northwestern political science thesis

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

Graduate program.

The Department of Political Science at Northwestern offers exceptional resources for the advanced study of politics in its various forms. Committed to excellence in research and teaching, methodological diversity, and interdisciplinary collaborations, the department offers a stimulating intellectual community that is committed to diversity and equality of opportunity for students and faculty of all backgrounds.  Our graduate students benefit from the opportunity to work closely with leading scholars in the field; enjoy access to first-rate libraries on a beautiful lakefront campus next to a world-class city, participate in a variety of research centers and institutes, and enjoy strong support for their research and scholarship – from fieldwork, to methods workshops, to conference travel in the United States and abroad. 

We provide comprehensive training in political science theory and in multiple methods of analysis including quantitative, qualitative, experimental and interpretive methods. Subfield training includes  American politics , comparative politics , international relations , political theory , and methods .

All Northwestern graduate students receive five years of guaranteed funding. We also provide generous support for professional development, including workshops on publishing, grant-writing, dissertation prospectus development, conference participation, work/life balance, and success on the academic and non-academic job markets. 

We have our own experimental laboratory . The Buffett Institute for Global Studies supports working groups and funds graduate student’s preliminary field research. Certificate programs in Comparative-Historical Social Science and Critical Theory offer unique interdisciplinary training opportunities.  Northwestern also offers a social science oriented Masters in Statistics , and dual degrees with Sciences Po and the Faculty of Law at Northwestern University Law School and the University of Copenhagen. The Program of African Studies and Equality, Development and Globalization Studies (EDGS)  and the Institute for Policy Research  greatly enrich our scholarly community.

We have an excellent placement record , with recent graduates accepting positions as assistant professors at Tulane, Johns Hopkins, University of Michigan, University of Chicago, University of Arizona, University of Pennsylvania, Williams College, Kenyon College, William and Mary, and the University of Montreal.

Learn more about our graduate program

• Program overview Learn about the yearly progression and our PhD program requirements, as well as affiliated programs.
• Courses Find course requirements and key links.
• Apply If interested in applying to our program, learn about the application procedure and admission qualifications.
• Fellowships and grants Discover information about funding available to current graduate students.
• Information for Current Students   Review resources about graduate student life, downloadable forms, and Department policies.
• Information for New Students  
• Biographies of our current graduate students

Libraries | Research Guides

Poli_sci_398: senior thesis seminar (ben-arieh), gather background, reviews, overviews. find definitions, bibliographies.

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• Country Info
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• Citing Sources

Political Science Librarian

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Somewhere in between your initial idea and settling on a research question, you'll need to do background research on how scholars in a particular subject area have discussed your topic. You may find background research in your textbook or class readings, academic books in the library's collection, or reference sources.

• Oxford Reference Online This link opens in a new window Online version of many Oxford University Press reference works, ranging from specialized dictionaries and companions to major reference works such as the Encyclopedia of Human Rights, the Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink, the Oxford Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in the United States, and the Oxford Encyclopedia of Economic History, among many others.
• Annual Review of Political Science This link opens in a new window Annual edited volume that covers significant developments in the field of political science including political theory and philosophy, international relations, political economy, political behavior, American and comparative politics, public administration and policy, and methodology. Covers 1998-present.
• Oxford Handbooks Online This link opens in a new window Scholarly reviews of research in 15 subject fields including: Archaeology, Business/Management, Classical Studies, Economics/Finance, History, Linguistics, Literature, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Religion. Only purchased content available, primarily: Archaeology = 2014-2018 Business and Management = 2012-2019 Classical Studies = 2014-2019 Economics and Finance = 2014-2019 History = 2012-2019 Linguistics = 2014-2019 Literature = 2012-2019 Philosophy = 2014-2019 Political Science = 2012-2019 Psychology = 2013-present Religion = 2014-2018
• CQ Researcher Plus Archive This link opens in a new window The CQ Researcher is a collection of reports covering political and social issues, with regular reports on topics in health, international affairs, education, the environment, technology and the U.S. economy.

Use  NU Search  to browse for books, reference entries, and periodicals to build background information.

How do you move from a research question to searching in a database? You first have to pick out keywords from your research question.

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• Last Updated: Apr 1, 2024 10:34 AM
• URL: https://libguides.northwestern.edu/polisci398

Northwestern University Graduate Student Political Theory Workshop

Graduate students, ph.d. candidates.

Rhiannon Auriemma Dissertation : “(Being a) Feminist (is a) Struggle: Feminist Theory and Politics in the Era of The Women’s March” Committee : Mary G. Dietz (Chair); Alvin B. Tillery, Jr., Jennifer C. Nash (Duke) Areas of Research : Intersectionality; Black Feminism(s); Critical Race Theory; Feminist Theory & Philosophy; Critical Theory; Contemporary Political Theory; Post/Anti-Colonial Theory

Malia Bowers Dissertation : “The Space Between: Rethinking Paradox in Contemporary Feminism” Committee : Mary G. Dietz (Chair); James Farr, Jennifer C. Nash (Duke) Areas of Research : Feminist Theory; Contemporary Political Theory; Postcolonial Theory; Critical Theory

Owen Brown Dissertation : “Ordering Through Race/Racializing Through Order: Race and the Production of International Order” Committee : Elizabeth Shakman Hurd (Chair); Ian Hurd, Barnor Hesse (African American Studies), José Medina (Philosophy) Areas of Research : Race and Colonialism in International Relations; International Order; International Law; IR Theory; Critical Theory; Post- and Decolonial Political Thought; Black Political Thought; German Colonialism; The Politics of Memory; Interpretive Methods

Tim Charlebois Dissertation : “Attention Between Ethics and Politics: Weil, Arendt and the Ethics of Care after the Ethical Turn” Committee : Mary G. Dietz (Chair); Alvin B. Tillery, Jr., Loubna El Amine Areas of Research : Contemporary Political Theory; Ethics of Care; Epistemic Injustice; Critical Phenomenology; Democratic Theory; Feminist Theory; Disability Studies; Trauma Studies; Politics & Literature; Interpretation of Texts

Tom Dabrowski Committee : James Farr (Chair); Mary G. Dietz, Jordan Gans-Morse, Shmulik Nili

Shawn Dean Dissertation : “Florence in Crisis: Dictatorship and Democracy in Machiavelli’s Political Thought ” Committee : Mary G. Dietz (Chair); James Farr, Loubna El Amine Areas of Research : Democratic Theory; Republicanism; Florentine Political Thought; Emergency Government; History of Political Thought

Lucien Ferguson Dissertation : “The Spirit of Caste: Recasting the History of Civil Rights” Committee : Mary G. Dietz (Chair); Alvin B. Tillery, Jr., Erin F. Delaney (Law), Paul A. Gowder (Law) Areas of Research : Civil and Human Rights; Abolitionism; Black Legal and Political Thought; Critical Race Theory; Feminist Legal and Political Theory; Constitutional and Public Law; Critical Theory

Gina Giliberti Dissertation : “Impassioned Religion in Global Politics” Committee : Elizabeth Shakman Hurd (Chair); Mary G. Dietz, Brannon Ingram (Religious Studies)

Kyle Jones Committee : James Farr (Chair); Mary G. Dietz, Loubna El Amine, Loren Goldman (UPenn) Areas of Research : American Pragmatism; John Dewey; History of Political Thought; Critical Theory; Interpretive Methods in Archival Research and Translation

Nathalia Justo Dissertation : “The Global Politics of Citizenship: Producing and Protecting the “Deserving” Subject” Committee : Elizabeth Shakman Hurd (Chair); Mary G. Dietz, Ian Hurd, Naeem Inayatullah (Ithaca College) Areas of Research : Global Politics of Citizenship; International Law and Migration; Critical Approaches to International Relations Theory; Interpretive Methodologies in Political Science

Sam McChesney Dissertation: “Political Courage” Committee: Sara Monoson (Chair), Mary G. Dietz, James Farr Areas of Research : Ancient Greek Political Thought; Hermeneutics; History of Ideas; Hannah Arendt

Audrey Nicolaïdes Dissertation : “Progressive Internationalism and the Philosophy of History” Committee : Elizabeth Shakman Hurd (Chair); Michael Loriaux, Mark Alznauer (Philosophy) Areas of Research : Critical Theory; Global Theory; International Thought

