L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs

L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs

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Faculty

John Accordino

Professor

Raleigh Building, Room 3001 Phone: (804) 827-0525 Email: jaccordi@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Commercial and neighborhood revitalization methods
  • Impacts of community revitalization policies
  • Comparative (U.S. and European) urban revitalization policies

Education

B.A., European History, University of Rochester, New York
Ph.D., Urban and Regional Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Teaching

Urban economic development policy, planning and finance, commercial revitalization, community planning practice, analytical methods for development planning, European city planning and development

Research interests

Commercial and neighborhood revitalization methods; impacts of community revitalization policies; comparative (U.S. and European) urban revitalization policies

Accomplishments

John Accordino, Ph.D., FAICP, began his VCU career in 1986 as an assistant professor in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning. He later served as chair of the department. More recently, he was director of the Wilder School’s Center for Urban and Regional Analysis (CURA). He served as interim dean and then dean from July 2016 until April 2018. He is a professor in the Wilder School’s Urban and Regional Studies and Planning program and also directs partnerships with universities in Italy and Germany.

He has written books, monographs and articles on urban revitalization and related topics, as well as applied-research reports and plans for government agencies, retail merchants associations and community-based development organizations in economic development, commercial revitalization and workforce analysis. He has established student exchanges with two German universities, and he directs VCU’s partnership with the University of Messina, Sicily, which supports both scholarly and student exchanges.

Selected publications

Targeting Investments for Neighborhood Revitalization. Journal of the American Planning Association (Fall 2006). With George Galster and Peter Tatian.

Planning for Impact: Richmond Takes an Aggressive Approach to Targeting Neighborhood Revitalization Resources. Practicing Planner, Vol. 3, No. 1 (March 2005).

Urban Redevelopment Project Financing. Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond (2001). With Emil E. Malizia.

Captives of the Cold War Economy: The Struggle for Defense Conversion in American Communities. Praeger Publishers (2000).

Faculty

Jay Albanese

Jay Albanese

Professor

Raleigh Building, Room 2016A Phone: (804) 827-0844 Email: jsalbane@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Organized crime and corruption
  • Professional ethics
  • Transnational crime

Education

Ph.D., Criminal Justice, Rutgers University
M.A., Criminal Justice, Rutgers University
B.A., Sociology/Natural Science, Niagara University

Teaching

Organized crime, Professional ethics and liability, Cybercrime, Ethics & Decision-making in Criminal Justice, Comparative criminal justice, Introduction to Criminal Justice.

Research interests

Transnational crime (organized crime, human trafficking, corruption, cybercrime); ethics (ethics and criminal justice, white-collar crime, public corruption, gambling and crime); the future of crime (emerging crimes — intellectual property theft, smuggling of natural resources, new forms of fraud and ethical dilemmas).

Accomplishments

Albanese served as chief of the National Institute of Justice's International Center. The NIJ is the research arm of the U.S. Department of Justice, responsible for developing and executing transnational crime and justice research and evaluation, as well as coordinating with United Nations efforts in these areas. He is a past president of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, former executive director of the International Association for the Study of Organized Crime, and served on the executive board of the American Society of Criminology, where he now serves as UN Liaison.

Dr. Albanese is the author and editor of 24 books on organized crime, ethics, corruption, transnational crime, and criminal justice. He has delivered invited presentations in 30 countries. He is the recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award from Virginia Commonwealth University, VCU's Elske Smith Distinguished Lecturer Award, the Freda Adler Award from the American Society of Criminology Division of International Criminology for significant contributions to criminology internationally, the Gerhard Mueller Award for research contributions from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences International Section, and the Distinguished Scholar Award from the International Association for the Study of Organized Crime. He also received the Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) which is Virginia’s highest honor for a faculty member at public or private colleges and universities.

Dr. Albanese has also served as chair of the international divisions of both the American Society of Criminology and Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. He was a visiting professor at the University of Manchester (UK). He is a fellow of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, and co-founder of Criminologists without Borders.

SELECTED BOOKS

Professional Ethics in Criminal Justice: Being Ethical When No One is Looking (5th ed.)
Pearson/Prentice Hall (2024).

Racial Equity, COVID and Public Policy: The Triple Pandemic. co-editors E.L. Harper-Anderson, J. Albanese, S. Gooden. Routledge (2023)

My Search for Meaning: A Professor, His Students, and 12 Great Conversations.
McMaster Media Publishing (2020).

Critical Thinking about Criminal Justice: Getting to the Truth of the Matter. (2019).

Professional Ethics in Criminal Justice: Being Ethical When No One is Looking (4th ed.). Prentice Hall (2016).

Organized Crime: From the Mob to Transnational Organized Crime. Routledge (2015).

Comparative Criminal Justice Systems. (5th ed.). (with H. Dammer) Wadsworth (2014).

Transnational Organized Crime: An Overview of Six Continents (ed. with P. Reichel) Sage Publications (2014).

Encyclopedia of Criminology & Criminal Justice. (Editor-in-chief, 5-volumes)  Wiley (2014).

Transnational Crime and the 21st Century: Criminal Enterprise, Corruption, and Opportunity.  Oxford University Press (2011).

SELECTED VIDEO AND PODCASTS

Podcast: Interviewed on Fraudish Podcast (formerly Great Women in Fraud) hosted by Kelly Paxton (former investigator), on the subject of fraud, white collar crime, and gambling. March, 2023. https://podcast.greatwomeninfraud.com/

Radio and Podcast: Interviewed on the radio program With Good Reason by host Sarah McConnell. The theme was organized crime, Ukraine, and the international situation. The program airs weekly on
114 public radio stations, Soundcloud, and Spotify. June 2022.
https://www.withgoodreasonradio.org/episode/in-the-system/?t=2533&autoplay=1#s2533

Video: International Cooperation on Crimes against the Environment. Contribution to United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Expert Discussions on Crimes that Affect the
Environment. 1st intercessional meeting. Criminologists Without Borders. Video posted at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSU8JEHXy7o February 2022.

Video: Interviewed for Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice Interview Series (18 mins.) Jay Albanese https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eyAAQvgKfE (2022).

Podcast: interviewed as a guest on The CopDoc Podcast: Aiming for Excellence in Leadership for Policing. Hosted by Dr. Steve Morreale, the podcast discussed ethics, integrity, and accountability in police work
and supervision. February, 2021. https://thecopdoc.podbean.com

Video: Why Experience SHERLOC? (2020). United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime public service announcement for its new informational portal. https://twitter.com/i/status/1248227806389178368

Video: Are We Facing an Ethics Crisis? (2018). United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime development of a global curriculum on Integrity & Ethics under the Education 4 Justice initiative to develop open access content for use by instructors and students around the world. Athens, Greece. https://www.facebook.com/unodc/videos/10155262644027331/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2GxuXxsVbE&t=304s

Video: Without Education People Do Not Realize that Small Acts can Result in Larger Harms. (2017). United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Champions of Rule of Law. Vienna, Austria. https://www.facebook.com/unodc/videos/10154677394962331/
 https://twitter.com/UNODC/status/912961520119803905 

Faculty

Jose Alcaine

Adjunct faculty

Email: jgalcaine@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Higher education policy
  • University administration and leadership
  • Research enterprise and administration

Education

Ph.D. in public policy and administration, Virginia Commonwealth University
M.B.A. in business administration, Tulane University
B.S. in business administration, Louisiana State University

Research interests

Dr. Jose Alcaine’s research interests include higher education policy, university administration, university leadership, college access and funding, and how universities interact with their surrounding communities as agents of economic, social and regional development. These interests stem from the belief that universities continue to be indispensable positive change agents in their communities and in society at large.

Accomplishments

Tulane University Staff Excellence Award, 2004
VCU Pride Ambassador Award Nominee, 2009
President, VCU Staff Senate, 2010-2011
President, Society of Research Administrators-Virginia Chapter, 2010-2011
Past president, Pi Alpha Alpha (PAA) VCU Chapter, National Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration
Graduate of the VCU Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute's Leadership Development Program, 2014
Received VCU's School of Education Outstanding Professional Faculty Award, 2017

Faculty

Randy Barrack

Randy Barrack

Instructor

Email: barrackr@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Nonprofit and public financial management
  • Advocacy
  • Nonprofit governance, law and leadership 

EDUCATION

B.S., Political Science, James Madison University
M.Ed., Administration and Supervision, Virginia Commonwealth University
Ed.D., Administration and Supervision, University of Virginia
Ph.D., Public Policy and Administration, Virginia Commonwealth University

TEACHING

Randy Barrack, Ph.D., Ed.D., has taught in the Master of Public Administration program at the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University since 2004. He teaches courses in financial management in government, financial management in nonprofits, public policy analysis, administrative law, nonprofit leadership and advocacy.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Barrack’s academic research in recent years has focused primarily on collaborative relationships in organization public policy advocacy. Additional research interest includes organizational ecology and the growth of the collaborative nonprofit sector affecting state legislatures.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Barrack is a professional administrator with extensive experience in association and foundation management, educational leadership and public policy. A former public school teacher and high school principal, Barrack has over three decades of experience as a chief executive officer of a statewide nonprofit, professional education association and foundation working with diverse stakeholders requiring strengths in visionary leadership, finance and budget expertise, legislative lobbying and training skills. He has proven success in developing and implementing policy through collaboration with state agencies and has designed, administered, and/or presented over 500 professional education conferences, workshops, institutes, webinars and train-the-trainer programs. His UVA doctoral research was on the effectiveness of services provided by the Virginia Department of Education. His doctoral fieldwork at VCU focused on the collaborative relationships in organization public policy advocacy.

After creating an educational leadership exchange program between Virginia and the United Kingdom working with nongovernmental educational leadership organizations and local governments, Barrack was invited in 1990 by the U.S. Information Agency and National Association of Secondary School Principals to travel to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to examine the impact of perestroika and glasnost on Soviet Education. He was again invited in 1991 to observe the public education structure – including all levels of education – of the People’s Republic of China. A focus of the onsite visit was China’s Compulsory Education law that took effect in 1986.

Barrack was appointed commissioner in 2015 to the AdvancED Accreditation Commission – now Cognia Global Commission.  The Commission is the school accreditation authority for Cognia, a global nonprofit working in over 80 countries, serving 36,000 institutions, nearly 25 million students and 5 million educators every day.

