Dr. Breen serves as Executive Director of the John C. Stennis Institute of Government and Community Development and as an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at Mississippi State University. His areas of expertise include local and state government, human resource management, demography, survey research, and statistical analysis.

Dr. Breen integrates his academic scholarship with a strong commitment to public service and applied research, working to advance the health and well-being of communities across Mississippi. In recognition of his leadership and contributions, Dr. Breen was honored with the 2024 Donato J. Pugliese Distinguished Senior Member and Public Service Award by the Southeastern Conference for Public Administration and is a past recipient of Mississippi State University's 2014 Zacharias Distinguished Staff Award.

Dr. Breen brings extensive expertise in a broad range of policy areas and applied research fields, including leadership, disaster recovery, state and local governance, elections, and public health. He has served as principal investigator for numerous applied research grants and contracts as well as policy studies commissioned by the State of Mississippi and other organizations. In addition to his research, Dr. Breen collaborates with various civic and nonprofit organizations to advance civic education across Mississippi, with the goal of enhancing overall quality of life. Each year, he provides training for newly elected officials at association meetings held throughout the state.

Dr. Breen currently serves as President-elect of the Southeastern Conference for Public Administration (SECoPA), Vice Chair and President-elect of the Mississippi Certified Public Manager Program Advisory Board, and President of the Mississippi Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration. He is also the past president of the Consortium of University Public Service Organizations (CUPSO) and has chaired the SECoPA Collins Award Committee for the past seven years. Additionally, Dr. Breen serves as a peer reviewer for several scholarly journals in the fields of economics, political science, public policy, and public administration.