Shaul Notkin Committee : Mary G. Dietz (Chair)

Ph.D. Students

Soho Char Areas of Research : Democratic Theory; Analytic Political Philosophy; Deliberative Democracy Advisor : Shmulik Nili

Shah Zeb Chaudhary Areas of Research : Critical Theory; Religion; Law; Culture Advisor : Ian Hurd

Jinxue Chen Areas of Research : History of Political Thought; Global and Comparative Political Theory; Contemporary Political Theory Advisor : Loubna El Amine

Emma Davis Areas of Research : Critical Theory; Post- and Decolonial Political Thought; Feminist Theory Advisor : Elizabeth Shakman Hurd

Larissa de Paula Areas of Research : Decolonial Theory; Feminist Theory; Militarism; Public Opinion; Public Policy Advisor : Mary G. Dietz

Jeremi Dolecki Areas of Research : Critical Theory; Marxism; Far-Left Political Theory Advisor : James Farr

Bill French Areas of Research: Analytic Political Philosophy; Epistemic Injustice Advisor : Shmulik Nili

Amanda Fu Areas of Research : German Critical Theory; Radical Democratic Theory; Feminist Theory Advisor : James Farr

Usdin Martínez Areas of Research : Radical Democracy; Critical Theory; Comparative Political Theory; Interpretive Methods; Civil War and Contentious Politics Areas of Research : Mary G. Dietz

Charlotte Mencke Areas of Research : Classical Political Thought; Receptions of Classical Political Thought; Democratic Theory; Hannah Arendt Advisor : Mary G. Dietz

Ely Orrego Torres Areas of Research Religion and Politics; Political Theology; Critical Theory; Biopolitics; Human Rights Education; Women and Gender Studies; Migration; Ecojustice; Global South; Hannah Arendt; Niccolò Machiavelli Advisor : Elizabeth Shakman Hurd

Danielle Ortiz Areas of Research : Critical Race Theory;  Marxism; Feminist Theory; Intersectionality; Contemporary Political Theory Advisor : Alvin B. Tillery, Jr.

Megha Summer Pappachen Areas of Research : Marxism; Feminist Theory; Queer Theory; Internationalism; Anti-Imperialism; Socialist Feminism Advisor : Loubna El Amine

Academic Catalog

2023-2024 Edition

Political Science Major

Students must also complete the Undergraduate Registration Requirement and the degree requirements of their home school.

NOTE: This Catalog describes Weinberg College BA requirements that pertain to students who matriculated at Northwestern after spring quarter 2023. Refer to the Archives if you are following BA requirements described in the 2018-2019 through 2022-2023 editions.

The major in political science provides an opportunity for students to learn about politics in a variety of realms and settings. Students are encouraged to begin the major with 200-level courses, which provide a general introduction to subfields of political science, as well as important background for 300-level courses. Majors should choose 200-level courses from at least two subfields: American politics, comparative politics, international relations, and political theory.

While some students choose courses from within one or two subfields, most take a wide variety across different areas. Concentrations are not required; however, majors may consult with department advisers to design programs of study. For instance, students might design concentrations around themes such as race, ethnicity, and politics; global transformation; representation and law; social and economic inequalities; conflict and national security; and citizenship studies.

Students planning to major in political science are advised to complete the 200-level gateway courses and at least one 300-level course in political science by the end of sophomore year. Majors should complete their methodology requirement by the end of junior year and before taking the POLI_SCI 395-0 Political Research Seminar . Students should plan to take POLI_SCI 395-0 in junior or senior year. Those who plan to pursue honors should take POLI_SCI 395-0 in junior year.

• At most one unit of Chicago Field Studies (chosen from  CFS 391-0 , CFS 394-0 , or CFS 397-0 ) may substitute for one course.
• At most two units of  POLI_SCI 399-0  may count toward the 300-level requirement for the major.
• Only one additional  POLI_SCI 395-0  credit beyond the one credit required may count towards the 300-level requirement for the major. 
• Honors thesis seminars  POLI_SCI 398-1  and  POLI_SCI 398-2  do not count toward the major. 

Notes about substitutions and restrictions:

• A maximum of two courses per quarter from study abroad may count toward the Political Science major. More courses may be accepted toward the major for longer study abroad programs.
• Courses taken P/N cannot be counted toward the major (this is a Weinberg College rule; for details see Grade Requirements ).
• Receiving a 5 on an AP exam (either American Government or Comparative Politics) can place students out of the equivalent 200-level course, but test credit awarded cannot be substituted for the 12 courses required to complete the major. Thus, instead of taking POLI_SCI 220-0 or POLI_SCI 250-0 , the student must take an additional 300-level course. Students receiving 5’s on the AP exams in both American Government and Comparative Politics can place out of both equivalent 200-level courses and thus need to take two additional 300-level courses. Students wishing to use their AP credit in this fashion must contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies and place the request.
• For students completing the MMSS major, MATH 385-0 fulfills the POLI SCI methodology requirement, and MMSS 311-2 double-counts as a 300-level political science course (for triple major limitations see  MMSS Adjunct Major ).

Honors in Political Science

Majors (including students studying abroad) with strong academic records and an interest in pursuing honors should submit an application to the honors program in the spring quarter of their junior year. Interested students should complete at least seven of the courses required for the major, including the methodology and research seminar requirements, before senior year. Accepted students enroll in the two-quarter seminar POLI_SCI 398-1  &  POLI_SCI 398-2 , which provides guidance in writing a senior thesis. These courses do not count toward the major. Students interested in pursuing honors in more than one major are encouraged to pursue interdisciplinary honors.

Students whose theses and grades meet department criteria are recommended to the college for graduation with honors. For more information see Honors in the Major .

American Politics Courses

These courses examine political behavior, power, and politics in American society and in the institutions of US government at the national, state, and local levels.

Comparative Politics Courses

Some of these courses concentrate on understanding the politics of specific national systems, while others focus on certain types of political phenomena and make cross-national comparisons.

International Relations Courses

This field includes the study of major actors and arenas in the world scene, global processes through which cooperation and conflict are managed in the international system, and ways in which change occurs and resources become allocated in the global system.

Political Theory Courses

These courses examine the ideas that inform the thinking of today’s citizens, representatives, and political scientists. They are organized by historical periods and conceptual similarity.

Research Methodology Courses

Courses in this field help students engage in the research they may encounter in their 300 level courses and help prepare students to conduct original research on the causes and consequences of political phenomena. The methodological techniques are often transferable to research problems in government and business.

Seminars and Independent Study

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Faculty, MA in Public Policy & Administration | Northwestern University School of Professional Studies - Northwestern School of Professional Studies

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Public Policy & Administration

Faculty: ma in public policy & administration program.

William Lester

Faculty Director

Contact Information

[email protected]

William Lester is the MPPA faculty director and a scholar of political science, public policy, and public administration. His interests include leadership and ethics, public administration, disaster response, public organization theory, public personnel, and American politics. He has published in  Public Administration Review  and  The Public Manager , among other journals and book chapters, and is on the editorial board of  Public Voices . He has a recently published book in the American Society for Public Administration Series entitled  Transforming Disaster Response: Federalism and Leadership . Lester was named a 1999 Civitas Scholar and was also a 2009 participant in Minnowbrook III. Lester was named a Fulbright scholar (2013), teaching and researching at The National Research University-Higher School of Economics in Moscow. He received his MPA and PhD from Texas Tech University with specializations in public administration, American politics, and political theory.