 

 

Faculty

Blythe Bowman

Blythe A. B. Balestrieri

Associate professor

Raleigh Building, Room 2013 Phone: (804) 828-5708 Email: bbalestrier@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Art and antiquities theft
  • Inmate litigation and inmates' right of court access
  • Correctional law and jail management

Education

B.A., Classics, Iowa State University
B.A., Anthropology, Iowa State University
M.A., Anthropology (biological concentration), University of Iowa
T.E.F.L. Certification, Interlingue School of Languages, Rome, Italy
St. John’s University School of Law Rome Summer Program
Ph.D., Criminal Justice, University of Nebraska at Omaha

M.S.L.I.S. Law Librarianship, Catholic University of America (in progress)

Teaching

Criminal law, criminal procedure, introduction to corrections, jails and issues in short-term detention, comparative criminal justice systems

Research interests

Art theft, antiquities trafficking, institutional corrections, inmates’ rights, correctional law

Accomplishments

Blythe A. B. Balestrieri collaborated with Dr. Robyn McDougle and Sheriff Michael Wade to create the Henrico County Sheriff’s Office Basic Jailor Academy, which has been in successful operation since summer 2011. Bowman Balestrieri also oversees law library services for jail residents at the Richmond City Sheriff's Office. She received the Wilder School Faculty Excellence in Scholarship Award for 2014.

Balestrieri also helped put together an international conference on organized crime in art and antiquities while serving as a key member on the planning committee of the International Scientific and Professional Advisory Council to the United Nations. While working for the Douglas County Department of Corrections in Omaha, Neb., she received the Director’s Coin of Excellence as well as a commendation for her work in the county jail law library. As a junior faculty member at VCU, she was selected to serve as guest editor on two special editions on art crime for the Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice and Crime, Law, and Social Change. Balestrieri is a member of the American Society of Criminology, American Jail Association, American Correctional Association, Virginia Correctional Association, Southern States Correctional Association, the United States Committee of the Blue Shield and the Archaeological Institute of America. Balestrieri is also a Transnational Research Fellow in VCU's Wilder School, with experience in consulting on and drafting jail-related legislation as well as providing expert testimony to the General Assembly on jail-related matters.

Selected publications

Balestrieri, B. A. B. (2021, Jan/Feb). Weekend Jail a Good Idea? Think Again. American Jails Magazine 36(6): 5-69.

Balestrieri, B. A. B. (2020). Part-time Jail Time: Jailors’ Perspectives on Nonconsecutive Day Sentencing in Virginia. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 31(3): 452-74. 

Balestrieri, B. A. B. (2019, December). Law Enforcement Activities in Virginia Sheriff’s Offices: Final Report to the Virginia Sheriffs’ Institute.

Balestrieri, B.A.B. (2019). Correctional Healthcare Delivery in Virginia’s Sheriff-run & Regional Jails: Final Report to the General Assembly.

Balestrieri, B. A. B. (2018). SB36, Nonconsecutive Day Sentencing in Virginia: Final Report to the General Assembly.

Balestrieri, B. A. B. (2017). SB851, Nonconsecutive Day Sentencing in Virginia: Final Report to the General Assembly.

McDougle, R., Proulx, B.B. & Wade, M. (2013). Innovative student internships in a correctional setting: the Henrico County corrections academy. Corrections Compendium, 37(3): 8-12.

Brodie, N. & Proulx, B.B. (2013). Museum malpractice as corporate crime? The case of the J. Paul Getty Museum. Journal of Crime & Justice,DOI:10.1080/0735648X.2013.819785

Proulx, B.B. (2012). Looting at archaeological sites in “glocal” perspective: nature, scope, & frequency of the problem. American Journal of Archaeology 117(1): 111-25.

Gordon, J., Proulx, B. & Grant, P. (2012). Trepidation among the ‘keepers’: gendered perceptions of fear and risk of victimization among corrections officers.American Journal of Criminal Justice, 26 May 2012, pp 1-21, doi: 10.1007/s12103-012-9167-1.

Proulx, B.B. (2011). Drugs, arms, and arrowheads: theft from archaeological sites and the dangers of fieldwork. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice 27(4): 500-22.

Durney, M. & Proulx, B.B. (2011). Art crime: a brief introduction. Crime, Law and Social Change 56(2): 115-32.

Proulx, B.B. (2011). Organized criminal involvement in the illicit antiquities trade.Trends in Organized Crime 14(4): 1-29.

Crank, J.P. & Proulx, B.B. (2010). Toward an interpretive criminal justice. Critical Criminology 18(3): 147-67.

Bowman, B.A. (2009). Classical Literature for the Criminal Justice Classroom. Journal of Criminal Justice Education 20(1): 95- 109.

Bowman, B.A. (2008). Transnational Crimes against Culture: Looting at Archaeological Sites and the “Grey” Market in Antiquities, Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice 24(3): 225-42.

Crank, J.P. & Bowman, B.A. (2008). What Is Good Criminal Justice Theory? Journal of Criminal Justice 36(6): 563-72.

Faculty

RaJade Berry-James

RaJade M. Berry-James

Senior Associate Dean of Faculty and Academic Affairs and Professor

Scherer Hall Room 505 Phone: (804) 827-0776 Email: berryjamesr@vcu.edu

Expertise

-Social Equity
-Program Evaluation
-Research Methods
-Assessment and Accreditation

EDUCATION

Ph.D., Public Administration, Rutgers University - Newark 

MPA, Public Administration, Kean University

B.S., Business Administration, Rider University

CERTIFICATIONS

Inclusive Excellence, NC State University

Reflective Teaching, NC State University

Leader Development, National Security and Strategy, U.S. Army War College

Nonprofit Management, Duke University

Certified Public Manager (CPM), State of New Jersey & Rutgers University - Newark

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Berry-James has conducted community-based and cross-site evaluation research for federal, state, and local governments.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

RaJade M. Berry-James, Ph.D., is the senior associate dean of faculty and academic affairs at the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University.  Dr. Berry-James is an elected fellow of the congressionally chartered  National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) and was appointed by the NAPA Board as Chair of the Standing  Panel on Social Equity in Governance, beginning January 2023. Berry-James was also elected as Vice President and President-Elect of the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) and will assume the presidency for the 2023-24 term.  She brings an extensive record of service to the network, having served as a member of NASPAA’s Executive Council, and two-time chair of the NASPAA Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation (COPRA). Berry-James has spent more than 30 years in higher education, serving as Chair of the Faculty, MPA Program Coordinator, Ph.D. Program Coordinator, and Director of  Graduate Programs for small, large, and research-intensive graduate programs. She is also a consultant, specializing in diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as assessment and accreditation in higher education.

Berry-James' research, teaching, and community engagement focus on the theory of change and the applied practice of public administration. Co-authored with Gooden (2018), her recent book, Why Research Methods  Matter: Essential Skills in Decision Making (2018), examines real-world policymaking and evidence to support decision making. Berry-James designed two NASPAA award-winning courses, MPA Capstone and Cultural Competence in the Public Sector, and has taught master- and doctoral-level courses such as Basic Quantitative Research, Advanced Research and Statistical Methods, Research Methods and Analysis, Public Policymaking, Implementation and Evaluation, Survey Research, Program Evaluation, Public Bureaucracy, Personnel Management, Conflict Resolution and Social Equity. Her scholarly research has appeared in the Public Administration Review (PAR), Journal of Public Affairs Education (JPAE), Review of Public Personnel Administration (ROPPA), Public  Performance and Management Review (PPMR), International Journal of Public  Administration, International Association for the Study of Global Achievement of Gap, International Journal of the Humanities, Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting and Financial  Management, Journal of Black Political Research, Journal of the American Society of Professional Emergency Planners,  and Journal of Public Management & Social Policy (JPMSP).

Berry-James has received several research awards and sponsored grants to evaluate community-based projects and initiatives funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation,  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, SAMHSA/Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), SAMHSA/Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services (ODADAS), Summit County (OH) Juvenile Court, Summit County (OH) Department of Jobs and Family Services, and Akron Center for Policy Studies.  In recognition of her applied scholarship, she received the Carolyn L. Lattimore  Education Excellence Award (2020), Outstanding Engagement Award  (2019), Rutgers University - Newark Alumni Spotlight (2018), NASPAA Social  Justice Curriculum Award (2017), ASPA Presidential Merit Citation (2017), COMPA National Public Service Award (2016), Chancellor's Creating  Community Award for Outstanding Faculty (2013), NASPAA Diversity Award  (2013) and COMPA Sylvester Murray Distinguished Mentor Award (2011).

She earned a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Rider University (1987), an MPA from Kean University (1993), and a Ph.D. in Public Administration from Rutgers University (Newark), with a specialization in productive public management (1999). Her dissertation, Implementing Affirmative Action, examined factors influencing program efficacy in higher education.

Faculty

Mark Bittner, AICP

Instructor

Email: bittnermj@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
  • Land use and infrastructure planning
  • Transportation planning

EDUCATION

B.A., Economics, College of William and Mary 

M.U.R.P., Virginia Commonwealth University 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Mark Bittner, AICP, is the Director of Regional Planning and GIS for PlanRVA, a regional government agency responsible for transportation planning and other regional initiatives in the Richmond, Virginia Metropolitan Area.  He manages transportation, land use, environmental, and hazard mitigation projects in urban and rural areas.  He also oversees all office technology including GIS and Travel Demand Modeling (TDM).  Bittner has held previous posts at the Crater Planning District Commission in Petersburg, Virginia, Henrico County, James City County, the Bristol TN-VA MPO and Virginia LISC.  He has been an Adjunct Instructor at VCU since 2008.

Faculty

Sarah Jane Brubaker

Professor, Director of the Certificate in Gender Violence Intervention, Assistant Chair, Criminal Justice programs

Raleigh Building Rm. 2015 Phone: (804) 827-2400 Email: sbrubaker@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Sexual and domestic violence
  • Race, gender and class in criminal and juvenile justice
  • Intersectionality

Education

B.A., Sociology, James Madison University
M.S., Sociology, Virginia Commonwealth University
Ph.D., Sociology, University of Delaware

Courses

Synthesizing seminar in public policy, theorizing gender violence, senior seminar in criminal justice, qualitative research methods

Research interests

Sexual and domestic violence, adolescents at risk, social justice and social policy, reproductive and sexual health, intersectionality

Accomplishments

Brubaker created a post-baccalaureate certificate in gender violence intervention in 2003 and directs this program. She has received federal and state grants to improve efforts to prevent sexual and domestic violence on college campuses and to provide programming to young women involved in the juvenile justice system and trauma-informed training to juvenile justice staff. Brubaker is chair of the iCubed core, “Disrupting Criminalization in Education: A Trauma-Informed Approach.” She is vice president and chair of the anti-harassment committee of the Society for the Study of Social Problems and a member of the Association of Public Policy Analysis and Management.

