Mark T. Imperial is an Assistant Professor in the Master of Public Administration Program in the Department of Political Science at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He teaches classes in public management, policy analysis, and environmental policy. His research interests focus on collaboration, institutional analysis, and various topics related to watershed management and environmental policy. Prior to his academic career, he worked as a policy analyst for the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council. He has also worked as a consultant on various projects dealing with land use and environmental issues. His research has been published in various journals including Environmental Management, Coastal Management, Natural Resource Journal, Ocean and Coastal Management, Public Works Management & Policy, Administration & Society, and Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly. He is currently a member of the editorial board for the journal Environmental Management. He recently completed a report for the National Academy of Public Administration entitled “Environmental Governance in Watersheds: The Importance of Collaboration to Institutional Performance” as part of its Learning from Innovations in Environmental Protection Project. Dr. Imperial received a B.A. in marine science from the University of Miami in 1989, an M.A. in marine affairs from the University of Rhode Island in 1993, and a Ph.D. in public affairs in 2001 from Indiana University, where his concentrations were public management and policy analysis with a minor in environmental science.