MPA,  Texas Tech University

PhD, Texas Tech University

Recent Courses

MPPA 498-0 : Capstone Project

MPPA 408-DL : Public Organization Theory & Management

MPPA 417-DL : Public Human Resources

MPPA 418-DL : Ethics and Leadership

MPPA 420-DL : Disaster Management and Theory

William Abolt

[email protected]

Bill Abolt is a vice president at Aecom Technology Corporation, where he focuses on energy, sustainability, cities, and infrastructure. Prior to joining AECOM, he was a vice president at Shaw Environmental & Infrastructure, Inc. He developed and led its Sustainability, Energy, and Carbon Management National Practice and directed consulting projects for clients, including Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy, Sustainable Chicago 2015, and the Lincoln Park Zoo Nature Boardwalk. Abolt previously served as Environment Commissioner, Director of the Office of Budget and Management, and Chief of Management, Office of the Mayor, for the City of Chicago.  He was responsible for developing Chicago's strategy to become one of the greenest cities in the United States. Abolt has over 30 years of experience managing complex energy, environmental and public issues and programs. He is a member of the Green Ribbon Committee of the Chicago Climate Action Plan, the Midwest Advisory Council of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Civic Consulting Alliance Leadership Council, the Plan for Economic Growth and Jobs, Neighborhood and Placed-based Assets Strategy Team, and a Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow. He has developed and taught graduate courses on public budgeting, energy and climate policy, urban sustainability, intergovernmental management, and capital and development finance. He received his MPA from Northern Illinois University.

Michael Baron

[email protected].

Michael Baron ’s background includes more than 30 years of experience in statistics, analytical methods, systems design, curriculum design, risk management, and computer programming. Baron's work includes more than 15 years of experience utilizing SAS and SPSS for statistical analysis and risk management in the context of Public Policy and Administration.  He also has over six years of experience using R programming for statistical analysis and risk management. Baron has 18 years of practical experience in preparing various types of organizational leaders and educators for the pedagogical, technological, communications, and logistical challenges of the 21st century. A common thread throughout his knowledge and experience in bridging the gap between theory and practice via organizational collaboration, innovative (catalytic) questions, and creative systems design. Baron has substantial experience helping improve Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) related to the development of more effective learning organizations and corporate resilience and policy design (and implementation). Further, he has expertise in scaling up successful EDI initiatives and programs through evidence-based methods as part of implementation science. A core aspect of these endeavors and leadership roles has been integrating principles of Public Policy, Behavioral Economics, and Cognitive Science and cultivating mutual understandings among employees and cross-functional teams through shared mindsets. Recent projects include creating innovation infrastructures and ecosystems to facilitate agile, adaptive organizational development, change management, and digital transformation.

Doctor of Education with a focus on Leadership and Learning in Organizations, Vanderbilt Peabody College (2020) Master's in Public Policy and Administration with a specialization in Global Policy, Northwestern School of Professional Studies (2016) Master of Science in Health and Social Behavior, Harvard School of Public Health (1995) Master of Arts in Communication, Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania (1994) Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (High Honors, Summa Cum Laude), University of Michigan (1990) Certification in Strategic Leadership in Education, the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education (2021) Certification in Social-Emotional Teaching and Learning, the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education (2021) Certification in Inquiry-Driven Leadership, MIT Sloan School of Management (2020)

Relevant Work

Senior Instructor at eCornell and Cornell University in Statistics; Data Science; Data Analytics; Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion; Business Analytics, and Machine Learning (2016 to present) Program Director for Analytics Leadership at Kullar College (2021) Member of Board of Directors at The HomeMore Project (2021). In charge of using data analytics and statistics to enhance Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion programs which mitigate the negative impacts of homelessness and improve career opportunities for homeless persons. Member of the Board of Directors for the OT Consultancy Group (2021). Supervising the use of statistics and data analytics to improve community development programs in Michigan that reduce poverty, hunger, and sanitation problems. Article Reviewer and Editor for the Journal of Opioid Management with an emphasis on assessing statistical and data analytic strategies

Research Interests

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the context of Public Policy and Public Administration Leadership and Ethics Self-Determination Theory to improve community responses to poverty, hunger, and public health risks Innovations in Public Administration from a Community Health perspective Disaster Response Public Organization Theory Quantitative and qualitative research methods designed to enhance community education and skills development programs for special-needs children Social Impact and Implementation Science to improve community development for economically and socially disadvantaged populations

Selected Publications and Products

Increasing Student Engagement in Advanced Placement Classes in High School. This includes the implications of student engagement for enabling a diversity of perspectives in classrooms. (Vanderbilt University, 2020) The Treatment of Covid-19 as a Network of Complex, Dynamic Systems (Advisory Cloud, 2021) Preparing for the Educational Landscape in 2021 (Advisory Cloud, 2020)

Recognition

Honored for contributions to K-12 learning in advanced placement classes, doctoral research at Vanderbilt University (2020) Received distinguished thesis award (2015-2016) for Master's Thesis in Public Policy and Administration at Northwestern School of Professional Studies Honored for special contributions to the Public Health community in the Boston area by Harvard School of Public Health (1995) Member of Phi Beta Kappa, University of Michigan (1989) Member of Sigma Xi, University of Michigan (1989)

MPPA 405-DL : Statistics for Research

Teaching Approach and Philosophy

Michael Baron has a holistic approach to teaching and learning. He connects the subject matter to other aspects of students' lives, including academic and professional endeavors. This strategy encompasses statistics and R programming. Within this context, Baron has experienced significant success implementing an asset-based approach to teaching. Every student has something unique and meaningful to offer to class discussions and the sharing of insights. This strategy is derived from a philosophy of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Each student's background provides a special context and narrative for learning that benefits the entire class. The aforementioned philosophy often enriches class discussions and collaborative approaches to learning related to Statistics in Research, as implemented through R programming.

Brett Crawford

[email protected]

Brett Crawford  is a faculty member at the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business and the Department of Sociology at the University of Pittsburgh and has also held visiting positions at Stanford University and the University of Michigan. His research explores how organizations use history and policy to construct institutional meaning. He has also studied how education policy and associations’ codes of ethics shape students’ strategies for success in the health sciences. Crawford’s current research includes a pair of projects funded by separate grants. The first project explores the historicity of environmental associations, specifically how associations have reshaped the identity of actors to both protect the meaning of environmentalism and disrupt industries that threaten that meaning. The second project explores how stigmatized issues are shaped into legitimate categories through the work of organizations. Crawford earned his PhD from Copenhagen Business School.

MPPA 432-DL : Intergovernmental Relations

Grant Driessen

[email protected]

Grant Driessen  is an economist with the Congressional Research Service in Washington, DC. He advises members of Congress and their staff on fiscal policy, public finance, and state and local budgeting. Driessen previously worked for the Congressional Budget Office. He served as the primary forecaster for their baseline projections of federal excise tax revenues and customs duties. Driessen’s recent publications and citations include work in Public Finance Review, Tax Notes, the Joint Committee on Taxation, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the Heritage Foundation, and U.S. Supreme Court Cases. Driessen received his PhD in economics from Tulane University.

* The views expressed in Driessen's course are his alone in the context of an educational setting at Northwestern University, and are not presented nor should they be interpreted as those of the Congressional Research Service or the Library of Congress.

PhD in Economics from Tulane University

Specialist in Public Finance at the Congressional Research Service, my employer since 2015. I research public finance and economic issues of importance to congressional business and advise members and their staff on legislative proposals and related discussions.

Public Economics and Finance Federal Fiscal Policy State and Local Budgeting

Library of Congress

Public Finance Review

MPPA 402-DL : Elements of Public Finance and Budgeting

I believe that students should expect to receive knowledge and critical thinking skills commensurate with their time and resource investment in every course they take. That belief informs the two foundational tenets of my approach to teaching: (1) effective delivery of core concepts needed for subject mastery; (2) practical application of all material to fields of interest and everyday life. Open lines of communication are of utmost importance. They ensure information is tailored to fit the needs of each class and hold me accountable as an educator.

Wendy L. Eaton

Wendy L. Eaton  teaches as a Professor and serves as the MPA Director at Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU). Prior to her work at IWU, she was on the faculty at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). Eaton earned her MPA and PhD in Public Administration and Public Policy from Auburn University. Before her academic career, she served as an assistant city manager and has over twelve years of experience in local government management. Her scholarly research has been published in academic journals including Public Administration Review, Public Performance & Management Review, Review of Public Personnel Administration, and Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management. She is currently serving on the Editorial Board of Public Administration Review (PAR). Her current projects include a co-edited book focusing on management challenges unique to rural American cities as well as an article focusing on citizen-volunteers and policy implementation.