Selected publications

Brubaker, S.J., & Cleary, H. (2021). Conceptualizing and contextualizing treatment orientation: A mixed-method analysis of juvenile justice correctional staff under a therapeutic model. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 1-21.

Brubaker, S.J. (2020). Embracing and expanding feminist theory: (Re)conceptualizing gender and power. Violence Against Women. Online First. https://journals.sagepub.com/eprint/DGXBHZHA6NYNSVXKFMMQ/full

Brubaker, S.J. (2019). Theorizing gender violence. Series on Family Violence, edited by Claire Renzetti. San Diego, CA: Cognella Press.

Brubaker, S.J., & Keegan, B. (2019). “Suddenly everyone’s an expert in our field:” Campus-based victim advocates and the promises and perils of professionalization. Violence Against Women, 25(9), 1116-1137.

Brubaker, S.J. (2019). Campus-based sexual assault victim advocacy and Title IX: Revisiting tensions between grassroots activism and the criminal justice system. Feminist Criminology 14(3), 307-329. 

Brubaker, S.J., Keegan, B., Guadalupe‐Diaz, X.L., & Beasley, B. (2017). Measuring and reporting campus sexual assault: Privilege and exclusion in what we know and what we do. Sociology Compass, 11(12).

Brubaker, Sarah Jane and Fox, Kristan C. 2010. Urban African-American Girls at Risk: An Exploratory Study of Service Needs and Provision. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice 8(3:): 250-265.

Brubaker, Sarah Jane. 2009. Sexual assault prevalence, reporting, and policies: Comparing college and university campuses and military service academies. The Security Journal22(1): 56-72.

Medicalization, natural childbirth and birthing experiences. Sociology Compass, 3(1): 31-48 (2009). With Heather Dillaway; reprinted in Weitz, Ruth and Samantha Kwan, (eds.) 2014. The Politics of Women’s Bodies: Sexuality, Appearance, and Behavior. Oxford University Press

Brubaker, Sarah Jane. 2007. Denied, embracing and resisting medicalization: African American teen mothers’ perceptions of formal pregnancy and childbirth care. Gender & Society 21: 528-552.

Brubaker, Sarah Jane and Wright, Christie A. 2006. Identity transformation and family caregiving: Narratives of African American teen mothers. Journal of Marriage and Family, 68: 1214-1228.

Faculty

Chen

Xueming (Jimmy) Chen

Professor, program chair - Urban and Regional Studies and Planning program

Raleigh Building Rm. 3016-A Phone: (804) 828-1254 Email: xchen2@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Transportation planning
  • Transportation modeling
  • Geographic information system

 

Education

B.S., Urban and Regional Planning, Nanjing University, China, 1982
M.S., Urban and Regional Planning, Nanjing University, China, 1985
Ph.D., Urban and Regional Planning, University of Southern California,1991

Teaching

Transportation policy and planning, travel demand forecasting models, GIS applications, human geography.

Research interests

Transportation policy and planning, travel demand forecasting models, GIS applications, international urban planning.

Accomplishments

Chen taught in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at California State University, Northridge from 1993 to 2007 and in the Department of Planning, Policy and Design at University of California, Irvine from 2006 to 2007. While at Northridge, he received the Outstanding Professor Award three times from the department and the Urban Studies and Planning Association of Students. In addition, he served as a committee member of the Transportation Research Board for the National Research Council from 2002 to 2006. He joined VCU as an associate professor in 2007 and received his tenure in 2011. Effective July 1, 2021, Chen was promoted to professor with tenure in the L. Douglas Wilder School of Public Affairs.

Selected publications

English

Li, Jie, Qichao Ban, Xueming (Jimmy) Chen, and Jiawei Yao. 2019. Glazing Sizing in Large Atrium Buildings: A Perspective of Balancing Daylight Quantity and Visual Comfort. Energies, 12, 701: 1-14.

Chen, Xueming (Jimmy). 2018. Review of the Transit Accessibility Concept: A Case Study of Richmond. Sustainability, 10 (12), 4857, 1-19.

Liu, Xianteng, Xueming Chen, and Jiangping Zhou. 2017. Jobs-housing’s Spatial Relationship and Commuting Efficiency: Excess Commuting’s Potential for Policy Evaluation. Urban Transport of China, 16 (2), 10-18.

Givoni, Moshe and Xueming Chen. 2017. Airline and Railway Disintegration in China: The Case of Shanghai Hongqiao Integrated Transport Hub. Transportation Letters: The International Journal of Transportation Research, 9 (4): 202-214.

Chen, Xueming and Lin Lin. 2016. Integration of Air and Rail Technologies at Shanghai Hongqiao Integrated Transportation Hub. Journal of Urban Technology, 23 (2): 23-46.

Chen, Xueming and Lin Lin. 2015. The node-place analysis on the “hubtropolis” urban form: the case of Shanghai Hongqiao air-rail hub. Habitat International, 49: 445-453.

Chen, Xueming. 2015. A Sustainability Analysis on the Wuhan-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway in China. International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, 9 (5): 348-363.

Fei, Di and Xueming Chen. 2015. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) paratransit cost issues and solutions for the Greater Richmond Transit Company (GRTC). Case Studies on Transport Policy, 3: 402-414.

Chen, Xueming. 2014. Household/Zonal Socioeconomic Characteristic Characteristics and Tour Making: Case of Richmond/Tri-Cities Model Region in Virginia. Journal of Urban and Regional Analysis, 6 (1): 53-70.

Chinese

 

Chen, Bing, Ying Chang, Xiaojun Zhang, and Xueming Chen. 2018. An Applied Research on Research-led Teaching and Learning Modes (in Chinese). China Modern Education Equipment, 3, 40-43.

 

Chen, Bing, Ying Chang, Xiaojun Zhang, Xueming Chen. 2017. Research-led Teaching and Learning and the Practical Modes (in Chinese). China Modern Education Equipment,11,53-56.

 

Chen, Xueming and Suwei Feng. 2017. Review of the U.S. Aging Transportation Policies and Implications for China (in Chinese). Public Governance Review, 2:3-14.

 

Chen, Xueming. 2015. Public Transportation System and Planning Experience in New York (in Chinese). Journal of Urban Planning International, 30 (1): 84-88.

Faculty

November 2020

Hayley Cleary

Associate professor

Raleigh Building, Room 2009E Phone: (804) 827-0475 Email: hmcleary@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Police interrogation of juveniles
  • Adolescent development in legal contexts
  • Juvenile justice policy and practice

Education

B.A., Psychology and Russian Studies, University of Virginia
M.P.P., Public Policy, Georgetown University Public Policy Institute
Ph.D., Developmental Psychology, Georgetown University

Teaching

Research methods, juvenile justice, forensic psychology, juvenile law and policy

Research interests

Police interrogation, juvenile false confessions, juvenile justice policy, juvenile corrections, adolescent sex offending

Accomplishments

Hayley Cleary, MPP, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and Public Policy at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. She holds undergraduate degrees from the University of Virginia and a Master of Public Policy and PhD in Developmental Psychology from Georgetown University. Cleary's research interests lie at the intersection of social science, law and policy. Her work examines adolescent behavior and decision-making in justice system contexts, including youths’ contact with law enforcement, courts and corrections. The cornerstone of her research program involves police interrogation of juvenile suspects. Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation and the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Cleary’s work has been featured in national media outlets, including the New York Times and New Yorker magazine, and she was named the 2018 Louise Kidder Early Career Award winner for contributions to social issues research by the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues. Cleary has been invited on numerous occasions to share her work with academic, law enforcement, and attorney audiences, including the FBI National Academy, the Virginia state legislature, and attorney organizations in several states.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS


Cleary, H. M. D., 
Guarnera, L. A., Aaron, J., & Crane, M. (fall, 2021). How trauma may magnify risk of involuntary and false confessions among adolescents. Wrongful Conviction Law Review.

Cleary, H. M. D., & Bull, R. (2021). Contextual factors predict self-reported confession decision-making: A field study of suspects’ actual police interrogation experiences. Law and Human Behavior, 45(4), 310–323. https://doi.org/10.1037/lhb0000459

Cleary, H. M. D., & Najdowski, C. J. (2020). Awareness of sex offender registration policies and self-reported sexual offending in a community sample of adolescents. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 17(3), 486-499. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-019-00410-3

Blandon-Gitlin, I., Cleary, H. M. D., & Blair, A. (2020). Race and ethnicity as a compound risk factor in police interrogation of youth. In M. Stevenson, B. Bottoms, & K. Burke (eds.), The legacy of race for children: Psychology, public policy, and law (pp. 169-187). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Cleary, H. M. D., & Brubaker, S. J. (2019). Therapeutic transformation of juvenile corrections in Virginia: A mixed method analysis of benefits and challenges. Children and Youth Services Review, 105https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104444

Cleary, H. M. D.  (2017).  Applying the lessons of developmental psychology to the study of juvenile interrogations: New directions for research, policy, and practice. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 23, 118-130.  doi: 10.1037/law0000120    

Cleary, H. M. D., & Warner, T. C. (2016). Police training in interviewing and interrogation methods: A comparison of techniques used with adult and juvenile suspects. Law and Human Behavior, 40, 270-284. doi: 10.1037/lhb0000175

Faculty

Amy Cook

Amy Cook

Acting Assistant Dean of Student Services and Associate Professor

Raleigh Building Rm. 2009-D Phone: (804) 828-7544 Email: cookak@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Substance use among criminal justice populations
  • Juvenile Justice
  • Experiential learning opportunities for students 

Education

B.S., Criminal Justice, Virginia Commonwealth University
M.A., Liberal Arts, University of Richmond
Ph.D., Public Policy and Administration, VCU

Teaching

Senior Seminar, Introduction to CJ, Research Methods, Criminological Theory, Service Learning

Bio

Amy K. Cook is an associate professor of criminal justice at the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs. Her current research examines correlates of substance abuse, including overdose and crime, particularly as it relates to opioid use.  Amy works closely with local police departments and jails to address substance abuse and related issues. Prior to academia, Amy spent over 14 years as a probation officer with the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice where she worked with delinquent youth, families, and victims of intimate partner violence. Amy was also a member of the Fatality Review Team, which reviewed intimate partner and family related homicides.

