids: A Perspectives on the Institutional and Governance Evolution (IGE) Framework. Proposal Accepted to PMRC 2025.
Are Small Nonprofits Stepping Stones or Springboards? A Multi-Dimensional Study of Turnover Intentions and Perceived Fit Discrepancy. - with L. Azevedo. Paper presented at ARNOVA 2024 (working project).
Bridging the Divide: Explaining the Paradox of National Support and Local Opposition to Renewable Energy. - with X. Gao.
From Advocacy to Action: NGOs and the Evolution of Collaborative Water Governance in Oregon. - with X. Gao.
Recurrent Institutional Voids and Bottom-Up Innovation: Rethinking Florida’s Solar Future.

Grants

Convergent Anthropocene Systems (Anthems) – A System-of-Systems Paradigm (Chesapeake Bay Program Governance Decision Support System Modeling). National Science Foundation ($3.6 million) (2024)

EPA Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All Grant. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency via a subcontract with The Nature Conservancy ($311,127) (2024)

Assessing the Potential for Transactive Energy Communities in Rural New Hampshire. National Science Foundation ($1.7 Million) (2025)