She is the co-author or co-editor of Local Government Management: Current Issues and Best Practices (2003) and Civic Battles: When Cities Change Their Form of Government (2007). Her work also appears in More than Mayor or Manager: Campaigns to Change Form of Government in America's Large Cities (2010). More recently, her work was published in  Alabama Municipal Journal  in 2014, 2015, and 2017. She is currently working on a co-edited book focusing on management challenges unique to rural American cities.

Her scholarly research has been published in key academic journals, including  Public Administration Review, Public Performance & Management Review, Review of Public Personnel Administration , and  Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management .

PhD Public Administration and Public Policy from Auburn University

Professor and MPA Program Director, Indiana Wesleyan University; at IWU since January 2013

Clinical Associate Professor, Master of Public Affairs program, Univ of Texas at Dallas; 2005 - 2012

Assistant City Manager, City of Auburn AL; 1997-2005

Economic Development Officer, City of Auburn AL; 1993 - 1994

Municipal form of government

Economic development

Council-manager government

Douglas J. Watson and Wendy L. Hassett. 2004. “Career Paths of City Managers in America’s Largest Council-Manager Cities.” Public Administration Review 64(2): 192-199.

Douglas J. Watson and Wendy L. Hassett. 2003. “Long-Serving City Managers: Why Do They Stay?” Public Administration Review 63(1): 71-78.

Wendy L. Hassett and Douglas J. Watson. 2007. Civic Battles: When Cities Change Their Form of Government. PrAcademics Press.

Douglas J. Watson and Wendy L. Hassett, eds. 2003. Local Government Management: Current Issues and Best Practices. M. E. Sharpe.

Wendy L. Hassett. 2010. Hartford: Politics Trumps Professionalism, pp. 63-80. In More than Mayor or Manager: Campaigns to Change Form of Government in America's Large Cities, edited by James H. Svara and Douglas J. Watson. Georgetown University Press.

Public Administration Review Editors’ Choice Award, 2005.

Outstanding PhD Student in Political Science, Auburn University, Spring 2002.

Pi Alpha Alpha Outstanding Doctoral Student Award, Fall 2002.

City of Auburn Management Innovation Award, October 2000.

MPPA 419-DL : The Strategic Policy Environment

Natalia Ermasova

[email protected]

Natalia Ermasova is an Adjunct Lecturer in the Master of Public Policy and Administration Program in the School of Professional Studies at Northwestern University, IL, and a full Professor in the Master of Public Administration Program at Governors State University, IL. Ermasova has been selected for a Fulbright US Scholar award for 2023-24 to research and teach at the National University of Public Service, Budapest, Hungary.

Ermasova has a PhD in Public Affairs (Indiana University, USA). Her primary research interests are public finance, public administration ethics, leadership, criminal justice, risk management, and public capital budgeting. She was Visiting Professor in Germany (Ludwigsburg Academy for Civil Services), in Hungary (Corvinus University), and Fulbright Visiting Professor (SPEA, Indiana University). Her doctoral dissertation was conducted under the direction of Professor John Mikesell, and it aims to develop a theoretical and methodological framework that explains state capital budgeting. 

More than 60 of her books and articles have been published in the USA and globally. Her co-authored book “Municipal Fiscal Stress, Bankruptcies, and Other Financial Emergencies” was published by Routledge in 2023. Ermasova wrote five chapters in the Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance (GEPAPPG) and participated in numerous conference presentations. She was the co-editor of the anthology “Capital Management and Budgeting in the Public Sector: Normative Theory and Practice in a Global Context,” published in December 2018. In addition, she wrote three chapters about capital budgeting in the USA, Germany, and Russia for this anthology. Her articles have been published in State and Local Government Review , International Journal of Public Administration Research, Post-communist Economies , SAM Advanced Management Journal , and Journal of Management Development .

PhD, Public Affairs, INDIANA UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS

Full Professor, GOVERNORS STATE UNIVERSITY (GSU), University Park, Illinois

Visiting Scholar, Corvinus University, Hungary

Visiting Scholar, LUDWIGSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE , Germany

Transformational Leadership

Public Finance

Capital Budgeting

Municipal Fiscal Stress

Selected Publications

Guzman, T. and Ermasova, N. (2022). Municipal Fiscal Stress, Bankruptcies and Other Financial Emergencies. Routledge.

Srithongrung, A., Ermasova, N., and Yusuf, W. (2019). Capital Management and Budgeting in the Public Sector. Hershey, Pennsylvania: IGI Global.

Ermasova, N. (2021). Cross-cultural Issues in Business Ethics: A Review and Research Agenda. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management. 21 (1), 1-26.

Ermasova, N. (2020). The 35 years of public capital budgeting: a review and future research agenda. Public Finance and Management. 19 (4), 297-326.

Nyikos, G. & Ermasova, N. (2021): Public Capital Infrastructure Management: Cases of Germany, Hungary and the USA, International Journal of Public Administration, Published online: 31 May 2021 DOI:10.1080/01900692.2021.1925910

Winner of the 2021 ACSP/Lincoln Institute of Land Policy Case Study Award

Research Award of German Academic Exchange Service

Award of Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service

Award of Fulbright Program

Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant

Award of Open Society Foundation grant

Transformational Leadership, Public Finance, Seminar in Budgeting, Economic Analysis in Public Administration

I am constantly improving my teaching style to ensure that course content for all my classes is current, representative, and up-to-date. When I design my course format and evaluation requirements, I strive to maximize student engagement and success. I developed clear and explicit student assessment criteria: grading and evaluation of student performance in class that is fair, consistent, and congruent with course objectives. I use different highly effective teaching supplements in my courses (guest lectures, field trips, films, digital or web-based sources, Case studies, etc.). I use Case studies as a very effective classroom technique in my classes. I provide detailed description of financial or economic situation with accompanying data to analyze. The case studies describe real situations in which a public decision maker must analyze information in order to determine which course of action is most appropriate. In case assignments, I require students to answer an open-ended question or develop a solution to an open-ended problem with multiple potential solutions. The students are encouraged to try out different strategies and observe the results. I use my original research (articles, books, Chapters in books, and Conference presentation) in my classes. I teach the actual skills required in the workforce today.

David Faller

[email protected]

David Faller has extensive experience applying the theories of monetary economics and international trade to solve real-life issues arising in international business and financial markets. He started his career as a financial markets trader in Europe. He specialized in the economic and legal issues facing member states in economically and politically integrated sovereign areas. Faller has created and managed derivatives market doing businesses, high-frequency proprietary trading teams and provided advice on currency exposure management issues to multi-national corporations and governmental bodies in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. While leading the global treasury activities of a NASDAQ-listed technology company, he was responsible for opening branches in many emerging countries. His knowledge of cultural diversity, trade and tariff regulations and international tax regimes were critical in the country's location process. He has been teaching courses on international business and capital markets to undergraduate and graduate levels students since 2003. Faller holds an MBA from the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management and did graduate studies at the Europa Instituut, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Netherlands.

MPPA 450-DL : Global Economic Policy

Angela Fontes

Angela Fontes  was most recently a vice president in the Economics, Justice, and Society department at NORC at the University of Chicago. At NORC, Fontes oversaw research focused on household finance and investor decision-making, with a specific focus on the financial well-being of African American and Hispanic/Latino families. A nationally-recognized expert in household finance, Fontes is regularly quoted in national and trade press and is a frequent speaker on financial well-being topics. Fontes is the Principal Investigator on several projects. Two projects include work with the Securities and Exchange Commission to conduct investor protection research and NORC’s ongoing collaboration with the FINRA Investor Education Foundation. Her research is in journals such as the Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Journal of Family and Economic Issues, the Journal of Women, Politics, and Policy, and Financial Counseling and Planning. Prior to NORC, Fontes worked in business and market research consulting with Chamberlain Research Consultants and Leo Burnett. Fontes is the incoming President of the American Council on Consumer Interests and the Board of Directors at the Northwest Side Housing Center. Fontes holds a PhD in Consumer Behavior and Family Economics with a minor in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP®).

