Tou Xiong is a first generation Hmong-American doctoral student in the public administration
program. His research interests are ethics, education, and organizational strategy.
He earned both his Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration and Masters of Public
Administration (MPA) from California State University, Fresno. As an undergraduate
student, he participated in the Panetta Congressional Internship Program where he
served on Capitol Hill as a Congressional Intern. This experience sparked a distinct
interest in public policy and public service. More importantly, he was inspired to
help other disadvantaged students in their pursuit of attaining a college degree and
breakthrough the cultural stigma of minorities as practitioners and scholars in the
field of public administration. Therefore, his professional and academic careers are
dedicated to public service with over 11 years of progressive work in education. He
has served different roles within the education system (K-12, community college, university)
and was able to impact students at multiple levels from academic counseling at Fresno
City College and admission advising at Fresno State, to proposing a (passed) policy
on retrofitting classrooms for 4th graders; his passion to improve the educational experience of students is the driving
force for his research and work as a practitioner.
Currently, Tou's dissertation is focused on exploring ways public universities, particularly universities within the California State University system, can improve in planning and strategically navigating through political, economic, demographic, and technological pressures. His aim is to enhance the strategic behavior and flexibility of university administrators by using empirical and contemporary research to make informed ethical decisions.