MPA Faculty Spotlight: Christopher Galik

Christopher Galik is an associate professor in the Department of Public Administration. He teaches in both the MPA and Ph.D. programs. At the master’s level, Dr. Galik generally teach PA507 (Public Policy Process), PA550 (Environmental Policy) and PA551 (Energy Policy). At the doctoral level, he helps teach PA714 (Research Methods and Traditions) and an exciting new class on Qualitative Methods.

He is an interdisciplinary public policy scholar with an interest in institutions and institutional theory relevant to contemporary energy and environmental policy problems. The essence of his scholarship, teaching and service revolves around the role of formal and informal institutions in responding to pressing global challenges like climate change. Given his experience and work, Dr. Galik serves as a member of the Chancellor’s Faculty Excellence Program Sustainable Energy Systems and Policy Cluster. 

Dr. Galik began his academic journey with a bachelor’s degree in biology from Vassar College. Following graduation, he pursued a master’s degree in resource economics and policy from Duke University, ending with a Ph. D. in forestry and environmental resources from North Carolina State University. In 2016, Dr. Galik returned to NC State via Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, where he worked for about a decade on a variety of environmental and energy policy research and outreach initiatives. Between his masters and Ph.D. degrees, he also spent several years in Washington, D.C. working as an environmental policy analyst.

In 2021, Dr. Galik won an Outstanding Teaching Award at NC State. Due to his commitment in supporting active military and veteran students, he was awarded a Challenge Coin from NC State Military and Veteran Services in 2020. In addition, he was part of a team selected for an Innovation and Impact Award by the University Sustainability Office in 2019. Dr. Galik’s research has been featured in numerous outlets ranging from The Washington Post to Popular Science. 

Dr. Galik and his wife have three children and two dogs. In his spare time, he enjoys doing activities that keep him present such as homebrewing, running and building lego sets.