PhD in Consumer Behavior and Family Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Vice President, NORC at the University of Chicago, 2009 - 2021

Personal finance/financial well-being Investor decision-making Behavioral economics

Gutter, Michael S. and Fontes, Angela, Racial Differences in Risky Asset Ownership: A Two-Stage Model of the Investment Decision-Making Process. Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, Vol. 17, No. 2, 2006, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2232188 Fontes A, Kelly N. Factors Affecting Wealth Accumulation in Hispanic Households: A Comparative Analysis of Stock and Home Asset Utilization. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences. 2013;35(4):565-587. doi:10.1177/0739986313500467 Fontes, A. Differences in the Likelihood of Ownership of Retirement Saving Assets by the Foreign and Native-Born. J Fam Econ Iss 32, 612–624 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-011-9262-3 Wright DR, Saelens BE, Fontes A, Lavelle TA. Assessment of Parents’ Preferences for Incentives to Promote Engagement in Family-Based Childhood Obesity Treatment. JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(3):e191490. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.1490 Bye L, Ghirardelli A, Fontes A. Promoting Health Equity And Population Health: How Americans' Views Differ. Health Aff (Millwood). 2016 Nov 1;35(11):1982-1990. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2016.0730. PMID: 27834237.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/01/how-people-plan-to-use-their-2020-tax-refunds-varies-greatly-by-income.html

https://www.foxbusiness.com/money/coronavirus-outbreak-americans-debt-savings-supplies

https://www.rollcall.com/2021/02/16/social-media-offered-lessons-rally-point-for-gamestop-trading/

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/most-people-couldnt-correctly-answer-this-pandemic-related-tax-quiz-can-you-do-better-11617657593

https://nypost.com/2019/05/17/millions-of-americans-are-one-paycheck-away-from-financial-disaster/

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2021-03-16/young-investors-robinhood-stock-traders-south-l-a

MPPA 406-0 : Program Evaluation and Policy Analysis MPPA 430-0 : Behavioral Economics

My goal as an instructor is to provide students with the resources they need to earn the grade they want.

Mollie Foust

[email protected]

Mollie Foust is a practitioner with over 15 years of expertise in systems change, implementation, policy, education, and international development. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she headed Illinois’ initial testing and supply-chain strategy in the Governor’s Office. Prior to the IL Governor's Office, Foust managed national teams on government innovations at the Harvard Government Performance Lab, as well as led research teams in South Sudan and Kenya. She began her career as a social entrepreneur, developing the Flower City Soccer League in Rochester, NY. Foust is a native Illinoisan and lives in Chicago with her husband and son.

MPA, London School of Economics

BA Anthropology, University of Rochester

BA History, University of Rochester

Director, Afton Partners

Senior Counselor to the Deputy Governors, IL Governor's Office

Assistant Director, Harvard Government Performance Lab

Project Manager, World Bank Group

Executive Director, Flower City Soccer League

Sara Kuehlhorn Friedman

[email protected]

Sara Kuehlhorn Friedman  is an adjunct lecturer in the MPPA program at Northwestern. Her research interests include the intersection of civic capacity and governance at the local, state, and federal levels. Before joining the MPPA faculty, she worked for the Center for Public Service at Portland State University as a researcher on various projects and she coordinated research for visiting Korean practitioner scholars from Seoul Metropolitan Government. Friedman currently provides project support for county-level equity assessment projects through the National Policy Consensus Center in Oregon. Friedman is past president of the Cascade Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration and remains active in the national association. Friedman completed her PhD in Public Affairs and Policy at the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University, where she explored immigration federalism and focused on issues relating to social equity, civil society, and global governance. Friedman holds a Master of Public Administration degree and a Master of Teaching English as a Second Language degree.

PhD, Mark O. Hatfield School of Government, Portland State University

MA TESOL, Portland State University

MPA, Mark O. Hatfield School of Government, Portland State University

Project Advisor and Support for Equity Assessment Project, National Policy Consensus Center, Oregon Solutions (2023)

Research Coordinator for scholars of the Seoul Metropolitan 1-Year Training Program at the Center for Public Service, Portland State University (2014-2022)

Adjunct Instructor in Portland State University’s Master in Public Administration program and the undergraduate Civic Leadership Minor program (2018-2022)

Equity assessment and collaborative governance processes in the rural U.S.

Local governance in the context of U.S. federalism

Qualitative and mixed research methods

2018. The re-credentialing of skilled immigrants in the United States: Barriers and pathways to the workforce and frameworks for success [Policy report]. Oregon Advocacy Commissions Office. State Library or Oregon Digital Collections.

Erna Gevondyan

• [email protected]

Master of Arts, Public Policy and Administration, Northwestern University

Bachelor of Science, Computer Science, Illinois Institute of Technology

Probabilistic Risk Assessment

GHG Emissions from Energy Production

Energy Policy and Economics

Argonne National Laboratory, 2015-2023

Courses Taught

MPPA 405, Statistics for Public Policy

Teaching Approach & Philosophy

I am an adamant believer that the best way to learn is by doing. I incorporate this philosophy into the coursework such that the students can get the most out of the course they are enrolled in, through real-life examples, using real-life data.

Scott Goldstein

Scott Goldstein  is an urban strategist specializing in community, and economic development focused on revitalizing and bringing investment to local communities. Goldstein is an urban planning consultant with Teska Associates, a full-service planning firm based in Evanston, Illinois. He leads multi-disciplinary teams to address complex challenges. He has taught courses that focus on global policy and sustainable cities with Northwestern's MPPA program since 2008.

His professional work has focused on affordable housing, fiscal analysis, and development economics. He has led award-winning neighborhood redevelopment plans for Wicker Park, Belmont Cragin, and the Near North Neighborhoods in Chicago. He also works with Habitat for Humanity International and NeighborWorks America, assisting local communities across the U.S. Goldstein volunteers his time with many organizations, including serving as Chair of Mission Advancement for Urban Land Institute Chicago. He was honored as a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners in 2018.

M.S.U.P. Columbia University B.A. Tufts University

Principal, Teska Associates, 2007-Present, lead multi-disciplinary plans and policies for private consulting firm V.P. Policy and Planning, Metropolitan Planning Council, 1994-2007, led policy research and advocacy for regional organization Director of Development, Banana Kelly Community Improvement Association, 1992-1994, led fundraising and community engagement

Affordable housing Community development and revitalization Water policy Economic development

Impact: NeighborWorks America Catalytic Grant Program Habitat for Humanity Neighborhood Revitalization: Coalition Guide Wicker Park Bucktown Master Plan Near North Neighborhood Quality-of-Life Plan StormStore: A feasibility study examining stormwater credit trading in Cook County

Fellow, American Institute of Certified Planners Austin Quality-of-Life Plan Chicago Neighborhood Development Award Near North Neighborhood Quality-of-Life Plan Chicago Neighborhood Development Award Belmont Cragin Quality-of-Life Plan Chicago Neighborhood Development Award

MPPA 580-DL : Global Policy Laboratory

The courses I teach are generally designed to replicate professional assignments - preparing policy analyses and developing policy recommendations on challenges facing major organizations on critical policy issues such as affordable water, housing policy, and public health. The Global Seminars each have a client organization in which their policy staff interacts and mentors the students. Past clients have included the Alliance for the Great Lakes, the City of Chicago, and Urban Institute.

Mark P. Keightley

Mark Keightley is an economist with the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (CRS) in Washington, DC. At CRS, he advises Congress and its staff on fiscal policy, business and international corporate taxation, and housing tax policy. Before joining CRS, Keightley was an associate with the Congressional Budget Office and a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. He has taught at the University of Pennsylvania, Rice University, Syracuse University, the College of William & Mary, George Mason University, and George Washington University. Keightley’s research has been cited by the President's Council of Economic Advisers, U.S. Supreme Court, Government Accountability Office, Federal Reserve of Dallas, Brookings Institution, Cato Institute, Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies, Center on Budget Policies and Priorities, Bloomberg, NY Times, CNN, Businessweek, Reuters, Tax Notes, Daily Tax Report, and various academic publications. Keightley earned his PhD in economics from Florida State University, and his BS in economics from the College of Charleston. * The views expressed in Keightley's course are his alone in the context of an educational setting at Northwestern University, and are not presented nor should they be interpreted as those of the Congressional Research Service or the Library of Congress.

PhD (economics), Florida State University

Economist, Congressional Research Service, since 2008. Advise Congress on economic policy.

