Director
Dr. Chul Hyun Park
Chul Hyun Park, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), where he also serves as Director of the InnoTech Policy Lab. His research centers on cybersecurity public policy and artificial intelligence (AI) governance, with a particular emphasis on how digital technologies shape government resilience and public trust. He currently leads multiple interdisciplinary projects designed to help state and local governments assess and strengthen their cybersecurity preparedness and maturity from a holistic perspective—integrating technological, behavioral, organizational, and societal factors in the era of AI.
His broader research interests include e-government, open governance, emergency management, and policy informatics. Dr. Park’s work has been published in several high-impact, peer-reviewed journals such as Evaluation and Program Planning, Government Information Quarterly, International Review of Administrative Sciences, Journal of Public Health, New Media & Society, Public Performance & Management Review, Social Science & Medicine, and Technology in Society.
Dr. Park holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration and Policy from Arizona State University, and master’s degrees in public policy from Georgia State University and Seoul National University.
Graduate Research Assistants
Linda Appeynarh is a Graduate Research Assistant at the InnoTech Policy Lab at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). Her research interests span international public policy analysis, cybersecurity policy and sustainability, technological change, economic development, inequality, human capital development, program evaluation, education policy, energy policy, and equity.
At the InnoTech Policy Lab, Linda works on research related to election cybersecurity and voter turnout. She contributes to the integration and harmonization of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS) and Policy Survey datasets, and assists in preparing materials for multilevel panel analysis.
Previously, Linda served as an NCRC Research Fellow with the Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO), where she conducted research on small-business development and Native American business ownership, and supported the Equity for All webinar series. She also worked with the Applied Economics Clinic (AEC) on projects related to energy justice and benefit-cost analysis.
Linda is currently a Ph.D. student in Public Policy at UMBC (expected 2029). She completed one year of graduate study in Public Administration at the University of Baltimore. She holds an M.Phil. (2022) and a B.A. (2018) in Economics from the University of Cape Coast in Ghana.
Zhengrui Qiu is a second year doctoral student in Public Policy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). He studies how artificial intelligence can enhance disaster prevention and community preparedness, with a focus on the practical ways AI can support risk identification, early-warning capabilities, and clearer risk communication before disasters occur. Drawing on perspectives from public policy, data science, and emergency management, he is interested in how technology can help communities better understand emerging hazards and make more informed preparedness decisions. His broader goal is to advance more equitable and effective approaches to reducing disaster risks, particularly for populations experiencing persistent vulnerabilities.
At the InnoTech Policy Lab, Zhengrui serves as a Graduate Research Assistant and contributes to the development of the Election Cybersecurity Index. His work includes dataset integration, indicator design, and multi-source data processing, drawing on national election administration surveys, security benchmarks, and state-level policy reviews to support the construction and refinement of the Index.
Before joining UMBC, Zhengrui earned an MPA from Northeastern University in 2023, where he focused on public policy analytics and emergency management. He completed his Bachelor of Arts in Economics at University of Arizona in 2021, developing early interests in risk assessment, public sector innovation, and data-driven governance. He has published peer-reviewed research on urban safety and smart-city security, including Urban Safety Risk Assessment Technology Based on Risk Correction and Establishment and Countermeasures of Smart City Security Risk Assessment Model.
Matthew Reeds is a Graduate Research Assistant and a PhD student in the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). His research interests span a broad range of projects focused on community and civic engagement, access for disability communities, and improving outcomes in urban communities.
Matthew’s work at the InnoTech Policy Lab focuses on the intersection of secure election technologies and accessibility for voters with disabilities. He examines the technological, political, and legal hurdles in this balance and develops best-practice recommendations for inclusive election administration.
Matthew is the co-founder of the Reeds Fund, a nonprofit organization he established in 2019 to educate, advocate, and liberate young adults on the autistic spectrum. To date, the fund has awarded over $6,000 in scholarships for higher education. Before this, Matthew served as Deputy Director of Baltimore Homecoming, where he managed a $1 million budget to help invest in the growth and development of Baltimore. Committed to the community, before this role, he served in the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Children and Family Success, where he helped implement the Trauma-Informed Care Task Force. Earlier in his career, Matthew was an Analyst at Goldman Sachs, where he focused on finance and project management. He graduated with honors from Morgan State University’s Earl G. Graves School of Business and Management with a B.S. degree in Information Science and Systems. At Morgan State University, he was a student regent on the Morgan State University Board of Regents. He also graduated from the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School with his Master’s in Business Administration.