Research interests

Juvenile justice and family court processes; policing; service learning opportunities for students.

Faculty

Nakeina Douglas-Glenn

Nakeina E. Douglas-Glenn

Director - Research Institute for Social Equity (RISE), Associate Professor

Cathedral Place, Rm. 2001 Phone: (804) 827-7480 Email: nedouglas@vcu.edu

Expertise

-Leadership development 
-Public policy 
-Program evaluation
-Race and social equity

Nakeina E. Douglas-Glenn, Ph.D., director and associate professor, provides leadership for the Research Institute for Social Equity and its programs. She is a higher education academic and practitioner with more than 15 years of experience in organizational development, leadership development, public policy analysis, and racial equity. Prior to coming to VCU, Douglas-Glenn served as a research and evaluation associate at the National Science Foundation. She was also an adjunct professor at George Mason University in the Department of Public and International Affairs. Douglas-Glenn earned her Doctorate of Philosophy in public administration and public affairs with a certificate in race and social policy from the Center for Public Administration and Policy at Virginia Tech. She has a Master of Social Work from Radford University and received her Bachelor of Arts in political science and Bachelor of Science in sociology from Virginia Tech. Douglas-Glenn is active in the community and in professional organizations. She is an elected member of the American Council on Education's Virginia Network executive board and serves as the institutional representative for the Women's Network at VCU. She is also a member of the board of directors for the Health Brigade (formerly the Fan Free Clinic).

Faculty

September 2020

Lindsey Evans

Assistant Professor

Scherer Hall, Room 313 Phone: (804) 828-0994 Email: evansll@vcu.edu

Expertise

• Social equity
• Policy analysis and program evaluation
• Research methods

Education

Ph.D., Public Policy and Administration, Virginia Commonwealth University
Master of Public Administration, Virginia Commonwealth University
B.S., Political Science, Georgia College

Teaching

Capstone seminar, social equity, research methods, public policy analysis, leadership and community engagement, nonprofit management

Research Interests 

Dr. Evans' research is centered on public and nonprofit policy analysis and program evaluation, focusing on social equity. Her work encompasses a broad spectrum, including initiatives to promote social equity and examining programs and policies to eliminate disparities in both the public and nonprofit sectors. 

Recent research projects were dedicated to equity research, evaluation, and design within Virginia's vaccination effort. Her research explores social equity, diversity, and inclusion in nonprofit organizations.

Biography

Lindsey L. Evans, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of public administration and policy at the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her academic journey includes being an assistant professor of urban and public affairs at the University of Louisville. Before joining the faculty, Dr. Evans was a senior research associate on a multiyear grant project supported by the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. This project focused on examining practices within African American-led nonprofit organizations that positively impact the life outcomes of at-risk youths. Additionally, she was a consulting research assistant with the MDRC Achieving the Dream Initiative, participating in large-scale evaluations.

In addition to her academic roles, Dr. Evans actively contributes to the field by serving as a board member for several sections within the American Society for Public Administration. Dr. Evans further engages in the scholarly community as a dedicated reviewer for various public administration and nonprofit journals, showcasing her commitment to advancing knowledge in these domains.

Dr. Evans holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration, a Master of Public Administration, and graduate certificates in geographic information systems and preparing future faculty from Virginia Commonwealth University. She earned her bachelor's degree in political science from Georgia College and State University.

Selected Publications

Evans, L. L., Kuenzi, K., & Stewart, A. J. (In press). The role of board diversity: Does board diversity equip nonprofit performance? Public Administration Quarterly.

Evans, L. L., & Douglas-Glenn, N. E. (In press). Executive leadership. In A. Stewart & K. Kuenzi (Eds.), Managing human resources in the nonprofit sector: Equipping organizations to be democratic, diverse, inclusive, and employee-friendly. Sagamore Press.

Evans, L. L., & Strawderman, M. (2023). Socialization. In S. Dolamore & A. Kline (Eds.), Organizational culture: An experimental guide (pp. 43-56). Routledge. doi:10.4324/9781003395591

Kuenzi, K., Evans, L. L., & Stewart, A. J. (2023). Birds of a feather? Exploring homophily in nonprofit leadership. Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership, 13(1), 1-17. doi:10.18666/JNEL-2022-11246

Evans, L. L.,  Douglas-Glenn, N. E., Gooden, S. T., Underwood, J., & Brown, C. (2023). Equity partnerships in action: Vaccines and public health. In E. Harper-Anderson, J. Albanese, & S. Gooden (Eds.), Racial equity, COVID-19, and public policy: The triple pandemic (pp. 50-74). Taylor & Francis. doi:10.4324/9781003286967

Gooden, S. T., Evans, L. L., & Pang, Y. (2018). Making the invisible visible in nonprofit courses: A case study of African American-led nonprofits. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 24(4), 490-517. doi:10.1080/15236803.2018.1488485.

Gooden, S. T., Evans, L. L., Perkins, M., Gooden, C., & Pang, Y. (2018). Examining youth outcomes of African American-led nonprofits. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 46(4S), 34S-54S. doi:10.1177/0899764018757028

Gooden, S. T., Perkins, M., Evans, L. L., & Pang, Y. (2018). Similarity attraction and old school values: African American-led nonprofits and African American Youth. Journal of Public Management and Social Policy, 24 (2), 41-52. https://digitalscholarship.tsu.edu/jpmsp/vol24/iss2/4/

Gooden, S. T., Martin, K. J., Evans, L. L., & Pegram, K. (2017). Promoting social equity to achieve the dream at minority-serving institutions. In R.G. Johnson (Ed.), Social equity in a time of change: A critical 21st century social movement (pp. 39-66). Birkdale Publishing.

Gooden, S. T., Martin, K. J., & Evans, L. L. (2016). Intermediaries of innovation in community colleges: Coaching in Achieving the Dream. In P. De Lancer Julnes & E. Gibson (Eds.), Innovations in the public and nonprofit sectors: A public solutions handbook (pp. 224-242). Routledge. doi:10.4324/9781315686868

Faculty

David John Farmer

David John Farmer

Professor emeritus

Email: dfarmer@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Governance, theory and practice

Education

Ph.D. in Philosophy, University of Virginia
Ph. D. in Economics, University of London
M.A. in Philosophy, University of Virginia 
M.A. in Economics, University of Toronto 
B.Sc. in Economics, London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London 
Post-Doctoral Studies in Quantitative Methods of Social Research, University of Michigan

Language and other coursework at Sorbonne, University of Paris; Centro Linguistico Italiano Dante Alighieri Scuola Per Stranieri and at Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Teaching

Seminar in public policy and administration, politics and economics, public administration theory, history of modern, ancient and medieval political thought

Research Interests

Governance, theory and practice

Accomplishments

Prior to joining VCU in 1980, Dr. Farmer served as a budget analyst, an administrative analyst and an economist. He also served as director of operations management, special assistant to the New York City police commissioner and as a division director for the National Institute of Justice in the U.S. Department of Justice. During his tenure at VCU, he has served as chair of the Department of Justice and Risk Administration, professor of public administration and political science and affiliate professor of philosophy. In 1999, he received the Distinguished Scholar Award from the College of Humanities and Sciences.

Farmer serves as a member of the editorial boards of Administration and Society, Public Voices, Administrative Theory and Praxis, and Employee Responsibilities and Rights. He also serves as a reviewer for Public Administration Review and other journals. Farmer has been a community service associate for Virginia’s Secretary of Public Safety and a member of the community boards of Human Resources Incorporated and Jump Street drug and rehabilitation programs. He has also provided management consulting services to 40 state and local governments, including the states of Illinois and Pennsylvania and the cities of Los Angeles, Atlanta, Durham and Oklahoma City. Consulting specialties include management, organization, personnel, revenue administration, data processing and performance measurement.

Awards

Distinguished Scholar Award, VCU College of Humanities and Science, 1999.

Selected Publication Books

Farmer, David John (2020). Beyond Public Administration: Contemplating and Nudging Government-in-Context. London and New York: Routledge.
Farmer, David John (2021). Post-Traditional Public Administration Theory: For Better Governmental Praxis.  London and New York: Routledge.

Public Administration in Perspective: Theory and Practice through Multiple Lenses, Armonk, New York: M.E. Sharpe, 2010.
To Kill the King: Post-traditional Governance and Bureaucracy. Armonk, New York: M.E. Sharpe, 2005.
The Language of Public Administration: Bureaucracy, Modernity and Postmodernity, Tuscaloosa: Alabama: University of Alabama, 1995. (Translated into Korean, 1999; translated into Chinese, 2006)
Being in Time: The Nature of Time in Light of McTaggart's Paradox. Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America: Lanham, Maryland, 1990.
Crime Control: The Use and Misuse of Police Resources. New York: Plenum Publishing Corporation, 1984. 
Civil Disorder Control. Chicago, Illinois: Public Administration Service, 1968.
As editor, Papers on the Art of Anti-Administration, Burke, Virginia: Chatelaine Press, 1998.

Book Chapters and Articles
In the period from 1982 to 2012, Farmer has authored some 80 significant chapters and journal articles. Please refer to his personal website for a complete list of publications. 

Faculty

Susan Gooden

Dean and professor

Scherer Hall, Room 319 and Room 501 Phone: (804) 828-7078 Email: stgooden@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Social equity
  • Program evaluation
  • Research methods

Education

Ph.D., Political Science, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University

M.A., Political Science, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University

M.A., Political Science, Virginia Tech

B.A., English, Virginia Tech

A.A.S., Natural Science, Patrick Henry Community College

Teaching

Public policy and administration, social equity and public policy analysis, research methods, social welfare policy

Research interests

Gooden has conducted several research studies for MDRC, as well as for other national research organizations

Accomplishments

Susan T. Gooden, Ph.D., is dean and professor of the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University. She is an internationally recognized expert on social equity. Gooden is an elected fellow of the congressionally chartered National Academy of Public Administration and is past president of the American Society for Public Administration and past-president of the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA). Her books include Teaching Social Equity (Routledge, forthcoming 2024); Racial Equity: COVID-19, and Public Policy: The Triple Pandemic (Routledge, 2023); Global Equity in Administration (2020, Routledge); Why Research Methods Matter (2018, Melvin and Leigh); Race and Social Equity: A Nervous Area of Government (2014, Routledge); and Cultural Competency for Public Administrators (2012, Routledge). Her research has been funded by several organizations, including the Russell Sage Foundation, the Kellogg Foundation, the Smith Richardson Foundation, MDRC, and the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research.