Corporate and pass-through taxation Financial securities taxation Housing taxation policy Behavioral economics Macroeconomics

MPPA 404 Microeconomics for Policy and Administration

My general goal each semester is to impart as much economics-related public policy knowledge as I can and, hopefully, pique an interest in the broader field of economics. To those ends, I have three teaching objectives: 1. To teach students to think critically and objectively about economic policy issues. 2. To provide a structured framework for real-world economic policy analysis that can be carried forward past our class. 3. To help students become effective communicators.

I do not expect students to understand all the economic nuances. However, I do expect students to be able to ask informed questions by the end of the semester.

Gregory Kuhn

[email protected]

Gregory Kuhn  currently is director of government management consulting at Sikich LLP and was assistant director for public management and training at Northern Illinois University’s Center for Governmental Studies. Kuhn has more than 28 years of combined governmental, consulting, and higher education experience. He was the inaugural faculty director of the MPPA program and continues to be program adviser and lecturer. His primary teaching areas include public policy, leadership, public administration, and budgeting. He also served as an instructor/lecturer for Northern Illinois University’s public administration program. He has earned teaching awards at both NIU and SCS. Kuhn earned an MPA and PhD in public administration, public policy, and organizational theory from Northern Illinois University.

MPPA 407-0 : Scope and Theory of Public Policy

MPPA 432-0 : Intergovernmental Relations

Jerry Lassa

• [email protected]

MS Applied Mathematics, Statistics Concentration, DePaul University, Chicago 1997

BS Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, 1991

Principal, Data Matt3rs, 2008 - Present

Statistics Instructor, NU SPS, 1999 - Present

Director, Performance Excellence and Qualtiy for two community health centers and a network, 2002 - 2010

Director, Management Engineering, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, 1992 - 2002

Recognitions

NU SPS Distinguished Teaching Award, 2020

MPPA 405 Statistics for Research

[email protected]  

Karl T. Muth , JD, MBA, MPhil, PhD, has taught at Northwestern for over a decade and also teaches at Northwestern’s Pritzker School of Law and the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. An expert in the regulation of securities markets and tradeable obligations, his policy research and recommendations have been cited by the Secretary of the SEC, a Commissioner of the SEC, and in many Proposed Rules and Final Rules. Muth has presented research to the SEC, the Comptroller of the Currency, officials at the Treasury Department and HM Treasury (UK), analysts from the US and UK intelligence communities, senior officers of multilateral anti-piracy and anti-money-laundering (AML) task forces, and members of Congress; he was the primary defense expert witness in case involving a billion-dollar alleged corporate financing fraud. His research appears in a wide range of journals, including The Harvard Africa Policy Journal, The Harvard Blackletter Law Journal, The Harvard Kennedy School Review and The Journal of Private Equity, as well as in the Oxford Handbook (Oxford Press) on policy administration and in Controversies in Globalization (CQ Press 2d Ed.), an oft-assigned undergraduate-level text on macro-scale policy questions. Most recently, he presented his research on racial discrimination in the Chicago housing market at the 2023 American Economic Association annual conference and submitted testimony on several key 2023 SEC rules matters.

Maryjane Osa, PhD

Dr. Maryjane Osa is an organizational sociologist (Ph.D., University of Chicago) specializing in social network theory and its applications. She has published one book as well as many peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. She has also served as Principal Investigator in several large-scale survey research projects. Dr. Osa has taught at the University of Chicago, Collegiate Div., the Politics Department of the University of South Carolina, and at Northwestern University in various capacities since 2002.

PhD, University of Chicago

CEO, Lake Mountain, Inc. Survey research company, consultants to national non-profit organizations

Political sociology: democratic mobilization and theories of the state Social network analysis and applications Public institutions: bureaucratic competence and legitimacy

Book: Solidarity and Contention: Networks of Polish Opposition. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2003. Social Movements, Protest, and Contention Series. Article: “A Long, Hard Slog: Political Opportunities, Social Networks, and the Mobilization of Dissent in Non-Democracies” (with Kurt Schock). Research on Social Movements, Conflict, and Change. Vol. 27: 123-154 (May 2007). Article: “Running Uphill: Political Opportunity in Non-Democracies,” with Cristina Corduneanu-Huci. Comparative Sociology Vol. 2, No. 4 (December 2003) : 605-629. Republished, with a new methodological addendum in , New Frontiers in Comparative Sociology, edited by Masamichi Sasaki. Brill Academic Publ., 2008. Book chapter: “Economic Conditions and Mobilization in Non-Democracies,” with Cristina Corduneanu-Huci, in Charles Tilly and Maria Kousis, eds., Economic Opportunities and Constraints in Contentious Politics. Boulder, CO: Paradigm Publishers, 2005. Trans. to Greek, 2009. Book chapter: “Networks in Opposition: Linking Organizations Through Activists in the Polish People’s Republic,” in Mario Diani and Doug McAdam, eds., Social Movements and Networks: Relational Approaches to Collective Action. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. Oxford Comparative Politics Series. 2nd printing, Dec. 2003. Trans. to Polish, published by the Scientific Publishers, Warsaw, Poland 2009.

Fellowships: Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace; American Council of Learned Societies

Research Grants: Rockefeller Foundation; National Council for 'East European and Eurasian Research; International Research and Exchanges Board; Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Visiting Scholar, Stanford University, 1996-97 academic year.

MPPA 408 Public Organizations

MPPA 418 Ethics and Leadership

I emphasize the development of critical thinking skills through engagement with social theories. I help students understand and use theoretical frameworks to analyze organizational and policy problems.

Pamela Ransom, PhD

Pamela Ransom , PhD, is active as an environmentalist, planner, educator, and community activist. She holds an undergraduate degree from Harvard University and a doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her experience involves teaching a comprehensive array of courses in public administration, policy, and program evaluation for over twenty-five years, including faculty appointments at Metropolitan College and Long Island University. In New York City, she was the Special Assistant for Environmental Affairs for the New York City Mayor and Manhattan Borough President for almost eight years. She has worked internationally as Deputy Director for Town Planning for the Government of Jamaica and in programs in Africa. As Program Director for Women's Environment and Development Organization and policy advisor for the Huairou Commission, she has managed global programs on women, environment, health, and urbanization. She also served as a Research Scientist for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection and as a consultant for other government agencies, professional and community organizations, including USAID and the United Nations Environment Program. She is a published author in various peer-reviewed journals and an active member of the American Society for Public Administration.

PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology BA, Harvard University

Metropolitan College. Associate Professor School of Public Affairs and Administration 2011-Current) Teaching wide

Huairou Commission. Policy Advisor/Periodic consultant/Board member of a subgroup. 2011-2021. Women-led social movement of grassroots women’s groups from poor urban, rural, and indigenous communities, working in over 45 countries.

United Nations Environment Program. Evaluation Consultant. 2017-2019 Leader of several final program evaluations

Long Island University. Assistant Professor MPA Program. 2001-2001; Adjunct Prof MPA Program 1995-2001. School of Business, Public Administration, and Information Sciences. Teaching a wide array of courses in Public Policy and Administration.

Women's Environment and Development Organization. 1995-2001. Global work running a program on women's health and environment.

Environmental policy Health policy Gender urbanization Community engagement

Ransom P., Cavalheiro G., Barrios R. (2019) United Nations Environment Program Terminal Evaluation: Integrated responses to short lived climate forcers promoting clean energy and energy efficiency. United Nations Environment Program. Ransom P., Cavalheiro G. (2018) United Nations Environment Program (2018) Terminal Evaluation: Mitigation of greenhouse gas in key sectors in Brazil, UN Environment/GEF. Ransom P. (2020) Cities and climate change. In A. Farazmand (Ed.) Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy and Governance. Springer. Ransom P., Wai S. (2016) Fostering community engagement: Reinvigorating Community Precinct Councils in New York City. Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles Ransom P., Asaki. B. (2013) Home-based caregivers in Africa: Alliance building, advocacy and policy environments. Journal of Health and Human Services 36(3) 367-392.

