Dr. Martha Joynt Kumar
Dr. Martha Joynt Kumar is a Professor in the Department of Political Science at Towson University. As a scholar with a research focus on the White House, she is interested in presidential - press relations, White House communications operations, and presidential transitions. Her most recent book, Managing the President's Message: The White House Communication Operation, won the 2008 Richard E. Neustadt Award of the presidency section of the American Political Science Association. Her previous books include White House World: Transitions, Organization, and Office Operations with Terry Sullivan. She is director of the White House Transition Project [www.whitehousetransitionproject.org], which is a nonpartisan effort by presidency scholars to provide information on presidential transitions and White House operations to those who come into the White House in January 2009. Last month, she testified on effective practices for presidential transitions before the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement hearing: "Passing the Baton: Preparing for the Presidential Transition." She was recently elected to serve as a fellow in the National Academy of Public Administration.