Gooden has received several awards and honors including a Fulbright Specialist Award to Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; the VCU University Distinguished Faculty Service Award; the Best Academic Paper Award presented by the Northeast Conference on Public Administration; the Jewel Prestage Pioneer Award presented by the Conference of Minority Public Administrators; the Joan Fiss Bishop Leadership Award presented by the American Society for Public Administration; the Herbert Simon Best Book Award presented by the American Political Science Association; and the Philip J. Rutledge Award presented by the Standing Panel on Social Equity in Governance of the National Academy of Public Administration.

Gooden was appointed to the Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation, the accrediting arm of the Network of Associated Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration and served previously as an elected member of the national policy council of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.  She was appointed to the Virginia Community College System board (2016-2020) by Governor Terence McAuliffe. Most recently she has been appointed by Governor Ralph Northam to the Virginia Retirement System Board (2020-2024). She also serves as a board member of MDRC, MDC, and The Virginia Home. Gooden earned an A.S. in Natural Science from Patrick Henry Community College, a B.A. in English from Virginia Tech, and an M.A. in Political Science from Virginia Tech. She received her doctorate from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.

Faculty

Jill Gordon

Jill Gordon

Affiliate Faculty and Former Professor

Scott House, 909 West Franklin St. Email: jagordon@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Corrections
  • Correction officer culture and climate
  • Safety in prison - correctional staff perspective; evaluation research

Education

B.S., Criminal Justice, Bowling Green State University, Ohio
M.S., Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati, Ohio
Ph.D., Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati, Ohio

Teaching

Graduate and undergraduate research methods, criminal justice system, institutional corrections, graduate seminar in criminal justice, introduction to corrections, evaluation and treatment of the offender

Research interests

Evaluative studies of correctional policy encompassing both adult and juvenile systems; correctional employees’ attitudes toward work, clients and overall organizational issues; domestic violence issues related to the criminal justice response

Accomplishments

Gordon, assistant vice provost for faculty affairs, Office of the Provost, is responsible for various faculty development and mentoring programs. Prior to her current roles  she served as interim senior vice provost for faculty affairs, senior associate dean of faculty and academic affairs,  interim associate dean for research, interim director of graduate student service and advising and chair of the criminal justice program.

Her research interests center on correctional employees’ attitudes toward work environment and culture, correctional program effectiveness and correctional staff workforce perceptions; she incorporates both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Gordon, along with a colleague, conducted a multi-site project examining perceptions of culture and climate among correctional officers and inmates. Gordon has experience in evaluation research covering both community and institutional corrections with the majority of this work being supported by federal, state or local funding.

Faculty

Meghan Gough

Meghan Gough

Associate professor

Raleigh Building Rm. 3015-D Phone: (804) 827-0869 Email: mzgough@vcu.edu

Expertise

-Civic engagement
-Sustainable community development
-Equitable planning processes

Education

B.S., Biology, James Madison University
M.U.R.P, Urban and Regional Planning, Virginia Tech
Ph.D., City and Regional Planning, Ohio State University

Teaching

Community involvement, planning processes, sustainable development

Research interests

Meghan Gough is an Associate Professor of urban and regional studies and planning. Her community-engaged scholarship emphasizes civic capacity building and planning for more sustainable and equitable communities. Meghan’s contributions to research help to elevate the importance of community-based decision-making and partnerships in the development of plans and policies to support sustainable community development.

Selected publications

Gough, M.Z., Howell, K. and Cameron, H., 2022. The Structural Challenge of Power and Whiteness in Planning: Evidence From Historic Black Cemetery Restoration. Planning Theory & Practice, pp.1-20.

Wilson, B. B., & Gough, M. Z. 2020. The university as anchor institution in community wealth building: snapshots from two Virginia universities. In Community Wealth Building and the Reconstruction of American Democracy. Edward Elgar Publishing.

Rakow, D. A., Gough, M. Z., & Lee, S. A. 2020. Public Gardens and Livable Cities: Partnerships Connecting People, Plants, and Place. Cornell University Press.

Davis, S.D. and Gough, M.Z., 2019. Deepening Interlocal Partnerships: The Case of Revenue-sharing Infrastructure Agreements. State and Local Government Review, 51(4), pp.292-300.

Reece, J. and M.Z. Gough. 2019. Planning for regional sustainability and justice: The role of collective impact. Journal of Community Development. 50 (3): 368-386. Doi: 10.1080/15575330.2019.1610014

Salzberg, A.C., Gough, M.Z. and Suen, I.S., 2019. Sustainable innovation behavior in restaurants. Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 22(2), pp.167-190.

Suen, I., T. Gendron and M.Z. Gough. 2018. Social Isolation and the Built Environment: A Call for Research and Advocacy. Public Policy and Aging Report 27(4).

Mosavel, M., Gough, M.Z., Ferrel, D. 2018. Using Asset Mapping to Engage Youth in Community-based Participatory Research: The WE Project. Progress in Community Health Partnerships 12(2):223-236. doi: 10.1353/cpr.2018.0042.

Holton, V, Early, J., Gough, M.Z., Gendron, T. 2018. Building a ​university ​climate to ​​support ​​community-​​engaged ​​research. In J. Allen & R. Reiter-Palmon (Eds.), The ​Cambridge ​Handbook of ​Organizational ​Community ​Engagement and ​Outreach​. ​ New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. 

Gough, M.Z and J. Reece. 2017. The Impact of the Sustainable Communities Initiative on Engagement and Collaboration in Planning: Experiences from Four U.S. Regions. Cityscape: A Journal of Policy Development and Research 19(3).

Gough, M.Z. 2015. The Complementarity of Livability and Sustainability: Comprehensive planning in the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Journal of Planning Education and Research: 35(2).

Gough, M.Z., and J. Accordino. 2013. Public Garden as Sustainable Community Development Partners: Motivations, perceived benefits and challenges. Urban Affairs Review: 49(6).

Faculty

Elsie Harper-Anderson

Elsie Harper-Anderson

Associate professor, director of the Ph.D. program

Raleigh Building, Room 2010 B Phone: (804) 828-7390 Email: elharperande@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Economic development, workforce development, entrepreneurship, social and economic equity

Education

B.S., Political Science, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania
M.S., Public Management and Policy, H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management, Carnegie Mellon University
Ph.D., City and Regional Planning, University of California, Berkeley

Teaching

Urban economic development policy, foundations of development planning, economic geography, labor employment and the regional economy.

Research interests

The connection between economic development and workforce development, entrepreneurship as a tool for reducing economic and social disparity, entrepreneurial ecosystems, workforce policy.

Accomplishments

Dr. Harper-Anderson’s research examines the impact of macroeconomic transformation on regional economies and urban labor markets with a focus on social equity and sustainability concerns. Her recent work focuses on understanding entrepreneurial ecosystems and their impact on building inclusive economies. Her other scholarship has focused on understanding and enhancing the connection between workforce development and economic development. She serves on the advisory board for the City of Richmond’s Office of Community Wealth Building. Prior to academia, her work included significant experience evaluating economic development, workforce development and housing programs for local, state and federal agencies such as DOL,  EDA and HUD.  Dr. Harper-Anderson has also worked as a practitioner administering federal housing and economic development programs at the local level. She teaches courses related to economic development, labor markets and urban development policy.  Harper-Anderson is the recipient of the 2016 Wilder School Excellence in Teaching Award.

Selected publications

Harper-Anderson, Elsie L. (Forthcoming, May 2018) Intersections of Partnership and Leadership in Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: Comparing three U.S. regions, (Accepted, Economic Development Quarterly).

Harper-Anderson, Elsie L., (2017) Contemporary Entrepreneurship: Intersections of business formation, work and race in Chicago. Urban Affairs Review, DOI: 1078087417712035.

Harper-Anderson, Elsie L. & Lewis, D.A. (2017) What Makes Business Incubation Work? Measuring the Influence of Incubator Quality and Regional Capacity on Incubator Outcomes, Economic Development Quarterly, DOI: 10.1177/0891242417741961.

Harper-Anderson, Elsie L. & Gooden, S. T. (2016). Integrating Entrepreneurship Services into Local Workforce Development Systems: Who is Doing It and How. Journal of Poverty, 20(3), 237-260.

Harper-Anderson, E. (2012). Exploring what greening the economy means for African American workers, entrepreneurs, and communities. Economic Development Quarterly, 26(2), 162-177.

Harper-Anderson, E. (2008). Measuring the Connection Between Workforce Development and Economic Development Examining the Role of Sectors for Local Outcomes. Economic Development Quarterly, 22(2), 119-135.

Harper-Anderson, Elsie L., (2008). Benchmarks and Barriers African American Experiences in the Corporate Bay Area's New Economy Sector of the 1990s. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 27(4), 483-498.

Harper-Anderson, Elsie, L. (2009) “Coming Together in Tough Economic Times: Workforce Development and Economic Development Move Closer in Michigan,” in Sustaining Michigan: Metropolitan Policies and Strategies, Richard Jelier, and Gary Sands, editors. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University Press.

Harper-Anderson, Elsie, & Myung Jin. “Return on Investment for Virginia’s Workforce Programs,” Policy report prepared for the Virginia Community College System,” April 2014. https://vlds.virginia.gov/media/1014/vcureturnoninvesment04032014final.pdf.

Lewis, David, Harper-Anderson, Elsie & Molnar, Lawrence. “Incubating Success Incubation Best Practices that Lead to Successful New Ventures,” Policy report prepared for the U.S. Economic Development Administration, October 2011. http://edaincubatortool.org/materials.html.

Faculty

Brie Haupt

Brittany 'Brie' Haupt

Brittany 'Brie' Haupt is an assistant professor at the VCU Wilder School.