MPPA 407-DL : Scope and Theory of Public Policy

My teaching philosophy has been heavily influenced by two important works by my doctoral thesis advisor, Donald Schon: The Reflective Practitioner and Educating the Reflective Practitioner. These works inspired me to link theory and practice through professional knowledge and learning, ultimately pursuing a constructionist philosophy of education, focused on the importance of the coaching relationship. Essential to teaching and learning in this context is the link to enhanced professionalism, a competence in "reflection-in-action," a more complex skill inherent in change. An example of this is when we look at the skilled performer who effortlessly integrates action, reflection, decision-making, and critical thinking. Teaching and learning are best when all four components work hand in hand. This philosophy is particularly relevant to public policy and administration and has guided the evolution of my approach to working with students in all branches of government and nonprofits for almost three decades. Teaching is more art than science, and an increased sense of empowerment is an essential outcome. Thus, opportunities for student voice and engagement, clear instructions, setting the mood, good openings, and closings are all part of the role of an instructor leading the choir to create a melodious song.

Dr. Jeff Ryan

[email protected]

(256) 452-0957

Dr. Jeff Ryan is a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel with an extensive background in disaster response, preventive medicine, epidemiology, clinical trials, and diagnostics development. Dr. Ryan has authored more than 45 scientific, peer-reviewed journal articles. In addition, he has authored five textbooks on various subjects in emergency preparedness and response. During his tenure at Jacksonville State University, Dr. Ryan served as Professor and Head of the Department of Emergency Management. Dr. Ryan is a recipient of the U.S. Army’s Legion of Merit and was awarded the U.S. Surgeon General’s Exemplary Service Medal for leading the Army’s preventive medicine efforts in Hurricane Andrew relief.

Education Background

Ph.D. North Carolina State University (1996)

M.S. Hood College (1984)

B.S. Syracuse University (1978)

V.P. for Program Operations - Jacksonville State University

Department Chair, Emergency Management, JSU (2012-2020)

Professor of Emergency Management, JSU (2004-2021)

Director, Government Business, Cepheid (2002-2004)

Research Director, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (1996-2002)

public health

pandemic preparedness

response to bioterrorism

tropical disease epidemiology

diagnostics development

Ryan, J.R. Pandemics and Pestilence. Publisher: Kendall Hunt; Dubuque, IA. ISBN 9781792453915. January 2021.

Ryan, J.R. Biosecurity and Bioterrorism: Containing and Preventing the Biological Threat. 2nd Edition. Publisher: Elsevier; Boston, MA. ISBN-10: 9780128020296. March 2016.

Islam, T., and J. R. Ryan. Hazard Mitigation in Emergency Management. Publisher: Elsevier; Boston, MA. ISBN-10: 0124201342; September 2015.

Ryan, J.R. and J. F. Glarum. Biosecurity and Bioterrorism: Containing and Preventing the Biological Threat. 1st Edition. Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann, Elsevier; Boston, MA. ISBN-10: 0750684895; March 2008

Ryan, J.R. Editor. Pandemic Influenza: Emergency Planning and Community Preparedness. Publisher: Taylor and Francis, CRC Press; Boston, MA. ISBN-10: 1420060872; August 2008

Department of the Army Legion of Merit. 2002

United States Surgeon General’s Exemplary Service Medal. 1992

Department of the Army Meritorious Service Medal. 5 awards

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. Inducted May 2020.

Cleo & Carla Thomas Outstanding Community Education and Service Award, 2018-2019 Academic Year, Jacksonville State University

The Colonel William Oates Award, 2018, Alabama National Guard

Humanitarian Service Medal. Hurricane Andrew Relief. 1992

Eagle Scout. 1973. Boy Scouts of America

MPPA420; EM 830; EM 570; EM 575; EM 309

As a basic precept for teaching, and dealing with people in general, I believe in treating all our students with respect. I have a basic belief that no student wishes to do poorly in any other course that they pay their good money to take. I strive to earn our student’s respect by serving their needs and demonstrating to them that I have the experience and knowledge to effectively impart current and relevant knowledge to them. As such, I firmly believe that excellence in teaching is defined by my own competence, character and contribution. Thus, being an excellent teacher comes from the competence, which I derive through the mastery of subjects in emergency management education; the character that I display to my students through professional and fair behavior; and, the contributions that I make to the science of emergency management through scholarly activities.

Zachary Seeskin

[email protected]

Zachary H. Seeskin  is a Senior Statistician with NORC at the University of Chicago. He works on the sample design, estimation, and data analysis for government and public interest surveys. Seeskin further contributes to imputation, adaptive design, total survey error analysis, and small area estimation for such surveys as the National Immunization Survey and the Survey of Doctorate Recipients. His expertise includes analyzing administrative data quality and combining data sources for evidence-building. He has published both research topics in the Statistical Journal of the International Association of Official Statistics and the International Journal of Population Data Science. In addition, Seeskin and colleagues are developing automated statistical tools to assist researchers with evaluating the quality of state and local administrative data sources. Seeskin holds a PhD in statistics from Northwestern University, where he served as a U.S. Census Bureau Dissertation Fellow.

Andy Sharma

Andy Sharma  is a political economist whose specialty areas include aging, health disparities, later-life migration, and quantitative methods. Currently, he works with the Cedar Grove Institute on a project to employ statistical methodology to examine the adverse impact of economic and racial isolation on student performance in North Carolina. A research article from this investigation was published in  Education Policy Analysis Archives  (Volume 22, 2014). This study was cited and listed under Table of Authorities in an Amicus Brief filed by the Society of American Law Teachers in the Fisher II case with the United States Supreme Court (October 2015). He has also published in other highly regarded journals, such as  Ageing and Society ,  Applied Geography ,  Disability and Rehabilitation ,  Journal of Aging and Health , and  Women’s Health Issues . Sharma is a former recipient of the Carolina Population Center Fellowship with training grants from the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development. He also received the Future Faculty Fellowship and Weiss Urban Livability Fellowship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he completed his PhD. He has master's degrees in mathematics from Loyola University Chicago and economics from DePaul University.

PhD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill MS, Loyola University MA, DePaul University BS, DePaul University

Applied Demography Applied Health Economics Public Policy Quantitative Methods Aging and Health

Sharma, A. (2021). Estimating older adult mortality from COVID-19. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 76(3), e68-e74. Sharma, A. (2020). A National Profile of Functional Limitations Among Asian Indians, Chinese, and Filipinos. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 75(5), 1021-1029. Sharma, A. (2019). Exploratory and spatial analysis of disability among older Asian Indians. Applied Geography, 113, 102099. Sharma, A. (2019). Wealth and the health of older Black women in the United States. Health promotion international, 34(5), 1055-1068.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-09/tgso-gps092320.php https://uh.edu/education/research/institutes-centers/iepre/amicus-briefs/pdfs/Fisher%20II/brief-for-society-of-american-law-teachers.pdf

MPPA 401-DL : Research Methods MPPA 406-DL : Program Evaluation and Policy Analysis MPPA 490-DL : Special Topic:Demography, Global Health and Policy

Ricca Slone

[email protected]

Ricca Slone  is an attorney and former state legislator. She was a consultant on regional water supply policy and lobbyist on environmental and sustainability issues for the Environmental Law & Policy Center, a regional nonprofit headquartered in Chicago. In the Illinois General Assembly, Slone chaired the Higher Education Appropriations Committee and was vice-chair of the Energy and Environment Committee. She was honored as Legislator of the Year by the Illinois Environmental Council for her work on clean water, land use, smart growth, and sustainable development. She has traveled extensively in India to study the feasibility of distributing solar ovens as an alternative to wood for cooking in off-grid rural areas. Slone has an advanced certificate in international law from Chicago-Kent College of Law. She received a JD from the University of Illinois and an MA in public administration from Ohio State University.

MPPA 411-DL : The Legislative Process

MPPA 413-0 : Foundations of the Nonprofit/NGO Sector

MPPA 413-DL : Foundations of the Nonprofit/NGO Sector

Morris A. Taylor

Morris A. Taylor  is Vice-Chancellor for Administration & CFO and tenured associate professor in the Department of Public Administration and Policy Analysis at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, Illinois. He has served as the department chairperson for six years and chaired the university's planning and budgeting council for four years. Since 1997 at SIUE, he has taught courses in general public management, policy analysis, administrative law, program evaluation, ethics, homeland security, and public safety. Before his academic career, he was an administrator with the Social Security Administration in St. Louis, Missouri. Taylor served as a St. Louis City and St. Louis County police officer during the 1970s; and senior attorney negotiator for the State Farm Insurance Companies. From 2004-2005, he was the Ira Glasser Racial Justice Fellow for the American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri. He investigated and researched racial profiling and police misconduct. His research interests include police organizations, ethics, administrative law, and aspects of civic engagement. Taylor is also an editor for the  Journal of Public Management and Social Policy  and is a United States Attorneys' Hate Crime Task Force member for Eastern Missouri. Taylor earned his PhD from Saint Louis University in public policy analysis & administration.

