Dr. Lauren Bock Mullins, Assistant Professor in the Department of Management in CSI’s Lucille and Jay Chazanoff School of Business, has recently received recognition for her article entitled, “Gender Responsive Budgeting and the COVID-19 Pandemic Response: A Feminist Standpoint,” co-authored with Dr. Shilpa Viswanath. The article, which was published in Administrative Theory & Praxis, was awarded Outstanding Dialogue recognition for 2021. According to the journal, this recognition acknowledges published work that “…advances administrative theory through a unique lens, challenges the field’s norms, and makes a lasting contribution to public administration inquiry and practice.”

In the article, the authors explored gendered consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, noting the differential outcomes in the labor market. They discussed structural inequalities in housework and care duties, mental and physical health, food insecurity, and other areas. Potential benefits of gender-responsive budgeting as a policy tool are underscored. This research has wide public policy implications for many sectors of society and aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly UN SDG 5 (Gender Equality).

Commenting on the recognition, Dr. Mullins said, “It is terrific to hear that our discussion regarding a gender lens for pandemic response…is having some sort of impact and reaching a larger audience. The Chazanoff School is a PRME signatory school, and as a public management and work-life researcher, I plan to continue working on research projects with an eye toward advancing the sustainable development goals.”


Given the timeliness of this topic, Dr. Mullins’s work was also recently cited in an article from the World Economic Forum entitled, “How Women Will Drive the Revival of the Middle Class.”   Regarding Dr. Mullins’s recognition, Founding Dean of the Chazanoff School of Business Susan L. Holak said, “The Chazanoff School takes great pride in the scholarly contributions that our faculty are making to their disciplines and to the broader society. We applaud Professor Lauren Bock Mullins for the impact that her work is having in discussions related to the post-COVID economy, public policy, the workplace, and the status of women. Her research also aligns with the Chazanoff School’s role as a PRME-signatory institution and addresses UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality).”

By Terry Mares