Scherer Hall, Room 213 Phone: (804) 828-1431 Email: hauptb@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Emergency management
  • Cultural competence & crisis communication
  • Competency-based education
Brittany “Brie” Haupt, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University in the Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness Department. Her previous educational achievements developed her passion for increasing her cultural competency and becoming trained in diversity education and multiculturalism, as well as intercultural dialogue and community development. Her research interests include cultural competency, emergency and crisis management, emergency management communication, and community resilience. She has published in:
  • Public Administration Review, 
  • Journal of Public Affairs Education, 
  • Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
  • Disaster Prevention and Management, 
  • Risk, Hazards, and Crisis in Public Policy, 
  • Journal of Emergency Management, and 
  • Frontiers in Communication section on Disaster communications
In addition, she has presented at the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) conference, the Public Administration Theory Network international conference, the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, the Public Administration Research conferences, regional conferences, as well as presented for the Federal Emergency Management Agency on a case study created for diversity education-related training.
 
Additional professional service and acknowledgments include: 
  • American Society of Public Administration's Section on Emergency and Crisis Management Board Member and Chair of Communications Committee,
  • Public Administration Theory Network Board Member, Co-Secretary, and Co-Chair of Social Media Committee,
  • Early Career Editorial Board Member for Natural Hazards Review,
  • American Society for Public Administration's Founders Fellow in 2017, and
  • International Scholar Workshop participant in Chennai, India.
Haupt's award-winning book with Dr. Claire Connolly Knox on Cultural Competence for Emergency and Crisis Management: Concepts, Theories, and Case Studies is available for purchase. This text offers educators a roadmap for successfully engaging participants in various aspects of cultural competency knowledge, skills, and abilities. This text received the American Society of Public Administration's Section on Democracy and Social Justice's 2021 Book of the Year Award. 

Faculty

Richard Huff

Associate professor, assistant chair - Master of Public Administration program

Scherer Hall, Room 318 Phone: (804) 828-9813 Email: rrhuff@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Government reform and transparency
  • Military policy issues and social/governing impacts
  • Organizational theory and behavior

Education

B.S., Public Administration, University of Arizona
M.S.W., Social Work, Arizona State University
Ph.D., Public Policy and Administration, Virginia Commonwealth University

Accomplishments

Richard Huff is an Associate Professor in the Master of Public Administration (MPA) Program.  He served as Chair of the MPA Program from 2015 –2018, and the Director of Graduate Studies from 2010 –2015 for the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs.  He attended Cochise Junior College in Douglas, Arizona, then transferred receiving his BS from the University of Arizona and MSW from Arizona State University.  Following a 26-year career with the federal government he earned a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration from VCU. He currently teaches courses in the MPA and PhD programs. He was awarded the Wilder School 2021 Excellence in Teaching Award, and best article of the year (2011) Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis (JCPA) (Vol.13) by the International Comparative Policy Analysis (ICPA) Forum. Dr. Huff was invited to serve as an external advisor for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) from 2010 to 2012 to develop their Open Government Plan. Most recently, he received a Certificate in Applied Psychoanalytic Theory, International Society of Applied Psychoanalysis, Montpellier, France in December 2019.

Selected publications

Huff, Richard F. (2021). Invited book review. Strategies for Governing: Reinventing Public Administration for a Dangerous Century. By Alasdair Roberts, 2019. NY: Cornell University Press, Journal of Political and Military Sociology. Summer edition, 2021. 

Huff, Richard (2018). Symposium editor, “The Mythical World of Public Administration”, International Journal of Organization Theory & Behavior, Vol. 21, Issue 3, pp. 138-223. (A collaboration with David Farmer, Emeritus, VCU; Gary Marshall, UNO; Hugh Miller, FAU; Patricia Patterson, FAU; Aaron Wachhaus, University of Baltimore; Ricardo Schmuckler, University of Buenos Aires.) 

Huff, R., Cors C. (2016). Of Rhizomes and Pointillism: David John Farmer’s Influence, Method and Art in the Field. International Journal of Organizational Theory and Behavior, Issue 1, Vol. 19 (March 2016).

Ruijer, H., Huff, R. (2016). Breaking Through Barriers: The Impact of Organizational Culture on Open Government Reform. Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy.

Huff, Richard F. (2011). Chapter 6, Building a Foundation for Transparency in Government and co-author of Chapter 7, A Framework for Owning Transparency in A Guide to Owning Transparency: How Federal Agencies can Implement and Benefit from Transparency, Burke, W. M., Teller, M. Editors, Open Forum Foundation. https://www.academia.edu/7758087/A_Guide_To_Owning_Transparency_How_Federal_Agencies_can_Implement_and_Benefit_from_Transparency

Huff, Richard F. (2011). Measuring Performance in US Municipalities: Do Personnel Policies Predict System Level Outcomes? Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis, Vol. 13, No. 1, 11-33, February 2011.

Huff, Richard F. (2009). Measuring System Level Performance Outcomes in Local Government: Do Human Resource Management Reforms Really Matter? Saarbrucken, Germany: VDM Publishing.

Huff, Richard F. (2006). Entries for: Transnationalism, Human Capital, Governmentality and Organization Culture. In Mark Bevir (Ed.), The Encyclopedia of Governance. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Huff, Richard F. (2004). Book review. The postnational self: Belonging & Identity. By Ulf Hedetoft and Mette Hjort (Eds.), 2002. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press,Politics & Policy Journal, Vol. 32, No.2, June 2004, pp 385-387.

Huff, Richard F. (2003). Creating the future through relationships: A Native American view of modern administration. Global Virtue Ethics Review Journal, 4, 1, 2003, pp. 4-28

Barrett, K; Brubaker, S.J.; Daniels, S.E.; Holsworth, R.; Huff, R.; Safford, L.; S. Daniels; Sanderson, H. (2002). A preliminary report on studies assessing potential implications of the reauthorization of The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Block Grant (TANFII) for Virginia. Prepared by The Center for Public Policy, Virginia Commonwealth University and submitted to the Virginia Department of Social Services June 30, 2002.

Faculty

Myung Hun Jin

Myung Hun Jin

Associate professor, chair - Master of Public Administration program

Scherer Hall, Room 301A Phone: (804) 828-8812 Email: mhjin@vcu.edu

Expertise

- Quantitative methods and conditional process analysis
- Performance management
- Public policy analysis analysis

Education

B.A., Architectural Studies, University of Illinois-Chicago
M.P.A., Public Administration, Florida State University
Ph.D., Public Administration, Florida State University

Teaching

- Quantitative methods
- Advanced analytical methods seminar
- Public policy analysis

Research interests

- Social equity in human resource management
- Public sector innovation
- Performance management

Accomplishments

Prior to joining the Wilder School, Dr. Jin worked extensively as a systems project consultant for a number of state government agencies in Florida, including the Department of Financial Services, Department of Health and Department of Children and Families. His recent grant includes $100,000 from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for his research on the issues of access to health care and shortage of physician workforce. In 2016, he was selected to receive the Faculty Excellence in Scholarship Award by the Wilder School. He was the recipient of 2018 Pi Alpha Alpha Chapter Advisor of the Year by NASPAA. He is an elected member of the National Council for the American Society for Public Administration. 

Selected publications

Lee, Jaeyong, and Myung H. Jin. (2023). Fostering employee innovation: Linking person-organization fit to innovative behavior through knowledge sharing and reward perception. Public Administration. DOI: 10.1111/padm.12950  

Lee, Jaeyong, and Myung H. Jin. (2022). Understanding the organizational learning culture-innovative behavior relation in local government: The roles of knowledge sharing and job autonomy. Public Administration. DOI.org/10.1111/padm.12884.

Bak, HyeonUk, Myung H. Jin, and Bruce D. McDonald III. (2021). Unpacking the Transformational Leadership-Innovative Work Behavior Relationship: The Mediating Role of Psychological Capital. Public Performance & Management Review. DOI: 10.1080/15309576.2021.1939737.

Lee, Jaeyong, Myung H. Jin, and Geunpil Ryu. (2021). Motivated to share? Using the person-environment fit theory to explain the link between public service motivation and knowledge sharing. Sustainability, 13(11), 6286. DOI: 10.3390/su13116286.

Jin, Myung H., Bruce D. McDonald III, Jaehee Park, and Trevor Yu Kang Yang. (2019). Making Public Service Motivation Count for Increasing Organizational Fit: Exploring the Role of Followership Behavior and Leader Support as a Causal Mechanism. International Review of Administrative Sciences. DOI: 10.1177/0020852316684008. First published online: January 1, 2019.

Jin, Myung H., Jaeyong Lee*, and MiYoung Lee. (2017) Does leadership matter in diversity management? Assessing the relative impact of diversity policy and inclusive leadership in the public sector. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 38(2).

Jin, Myung H., Bruce D. McDonald III, and Jaehee Park*. (2016) Person-Organization Fit and Turnover Intention: Exploring the Mediating Role of Employee Followership and Job Satisfaction through Conservation of Resources Theory. Review of Public Personnel Administration. DOI: 10.1177/0734371X16658334. First published online: July 18, 2016.

Jin, Myung H., Bruce D. McDonald III, and Jaehee Park*. (2016) Does Public Service Motivation Matter in Public Higher Education? Testing the Theories of Person-Organization Fit and Organizational Commitment through a Serial Multiple Mediation Model. American Review of Public Administration. DOI: 10.1177/0275074016652243. First published online: June 18, 2016.

Jin, Myung H., and Bruce D. McDonald III. (2016). Understanding employee engagement in the public sector: The role of immediate supervisor, perceived organizational support, and learning opportunities. American Review of Public Administration. DOI: 10.1177/0275074016643817. First published online: April 22, 2016.

Jin, Myung H., and Jaehee Park*. (2016). Sexual Minority and Employee Engagement: Implications for Job Satisfaction. Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs, 2(1), 3-14.

Jin, Myung H., Bruce D. McDonald III, and Jaehee Park*. (2016). Followership and Job Satisfaction in the Public Sector: The Moderating Role of Perceived Supervisor Support and Performance-Oriented Culture. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 29(3), 218-237.

Jin, Myung H., Jaehee Park*, and Hyeon-Uk Bak*. (2015). Emotion Work in the Public Sector: A Focus on the Essence of Public Service. International Journal of Public Sector Performance Management, 2(3): 221-236.

Jin, Myung H., and Avrum J. Shriar. (2013). Linking Environmental Citizenship and Civic Engagement to Public Trust and Environmental Sacrifice in the Asian Context. Journal of Environmental Policy and Governance, 23(4), 259-273.

