Dr. Christopher Tyler Burks

urban policy scholar

  • I am an assistant professor in the School of Public Affairs at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Recent courses include urban management, organization theory, leadership, ethics, public management, and policy analysis with quantitative and qualitative methods. Learn about my teaching.

  • I am grateful to the Public Administration Theory Network for the opportunity to advance critical, normative, and interpretative scholarship on how we are being governed.

  • I serve on the National Advisory board for the Society for Collegiate Leadership and Achievement (SCLA). Our mission is to empower students to build careers that matter.

  • Alabama Citizens for Constitutional Reform advocates for efficient and equitable government. Help us fund research briefs examining how the Alabama Constitution impacts the well being of our citizens. This research is being conducted by the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA).

  • I serve on the University of Alabama at Birmingham College of Arts and Sciences Alumni Board where I support planning for alumni events and fundraising for scholarships. I serve on the bylaws and alumni network awareness committees.

  • As president of the Alabama Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration, I increased our membership in one year by over 300% for a total of 180 members. As past president, I now support fundraising and event planning. See what we accomplished in PA Times.

  • Urban Analysis is a management consulting firm for changemaking through policy, planning, and politics. I founded Urban Analysis to support our public and civic leaders in their charge to build prosperous cities and metropolitan regions.

I am an assistant professor in the School of Public Affairs at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock where I teach in the public administration, nonprofit management, and political science programs.

I hold a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in public administration and policy from American University in Washington, D.C. and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

I founded Urban Analysis, a consulting firm for changemaking through policy, planning, and politics. I’m proud of my transportation policy work: I assisted Chief Planner Tim Gambrel in the development of Birmingham’s Complete Streets Ordinance, and I worked for City Councilor Darrell O’Quinn as a policy analyst on many projects, such as writing the request for proposals for the public ridesharing service Birmingham On-Demand. I also served on the Birmingham Planning Commission supporting zoning reforms for missing middle housing and the replacement of parking minimums with transportation demand management.

Teaching at
UA Little Rock

I am a assistant professor in the School of Public Affairs at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. I teach in the public administration, nonprofit management, and political science programs. My courses include:

  • Leadership & Public Management (PLSC/PADM 33103)

  • Introduction to Sustainability (PLSC 23053)

  • Public Policy Analysis I (PADM 76203)

  • Public Policy Analysis II (PADM 76303)

  • Public Organization Theory (PADM 70133)

  • Administrative Law (PADM 79303)

  • State Administration & Reform (PADM 73903)

  • Ethics in Public Administration (PADM 74003)

  • Urban Management (PADM 73503)

Student Appreciation

“I just wanted to take a moment to sincerely thank you for today’s class and for all the knowledge you continue to share with us… I feel incredibly fortunate to be your student. I truly appreciate the thoughtfulness and clarity you bring to each lesson. This class has not only taught me valuable academic concepts—it’s also shaping the way I want to serve my community. I can already see how these lessons will guide my work after graduation. Thank you again for everything you do.”

— Leadership & Public Management Student, Spring 2025

“Thank you so much for all your hard work last semester. Having a professor that genuinely cares about professional and academic growth is very inspiring. Your class has given me a motivation I can’t say I had prior. Now I know my interest in public administration and I have you to thank for that.”

— Urban Management Student, Fall 2024

Founders’ Fellow (2019), American Society for Public Administration (ASPA).