PhD Saint Louis University

Vice-Chancellor for Administration & CFO since 10/02/2020 Associate Professor of Public Administration 1997 - continuing and tenured in the department of public administration Insurance Specialist - Social Security Administration 1993-1997 State Farm Insurance Companies, Senior Claims Representative/Attorney Negotiator

Police Organizations Criminal Justice Policy

MPPA 403-DL : Fundamentals of Public Administration MPPA 421-DL : Administrative Law: The Vortex of Public Policy

Engaging Socratic methods utilizing case studies and current issues in public administration, public law, and public policy. My approach is holistic and focuses on teaches students to think critically with insight and precision.

Felicity Vabulas

Dr. Vabulas  is an Associate Professor of International Studies at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. She earned her PhD and MPP in public policy from the University of Chicago and her BS in business administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Vabulas' research focuses on the political economy of international organizations and foreign lobbying. She has three ongoing research projects. Her first project examines when and why states exit international organizations (IOs), including suspensions and unilateral IO withdrawals. Vabulas's second project studies states' increasing use of informal intergovernmental organizations, such as the G7 and G20, rather than traditional IOs, with treaties and permanent secretariats. Her third research project examines how foreign lobbying affects U.S. foreign policy, including altering human rights, trade, and foreign aid allocations. Her research is published in the  Review of International Organizations, International Studies Quarterly, Journal of Peace Research , and multiple edited volume chapters.

PhD in Public Policy, University of Chicago MPP in Public Policy, University of Chicago

Associate Professor of International Studies, Pepperdine University, 2017-present Post-doctoral lecturer, University of Chicago, Harris School of Public Policy, 2013-2017

International Organizations International Cooperation Foreign Policy Lobbying Women in International Affairs

2020. Cooperation under Autonomy: Building and Analyzing the Informal Intergovernmental Organizations 2.0 Data Set. Journal of Peace Research. First Published October 1, 2020. With Duncan Snidal. 2020. Informal IGOs as Mediators of Power Shifts. Global Policy, 11 pp. 40-50. With Duncan Snidal. 2019. Credible Commitments? Explaining IGO Suspensions to Sanction Political Backsliding. International Studies Quarterly, 63(1) pp.139-152. With Inken von Borzyskowski. 2019. Nudging the Needle: Foreign Lobbies and U.S. Human Rights Ratings. International Studies Quarterly, 63(1) pp. 85-98. With Jon C.W. Pevehouse. 2019. Hello, Goodbye: When do States Withdraw from International Organizations? Review of International Organizations, 14(2) pp. 335–366. With Inken von Borzyskowski.

Pepperdine University Endowed Fellowship, 2020/21 Howard A. White Award for Excellence in University Teaching, Pepperdine University, 2019 National 2015-16 University Professional & Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) Excellence in Teaching Award

MPPA 440-DL : International Institutions MPPA 498-DL : Capstone Project

• 2023 Winter
• Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
• Political Science

Select a Class

101-6 first-year seminar.

• 20: Whales, Bombs, Genocide - First-Year Seminar - Ian F Hurd - Tues, Thurs 11:00AM - 12:20PM
• 22: Politics of Debt - First-Year Seminar - Stephen C Nelson - Tues, Thurs 2:00PM - 3:20PM

201-0 Introduction to Political Theory

• 20: Introduction to Political Theory - Jacqueline Stevens - Tues, Thurs 9:30AM - 10:50AM

212-0 Evaluating Evidence

• 20: Evaluating Evidence - Leoandra Elaine Rogers - Mary Caroline McGrath - Mon, Wed 2:00PM - 3:20PM

220-0 American Government and Politics

• 20: American Government and Politics - Chloe Nicol Thurston - Tues, Thurs 2:00PM - 3:20PM

240-0 Introduction to International Relations

• 20: Introduction to International Relations - Ian F Hurd - Mon, Wed 11:00AM - 12:20PM

250-0 Introduction to Comparative Politics

• 20: Introduction to Comparative Politics - Kevin Andrew Mazur - Mon, Wed 3:30PM - 4:50PM

307-0 Deportation Law and Politics

• 20: Deportation Law and Politics - Jacqueline Stevens - Wed 9:00AM - 11:50AM

325-0 Congress and the Legislative Process

• 20: Congress and the Legislative Process - Laurel Harbridge Yong - Tues, Thurs 9:30AM - 10:50AM

327-0 African American Politics

• 20: African American Politics - Reuel R Rogers - Tues, Thurs 12:30PM - 1:50PM

334-0 Latino Politics

• 20: Latino Politics - Jaime Dominguez - Tues, Thurs 11:00AM - 12:20PM

336-0 Immigration Politics and Policy

• 22: Immigration Politics and Policy - Ivonne Montes Diaz - Mon, Wed 2:00PM - 3:20PM

348-0 Globalization

• 20: Globalization - Stephen C Nelson - Mon, Wed 3:30PM - 4:50PM

351-0 Politics of the Middle East

• 20: Politics of the Middle East - Wendy R Pearlman - Tues, Thurs 3:30PM - 4:50PM

368-0 Political Economy of Development

• 20: Political Economy of Development - Busra Nur Karakoc - Tues, Thurs 12:30PM - 1:50PM

390-0 Special Topics in Political Science

• 20: Ethical AI and the Politics of Tech - Special Topics in Political Science - Sirus Bouchat - Mon 3:30PM - 6:20PM
• 22: Bad News - Special Topics in Political Science - Lawrence L Stuelpnagel - Mon, Wed 11:00AM - 12:20PM
• 23: South African Politics - Special Topics in Political Science - Eddine Nabil Bouyahi - Tues, Thurs 9:30AM - 10:50AM

394-LK Professional Linkage Seminar

• 20: Politics & The Presidency - Professional Linkage Seminar - Jonathan J Allen - Wed 6:00PM - 9:00PM

395-0 Political Research Seminar

• 20: The American Border - Political Research Seminar - Elizabeth S Hurd - Mon, Wed 2:00PM - 3:20PM
• 22: Politics in the Digital Age - Political Research Seminar - Susan Sara Monoson-Berns - Tues 2:00PM - 4:50PM
• 23: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict - Political Research Seminar - Wendy R Pearlman - Tues 9:00AM - 11:50AM
• 24: American Racial Politics from Obama to Trump - Political Research Seminar - Reuel R Rogers - Wed 2:00PM - 4:50PM

398-2 Senior Thesis Seminar

• 20: Senior Thesis Seminar - Busra Nur Karakoc - Wed 10:00AM - 12:00PM

405-0 Linear Models

• 20: Linear Models - Mary Caroline McGrath - Thurs 4:00PM - 5:00PM

411-0 Theories of American Political Institutions

• 20: Theories of American Political Institutions - Laurel Harbridge Yong - Wed 2:00PM - 4:50PM

440-0 International Relations Theory

• 20: International Relations Theory - Karen Alter-Hanson - Thurs 1:00PM - 3:50PM

458-0 Political Institutions

• 20: Political Institutions - Andrew L Roberts - Fri 9:00AM - 11:50AM

490-0 Special Topics in Political Science

• 20: Machine Learning and Text as Data - Special Topics in Political Science - Sirus Bouchat - Tues 3:30PM - 6:20PM
• 21: R Workshop - Special Topics in Political Science - Brian Daniel Libgober - Tues 12:30PM - 2:00PM
• 25: American Political Economy - Special Topics in Political Science - Chloe Nicol Thurston - Wed 9:00AM - 11:50AM
• 26: Special Topics in Political Science - Karen Alter-Hanson - TBA

519-0 Responsible Conduct of Research Training

• 20: Responsible Conduct of Research Training