Jin, Myung H. (2013). Does Social Capital Promote Pro-Environmental Behaviors? Implications for Collaborative Governance. International Journal of Public Administration, 36(6): 397-407.

Jin, Myung H., and Avrum J. Shriar (2013). Exploring the Relationship between Social Capital and Individuals’ Policy Preferences for Environmental Protection: A Multinomial Logistic Regression Analysis. Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning, 15(3), 427-446.

Jin, Myung H. (2013). Comparing Employed and Unemployed Workers’ Job Motivations for Sector Choice in East Asia: Does Employment Status Matter? International Journal of Public Administration, 36(5), 305-319.

Jin, Myung H. (2013). Public Service Motivation: A Cross-Country Study. International Journal of Public Administration, 36(5), 331-343.

Jin, Myung H. (2013). Citizen Participation, Trust, and Literacy on Government Legitimacy: The Case of Environmental Governance. Journal of Social Change, 5(1), 11-25.

Hsieh, Chih-Wei, Myung H. Jin, and Mary E. Guy (2012). Consequences of Work-Related Emotions: Analysis of a Cross Section of Public Service Workers. American Review of Public Administration, 42(1), 39-53.

Jin, Myung H., and Mary E. Guy (2009). How Emotional Labor Influences Worker Pride, Job Satisfaction, and Burnout: An Examination of Consumer Complaint Workers. Public Performance & Management Review, 33(1), 88-105.

Faculty

Brittany Keegan

Director of Research and Outreach, Center for Public Policy and Assistant Professor

Kearney House Rm. 204 Phone: (804) 827-3404 Email: keeganbs@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Nonprofit organizations
  • Gender-based violence prevention/intervention
  • Qualitative research methods

Brittany received her Ph.D. from VCU's Wilder School in December 2018, with her dissertation examining the roles of nonprofit organizations in promoting the socioeconomic integration of refugees. She now serves as the Director of Research and Outreach at the Wilder School's Center for Public Policy, where she oversees outreach and training activities. In addition to her academic work, Brittany has a wide range of nonprofit experience and has served as a volunteer, employee, and board member for multiple organizations in Central Virginia - most recently serving as a board member for the Virginia Chapter of the American Planning Association (APAVA) and 5th Wall Theatre. She was named as one of Richmond's Top 40 Under 40 by Style Weekly in 2018, and served as the chair of the 2018 statewide refugee mental health summit. In all of her work, Brittany aims to identify ways that nonprofits can effectively serve those impacted by violence or conflict.

Faculty

Brad Lehmann

Brad Lehmann

Instructor

Raleigh Building, Room 2009A Phone: (804) 827-7312 Email: lehmannrb@vcu.edu

Expertise

-Law Enforcement Operations
-Ethical Decision-Making Systems
-Education, Curriculum, Culture, and Care
-Ethics of Care
-Justice Systems and Community Relationships

 

EDUCATION

B.S., Criminal Justice, Virginia Commonwealth University

M.S., Criminal Justice, Virginia Commonwealth University

Ph.D., Education (Curriculum, Culture, and Care), Virginia Commonwealth University

TEACHING

Humans of RVA & VCU, Law & Criminal Justice Policy, Introduction to Criminal Justice, Victimology and Victimization, Bridging Perspectives-Critical Conversations for Students and Police, Criminal Procedure, Principles of Criminal Investigations, Race, Crime & Criminal Justice, Courts & Sentencing

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Authenticity, Relationships, and Care - Ethical Decision Making in Criminal Justice Education, Justice Studies and Community Cultural Awareness, Criminal Justice Education, Curriculum and Professional Development

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Lehmann, a former Police Sergeant with the Henrico County (VA) Police Department, a graduate of the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, and an experienced educator previously with the VCU Honors College and the Virginia Community College System brings over twenty years of experience in academia and practice in criminal justice and education.

A member of the 45th Basic Police Academy in Henrico, VA, Lehmann served in Patrol Operations, Directed Action Response Team, Court Services - Juvenile Courts Liason, and in DUI Reduction Patrol & Awareness where he achieved Emeritus Level V in the County’s Leadership Development Program. He was a Field Training Officer and was a lead instructor for the county in Ethics and Bias-Awareness as well as a Senior DUI & Standardized Field Sobriety Testing trainer.

Sergeant Lehmann was a General Instructor for the Fair & Impartial Policing, Field Training Officer Candidate School, First Line Supervisor Training, Courtroom Preparation, Juvenile Justice and Juvenile Arrest Procedures, Interview & Interrogation, and Police Records Incident Management & Case Builder Reporting training. During his tenure, received the Wilmer J. Hedrick award for Supervisory excellence, Leslie T. Sheppard award for non-supervisory employees for signification contributions safety of the citizens of the County of Henrico, Meritorius Unit Award, Two (2) Chief’s Eagle Awards from the Chief of Police for demonstrated, exceptional performance, innovative solutions, or unique programs in an effort to advance superior police services and departmental goals, and Five (5) Mother’s Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Awards for significant contributions working to eliminate drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime, and prevent underage drinking in the Richmond, VA Region including the 2013 award for the highest number of impaired driving arrests in the region.

In addition to public service, Lehmann is a graduate of Center for American and International Law’s Institute for Law Enforcement Administration (ILEA) School for Law Enforcement Ethics (2012) and a graduate of VCU’s inaugural Anti-Racist Educator series (2020). 

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

(Formal Reviewer) Jirard, S. A. (2020). Criminal law and procedure: A courtroom approach (1st ed.). SAGE. 

(Reviewer) Hanson, G., Venturelli, P. J., & Fleckenstein, A. E. (2022). Drugs and Society (14th ed.). Jones & Bartlett.

Faculty

Saltanat Liebert

Saltanat Liebert

Associate professor

Scherer Hall, Room 305 Phone: (804) 828-1874 Email: sliebert@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Immigration policy
  • Civil service reform
  • Comparative public administration

Areas of Interest:

  • Immigration policy
  • Civil Service Reform
  • Comparative Public Administration

Education

B.A., English Language and Literature, Kyrgyz State National University, 1998 
M.P.A., Public Administration, Indiana State University, 2000 
Ph.D., Public Administration, American University, 2007

Teaching

Principles of public administration, public human resource management, immigration and public policy, comparative public administration.

Accomplishments

Prior to joining the Wilder School, Dr. Liebert taught at American University in Washington, D.C., and worked for the World Bank, United Nations and the International Organization for Migration in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Austria and the U.S. She has also served as a consultant on governance, migration and human trafficking issues, working with such institutions as the Protection Project of Johns Hopkins University and the International Research and Exchanges Board. Liebert has been interviewed by media outlets such as Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and BBC World Service.

In addition, Dr. Liebert is the Chair of ASPA's Section on Personnel Administration and Labor Relations (2022-24) and the recipient of the 2020 Julia Juanita Henderson International Award presented by ASPA's Section on Women in Public Administration. 

Select Peer-reviewed Journal Articles

Liebert, Saltanat and David Webber. 2023. “Exploring Religiosity Among Kyrgyz Migrants in the United States,” Problems of Post-Communism, published online in October 2023, doi: 10.1080/10758216.2023.2259581

Novikova, Irina and Saltanat Liebert. 2021. “Citizens’ Perception of Government Responsiveness: Building an Engaged Citizenry” Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration 43(4), pp. 298-316, published online on September 20, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1080/23276665.2021.1966815

Liebert, Saltanat. 2021. “U.S. Immigrant Integration Policy in Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Public Administration Review, Vol. 81, No. 6, Viewpoint article, pp. 1197-1203, doi: 10.1111/puar.13331.

Rissler, Grant, Saltanat Liebert, and Brittany Keegan. 2021. “Local Responses to Immigrant Residents in the Age of Trump: Insights on the Space for Action at the Local Level.” State and Local Government Review, published online on December 21, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1177/0160323X20980029

Liebert, Saltanat, 2020. “Deconstructing Immigrant Integration: the Case of Kyrgyz Labor Migrants in the United States,” International Journal of Public Administration, Vol. 43, No. 2, pp. 151-165. 

Liebert, Saltanat, Goerzig, Carolin, Mona H. Siddiqui, 2020. “Integration of Muslim Immigrants in Europe and North America: A Transatlantic Comparison,” Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, Vol. 40, No. 2, pp. 196-215. 

Baimenov, Alikhan and Saltanat Liebert, 2019. “Governance in the Post-Soviet Era: Challenges and Opportunities,” Public Administration Review, Viewpoint article, Vol. 79, No. 2 (March/April), pp. 281-285.

Liebert, Saltanat. 2014. “Challenges of Reforming the Civil Service in the Post-Soviet Era: The Case of Kyrgyzstan.” Review of Public Personnel Administration, 34(4), pp. 403-420.

Liebert, Saltanat and Carl Ameringer. 2013. “ The Healthcare Safety Net and the Affordable Care Act: Implications for Hispanic Immigrants.” Public Administration Review, Vol. 73, No. 6 (November/December), pp. 810-820.

Liebert, Saltanat. 2010. The role of Informal Institutions in U.S. Immigration Policy Implementation: the Case of Illegal Labor Migration from Kyrgyzstan.” Public Administration Review, Vol. 70, No. 3 (May/June), pp. 390-400.

Faculty

Hans Louis-Charles

Hans Louis-Charles

Associate professor

Scherer Hall, Room 217 Phone: (804) 828-8889 Email: louischah@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Emergency Management
  • Collective Behavior in Disaster
  • Disaster Recovery

EDUCATION

Ph.D., Disaster Science & Management, University of Delaware

M.A., International Development, American University

B.A., Political Science, University of Central Florida

TEACHING

  • HSEP 310 Risk and Vulnerability Assessment
  • HSEP 391 Disaster Response and Recovery
  • HSEP 603 Risk Assessment 

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Emergency management policy, collective behavior in disaster (household preparedness, evacuation, and sheltering), community resilience, risk communication, disaster research ethics, social vulnerability, environmental justice, disaster mythology

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Louis-Charles conducts applied and theoretical research focused on human and organizational behavior in disaster for better-informed policy and practice in the field of emergency management. Louis-Charles’ research on ethical post-disaster fieldwork was selected for the opening plenary of the 2020 International Researcher Committee on Disasters-Researchers Meeting held in conjunction with the 45th Annual Natural Hazards Research and Applications Workshop. Louis-Charles was the Co-Pi of the National Science Foundation INCLUDES project- Minority SURGE Capacity in Disasters, which mobilized underrepresented STEM graduate scholars towards disaster recovery efforts in the U.S. Virgin Islands following the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season.

