Assistant Professor (NTT)
Ph.D. University of Akron, 2001
Fields: public administration, state and local government, facilitating electoral participation
Director,Columbus Program in Intergovernmental Issues (CPII)
Dr. Sykes has had a long and productive career in public service. In addition to working for Summit County government, he served two terms on the Akron City Council and eighteen years in the Ohio House of Representatives. During his time in the House of Representatives, he served as the Assistant Majority Floor Leader, chaired several committees, and served as President of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus. Professor Sykes was nationally recognized for sponsoring the strongest Fair Housing Law of any state in the nation. He has provided policy leadership to improve public education, to toughen child abuse laws, to prevent railroad crossing fatalities, and to compensate wrongfully imprisoned individuals, as well as a host of other legislative actions to serve the public good.
In addition to his public service, Dr. Sykes has taught Urban Studies and Social and Applied Economics at the University of Akron.
Dr. Sykes' most recent publication, "The Efficacy of Extra-Jurisdictional Facilitation of Electoral Participation: A Study of Public Administration," appeared in Administrative Theory and Praxis, 2001.
e-mail: vsykes@kent.edu