Our Team
Shpresa Kaciku Baljija, Ph.D.
As CEO and founder of the ASTERA Management and Leadership Institute, I lead a dynamic think tank committed to developing effective leadership and management strategies. My experience as an expert advisor spans international organizations and government institutions, where I have supported capacity development for governments, parliaments, and independent agencies. As a board member of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) – Section on Organizational and Professional Development, I help shape global governance initiatives and champion innovative practices throughout the public sector.
Founder
Christopher Tyler Burks, Ph.D.
Christopher Tyler Burks, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the School of Public Affairs at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. His work focuses on public administration, democratic governance, civic capacity, nonprofit leadership, and state and local government. He brings experience as a scholar, educator, editor, civic leader, and public affairs consultant. As a Senior Fellow with ASTERA Management and Leadership Institute, Dr. Burks contributes expertise in governance, leadership, institutional capacity, and applied public service research.
Senior Fellow
Senior Expert
Keunyoung (Eli) Lee, Ph.D.
Keunyoung (Eli) Lee is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Administration and Policy at American University. He holds a PhD in Public Policy and Management from the University of Southern California and earned master’s degrees in Public Administration from Seoul National University and the University of Southern California. His research focuses on how agency resources and political environments shape the attitudes and behavior of public employees, with a particular interest in the role of agency reputation in influencing organizational outcomes and employee decision-making. His work engages with the fields of behavioral public administration, bureaucratic politics, and public management, and contributes to scholarly conversations in outlets such as the Public Administration Review, Review of Public Personnel Administration, and Presidential Studies Quarterly. Prior to entering academia, he founded and led Nesal-Nessal, a Korean social enterprise addressing income disparity and urban decline.
Executive Board Member
Kyoung-Sun Min, Ph.D.
Kyoung-Sun Min is an Associate Professor at Jeonbuk National University. He has served as the Director of the Audit Division at the Ministry of Unification, Senior Deputy Director at the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, and Inspector at the Korean National Police Agency. Min earned his PhD in Public Affairs from the Truman School of Public Affairs, University of Missouri, and holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from Seoul National University. His research focuses on anti-corruption and police policies, with significant publications in the field, including a chapter in the Oxford Handbook of South Korean Politics, titled “Corruption.”