Hsin-Ching Wu, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor and Director, Graduate Certificate in Arts and Cultural Management
Dr. Hsin-Ching Wu’s research agenda focuses on the intersection of nonprofit arts and cultural management, public administration and policy, and social equity. In her dissertation, Dr. Wu studied the politics of arts funding with a case study of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, which is Massachusetts’ designated art and cultural agency. She has published on a wide range of topics, including national arts branding initiatives, the contribution of artists to the co-creation of public value, digital branding for government public relations, and issues concerning immigrant and marginalized populations. Her research has been awarded Best Paper by Emergent Arts Administration Educator by the Association of Arts Administration Educators.
With a background in American Studies and expertise in researching racial and ethnic issues, Dr. Wu is particularly interested in representations of diverse art forms and narratives in cultural institutions. Previously, she taught for many years in the Master of Public Administration Program at UMass Boston, advising students on their capstone projects. While at the Institute for Asian American Studies at UMass Boston, she was part of a multidisciplinary research team whose project addressed health literacy of low-income, immigrant populations using a culturally accessible approach integrated with creative visual aids and technology.
Dr. Wu was a postdoctoral research affiliate at the Performing Arts Administration Graduate Program at NYU. In 2021, Dr. Wu was selected by the American Society for Public Administration as a Founders' Fellow. She also had collection management experience at the University of Buffalo (SUNY) galleries. She had also served as a collection manager for the late gallerist and collector, David K. Anderson, and his estate. David K. Anderson was the son of Martha Jackson--their New York gallery between the 1950s and 1960s debuted works by noteworthy artists, such as Karel Appel, Sam Francis, Paul Jenkins, Louise Nevelson, and Antoni Tàpies.
Dr. Wu is an advisory committee member of the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Arts at the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø. She also serves on the board of Social Theory, Politics, and the Arts, an international membership organization on arts trends, practices, and policies. She is on the International Journal of Regional Issues in the Arts editorial board. Previously, she served as a reviewer for the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County (AHCMC) in Maryland and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Education
University of Massachusetts Boston, MA
Ph.D., Public Policy
Dissertation Title, “The Role of Massachusetts Cultural Council in State Cultural Policy: Institutionalism, Policy Goals, and Perceived Outcomes in the Arts and Culture”
State University of New York at Buffalo (University at Buffalo)
MA, Arts Management
MA, American Studies
Research Interests
Nonprofit Arts and Cultural Management
Cultural Policy
Cultural Representation
Place Branding
E-governance
Racial/Ethnic Disparities
Mixed Methods Research
Courses Taught
ARTM 310 Strategic Planning in the Arts
ARTM 321 Arts Marketing and Public Relations
ARTM 360 Arts and Culture in Community Engagement
ARCM 570 Leading Arts and Cultural Organizations
ARCM 573 The Patron-Based Arts Organization
PUBA 711 Independent Study
Honors and Awards
2023 Best Paper by Emergent Arts Administration Educator, Association of Arts Administration Educator (AAAE)
2023 Faculty Research & Development Grant, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø
2022 School of the Arts Dean's Excellence Award, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø
2021 Founders Fellow, American Society for Public Administration
Selected Publications
2024. “Advancing a multi-actor model of artist-in-residence practice.” (with K. Keeney). Cultural Trends, 1–17.
2024. “The Evolution of Public Branding in the Digital Age: An Empirical Investigation of US Cities.” (with A. P. Manoharan & L. Hohensinn). International Journal of Public Administration.
2023. “Three Cities on YouTube: E-Government’s Evolution through Content Creation.” (with A. P. Manoharan). International Journal of Public Administration in Digital Age, 10 (1). 1-20.
2022. “The Emerging Role of Artists in Co-Creation of Climate Adaptation.” (with K. Keeney & C. Burgess). Journal of Cultural Management and Cultural Policy, 1, 99-121.
2021. “Digital Branding for Government Public Relations.” (with A. P. Manoharan). Book chapter in The Practice of Government Public Relations (2nd Edition). Routledge.
2020, April. “Art Creates Community and Comfort – and We Must Defend It.” Blog post of McCormack Speaks, John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies, UMass Boston.
2020. “Gambling Behavior of Ethnic Chinese and Vietnamese College Students in the United States.” (with C. Wong). International Gambling Studies, 20(1), 14-36.
2019. “Visualizing Air Pollution: Communication of Environmental Health Information in a Chinese Immigrant Community.” (with C. Wong, et al.). Journal of Health Communication, 24(4), 339-358.
2017. “Making Air Pollution Visible: A Tool for Promoting Environmental Health Literacy.” (with E. G. Cleary, et al.). JMIR Public Health & Surveillance, 3(2), e16.
2015. “The Art of Nation Branding – National Branding Value and the Role of Government and the Arts and Culture Sector.” (with M. J. Ahn). Public Organization Review, 15(1), 157-173.
2007. “Encountering Art Firms in Gattieres.” In SUNY Buffalo Arts Management & Policy Occasional Paper Series: Issue No. 3, A Master of Business Art. Merrill, pp. 76-85.