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RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP

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ÎÞÂëרÇø Public Administration faculty boast a wide range of scholarly interests and offer interdisciplinary and applied approaches. Our cohort of part-time faculty bring their unique set of skills, experiences and expertise to the classroom.

RESEARCH AND TEACHING

Faculty are actively engaged in research, publishing in the discipline’s top journals and university presses. They have established networks with nonprofit organizations and government agencies. Our faculty also have extensive experience in university administration, government management and the nonprofit sector. Students have the opportunity to pursue independent research under the advisement and mentoring of our faculty. Most important, our faculty are deeply committed to teaching and advising.

PRACTITIONERS

Learn from leaders in the field. Our cohort of part-time faculty enhance our program by bringing their unique set of skills, experiences, and expertise to the classroom. Their professional networks introduce our students to potential internship, fellowship and employment opportunities.

FACULTY RESEARCH

Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Public Administration

Financial management strategies that enable public organizations to offer continuous service even in the most tough circumstances such as recessions, natural disasters, or other unplanned contingencies is Dr. Arapis’ specialty. An expert of fiscal policy, Dr. Arapis has devoted himself to preparing the next generation of public administrators for an ethical, accountable, and transparent public service career. His research has been published in journals such as the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, The American Review of Public Administration, Public Budgeting and Finance, Public Finance Review, the Journal of Public Budgeting Accounting and Financial Management, Government Finance Review, and the Journal of Government Financial Management. Faculty bio.

Assistant Professor of Public Administration
ICMA Student Chapter Advisor

Dr. Chatterjee’s research interests include local government management, emergency management policies, and urban studies. Some of her past research projects have examined smart growth policies adopted by local governments in Florida, response to the Ebola outbreak in Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, public-private partnerships in disaster risk reduction, and flash flood events in Northern India. Currently, her research is primarily focused on COVID-19 response policies among local governments in Florida and Pennsylvania, and climate change response policies in Northeastern United States. Faculty bio.

Associate Professor of Public Administration

Dr. Gadson’s expertise lies at the intersection of public administration, medical sociology, and operations management. Her research agenda focuses on the effectiveness of public policy initiatives and structures, particularly for those who are most in need. Through her work, she aspires to highlight best practices in public program implementation that successfully balance the equity needs of communities with the responsibilities of public leaders to administer programs and funds responsibly. Her ultimate goal is to inspire positive change and improve community outcomes, a driving force behind her research, teaching, and service to the profession of public administration. Faculty bio.

Dr. Harleman’s research focuses on energy and environmental policy.  His past studies have examined topics such as how improvements in traffic infrastructure affect traffic congestion and infant health, how plugging abandoned oil and gas wells stimulates real estate development, and how landowner characteristics influence the quality of oil and gas leases. His current research focuses on the effects of abandoned coal mines in Pennsylvania on water quality, which ties into broader issues of environmental justice, economic resilience in traditional energy communities, and the remediation of legacy environmental hazards. Dr. Harleman primarily uses quantitative methods, including geospatial econometrics and quasi-experimental research designs. Faculty bio.

Interim MPA Director

Assistant Teaching Professor of Public Administration

Dr. Miltenberger’s research focuses on the relationship between nonprofit organizations and government agencies via human service contracting. Specifically, her research investigates how partnership arrangements and collaboration can be integrated into the current human services system. In addition, Dr. Miltenberger is interested in school district financial management and the assessment of school district financial condition. Faculty bio.

Senior Vice Provost for Academics, Professor of Public Administration

Dr. Palus’ research falls into two basic areas: 1) local politics and administration and 2) public management.  A common thread linking all of her work is a concern for the quality of representation and responsiveness in the American federal system. She is very interested in the processes associated with the formation, implementation, and administration of public policies, particularly at state and local levels.  Why are certain policies enacted?  How do institutional structures and environmental factors influence the relationships between citizens and government at the local, state, and national levels?  What role do elected and appointed officials play in the process of representation and policymaking? She strongly believes in the importance of both theoretically rich and methodologically sophisticated work.  The primary outlets for work in her areas of expertise are academic journals in the disciplines of Public Administration and Political Science. She has significant statistical training, and although most of her research projects use quantitative methodologies, she also has incorporated qualitative approaches. Faculty bio.

Assistant Teaching Professor of Public Administration

Dr. Proctor’s fields of study include the recruitment and retention of African American undergraduate students at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs), nonprofit management and administration. He has significant training in assisting organizations across the country obtain their 501c3 designation with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). His interest focuses on newly formed nonprofit organizations who need guidance in providing programs and services. In addition, he is interested in how nonprofit organizations stay in compliance with all federal, state and local filings, laws and regulations. Faculty bio

Associate Professor, Department of Public Administration

Dr. Wilson’s fields of study include nonprofit management, immigrant integration, and cultural competency.  She is interested in the role that nonprofit organizations play in delivering services to minority communities – ethnic, racial, and cultural minorities as well as immigrants –in the United States.  Dr. Wilson is the author of The Politics of Latino Faith: Religion, Identity, and Urban Community (2008), which examined the social and political involvement of three Latino faith-based organizations in the United States. Faculty bio.

Department of Public Administration
ÎÞÂëרÇø
800 Lancaster Avenue
Garey Hall, G43
ÎÞÂëרÇø, PA 19085

 

       

      

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