Dennis J. Palumbo

Dennis J. Palumbo, 76, Regents' Professor Emeritus of Arizona State University, died at his home in Tempe on November 16, 2006 from complications of liver failure. A leader in the study of public policy, Palumbo was born on November 18, 1929 to Richard and Nora Palumbo of Chicago, Illinois. He served in the U.S. Air Force Intelligence from 1950-1954, and after an honorable discharge, went on to earn a M.A. and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Chicago. Palumbo served as the first director of the Morrison Institute for Public Policy at ASU, and was one of the first scholars to focus on implementation, rather than administration, of public policy. During the later years of his career, he co-authored the first textbook on a public policy approach to criminal justice. He conducted a number of major studies that examined how criminal justice agencies implemented policy reforms, including evaluations of programs for the Arizona Department of Corrections, the Department of Economic Security and the Arizona Supreme Court. Palumbo is survived by his wife of 52 years, Sachiko; his children Jean, Dennis, and Linda; and grandchildren Ryan, Erin, Juliann, and Dylan. A memorial service will be held Monday, November 20, 2006 at 2:00 p.m. in Old Main on the ASU campus. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions be made to Hospice of the Valley, or to the ASU Foundation.