Louis-Charles is a Founding Fellow and the current Vice President of the William A. Anderson Fund, a non-profit that mentors underrepresented doctoral students within the academic disciplines relevant to hazard mitigation and disaster risk reduction.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Louis-Charles, H. M., Aguirre, B., & Kitnurse, J. (In Press). The Aftermath of IrMaria in the U.S. Virgin Islands: Temporal Patterns of Looting, Burglaries, and Community Solidarity. International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters

Louis-Charles, H. M., Howard, R., Remy, L., Nibbs, F., & Turner, G. (2020). Ethical Considerations for Post-Disaster Fieldwork and Data Collection in the Caribbean. American Behavioral Scientist, 64(8):1129-1144. doi:10.1177/0002764220938113

Teron, L., Louis-Charles, H. M., Nibbs, F., & Uppalapati, S. S. (2019). Establishing a Toxics Mobility Inventory for Climate Change and Pollution. Sustainability: The Journal of Record, 12(4), 226-234. doi:  http://doi.org/10.1089/sus.2019.0003

Martins, V., Louis-Charles, H., Nigg, J., Kendra, J., & Sisco, S. (2018). Household Disaster Preparedness in New York City before Superstorm Sandy: Findings and Recommendations. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 15(4). doi: https://doi.org/10.1515/jhsem-2017-0002

Louis-Charles, H. M., & Teron, L. (2017). Environmental Migration, Public Perception, and Immigration Policy: Examining the Hidden Environmental Toll of Terror Hysteria. Environmental Justice, 10(6), 181-185. doi:  http://doi.org/10.1089/env.2017.0012

Faculty

Patrick Lowery

Patrick Lowery

Associate professor

Raleigh Building, Room 2009C Phone: (804) 828-8889 Email: pglowery@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Race, social stratification, and public policy
  • Juvenile justice and the troubled teen industry 
  • Criminological theory and socio-legal studies

EDUCATION

B.S., Criminal Justice, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
M.S., Criminal Justice, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Ph.D., Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of South Carolina

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Patrick Lowery is a criminologist who studies the intersection of race, poverty, law, and juvenile justice. His prior research has identified how race, poverty, and community factors may lead to involvement in the justice system among youth and how these factors may work to the disadvantage of youth who are processed through the juvenile justice system. As an instructor, he regularly teaches research methods and criminological theory at the undergraduate level and race, social stratification, and public policy at the graduate level. As a whole, he is a critical scholar whose teaching and research seek to answer the question of whether a better and more equitable world is possible (spoiler: It is, if we know where to look).

During his time as a doctoral student in South Carolina, he published in a number of quality journals, such as Youth Violence and Juvenile JusticePolice Quarterly, and Crime & Delinquency. In addition to his research, Lowery has also taught a variety of courses at the University of South Carolina, such as: "Introduction to Criminal Justice," "Research Methods," "Juvenile Delinquency and Justice," and "Violence in America." 

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS 

Lowery, P. G., Burrow, J. D., & Kaminski, R. J. (2018). A multilevel test of the racial threat hypothesis in one state’s juvenile court. Crime & Delinquency64(1), 53-87.

Lowery, P. G. (2019). Plea bargains among serious and violent girls: An intersectional approach exploring race in the juvenile court. Feminist Criminology14(1), 115-139.

Lowery, P. G., & Brubaker, S. J. (2021). Exploring race, family, and community variation in juvenile institutionalization through the perspective of symbolic threat. Journal of Crime and Justice, 44 (4), 1-22. 

Faculty

Christina Mancini

Christina Mancini

Associate professor, criminal justice graduate coordinator

Raleigh Building, Room 2016B Phone: (804) 828-4223 Email: cnmancini@vcu.edu Christina Mancini CV

Expertise

  • Criminal justice policy
  • Sexual victimization
  • Campus crime, sexual assault and law

Education

B.S., Criminology and Criminal Justice, Florida State University (summa cum laude)
M.S., Criminology and Criminal Justice, Florida State University
Ph.D., Criminology and Criminal Justice, Florida State University

Teaching

Introduction to criminal justice, criminological theory, gender and violence, sex crime and society, principles of criminal justice

Research interests

Criminal justice policy, sex offending, victimization, law

Accomplishments

Dr. Christina Mancini’s scholarship seeks to contribute to efforts to improve public safety and enhance crime prevention. Specifically, her research centers on understanding the emergence and efficacy of contemporary crime laws, with a particular emphasis on criminal victimization.

She has published over 40 studies in the areas of sex crime, victimization, campus crime, public opinion, and law. Her work is featured in respected journals such as Criminology, the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, the Journal of Criminal Justice, Crime & Delinquency, Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, and other outlets. She is the author of the scholarly book, Sex Crime, Offenders, and Society: A Critical Look at Sexual Offending and Policy, 2nd Edition (2021, Carolina Academic Press). Dr. Mancini also penned a text concerning crime in higher education entitled, Campus Crime and Safety, 2nd Edition (2022, Kendall Hunt). Dr. Mancini’s research is nationally recognized and she is the recipient of many awards and honors. In 2014, she was given the Faculty Researcher of the Year Award by the American Society of Criminology, Division of Victimology.

She is also the 2015 recipient of the Wilder School Excellence in Scholarship Award. Professor Mancini’s expertise has been featured in national and local news outlets such as the Boston Globe, Washington Post, The New York Daily News, National Public Radio (NPR), Knoxville News Sentinel, Style Weekly, Waco Tribune-Herald, Texas Tribune, and the Sun-Sentinel. In 2015, she co-founded (along with several other scholars) the Sexual Offense Policy Research (SOPR) Workgroup, an international organization dedicated to improving policy responses toward sexual offending and victimization (http://www.sopresearch.org/). She holds editorial advisory board appointments for four policy-focused journals: Criminal Justice Review, Criminal Justice Policy Review, the Journal of Criminal Justice, and Social Sciences and Humanities

View Christina Mancini's complete CV

Select Publications

Mancini, Christina. 2022. “A Test of Faith: Exploring the Attitudes and Experiences of Catholics in the Aftermath of the Church’s Child Sexual Abuse Scandal.” Journal of Criminal Justice. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2022.101933  

Mancini, Christina. 2022. “Public Support for ‘Get Smart’ Criminal Justice Reform Post-2020: Virginia as a Case Study.” International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X221086551  

Mancini, Christina, and Kristen M. Budd. 2022. “Legalize It, Criticize It, or Something Else? Americans’ Attitudes Toward Federal Recreational Marijuana Legislation (RML).” Crime & Delinquency (Accepted and Forthcoming).

Mancini, Christina, Kristen M. Budd, Bailey M. Brown, Sami Hausserman, and Sydney Smith. 2022. “The Nature and Extent of Sexual Assault in the Sky: Shining a Light on a ‘Black Box.’” International Review of Victimology. https://doi.org/10.1177/02697580221079996

Mancini, Christina, Dan Cassino, and Robert D. Lytle. 2022. “Politics, Knowledge, and Sexual Assault: Public Perceptions of Trump-Era Title IX Proceedings.” Journal of Crime and Justice. https://doi.org/10.1080/0735648X.2022.2052933

Koon-Magnin, Sarah, and Christina Mancini. 2022. “Faculty and Staff Perceptions of Title IX Mandatory Reporting Policies at Two Institutions.” Violence against Women. https://doi.org/10.1177/10778012211070315

Mancini, Christina, and Kristen M. Budd.  2019.  “Americans’ Views of Efficacy toward Campus Sexual Assault Reform.”  Journal of School Violence (forthcoming).

Mancini, Christina, Justin T. Pickett, Corey Call, Robyn D. McDougle, Sarah Jane Brubaker, and Henry H. Brownstein.  2019.  “Sexual Assault in the Ivory Tower:  Public Opinion on University Accountability and Mandatory Reporting.”  Sexual Abuse:  A Journal of Research and Treatment, 31:344–365

Budd, Kristen M., Mancini, Christina, and Bierie, David.  2019.  “Parks, Playgrounds, and Incidents of Sexual Assault.”  Sexual Abuse:  A Journal of Research and Treatment, 31:580-606.

Brubaker, Sarah Jane, and Christina Mancini.  2017.  “The Impact of Increased State Regulation of Campus Sexual Assault Practices:  Perspectives of Campus Personnel.”  Journal of School Violence, 16:286-301. 

Budd, Kristen M., and Christina Mancini.  2017.  “Public Perceptions of GPS Monitoring for Convicted Sex Offenders:  Opinions on Effectiveness of Electronic Monitoring to Reduce Sexual Recidivism.”  International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 61:1335-1353.

Mancini, Christina, Justin T. Pickett, Corey Call, and Sean Patrick Roche.  2016.  “Student Perceptions of Mandatory Reporting in Higher Education.”  Criminal Justice Review, 41:219-235.

Mancini, Christina, and Justin T. Pickett.  2016.  “Examining Reaping What They Sow?  Victim-Offender Overlap Perceptions and Victim Blaming Attitudes.”  Victims & Offenders, 12:434-466.

Mancini, Christina, Thomas Baker, et al.  2016.  “Examining External Support Received in Prison and Concerns About Reentry Among Incarcerated Women.”  Feminist Criminology, 11:163-190.

Mancini, Christina, and Kristen M. Budd.  2016.  “Is the Public Convinced That ‘Nothing Works?’  Predictors of Treatment Support for Sex Offenders Among Americans.”  Crime & Delinquency, 62:777-799.

Faculty

Robyn McDougle

Robyn Diehl McDougle

Associate Dean of Research and Outreach, Acting Director of Performance Management Group, and Associate Professor

Kearney House, Room 202 Phone: (804) 828-2759 Email: rdmcdougle@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Police community relations
  • Violent crime and program evaluation

Education

B.S., Psychology, Randolph-Macon College
M.S., Criminal Justice, Virginia Commonwealth University
Ph.D., Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University

Research interests

Police community relations, jail re-entry, program evaluation, violent crimes, crime scene analysis and evidence collection.

Accomplishments

Dr. Robyn McDougle is the Associate Dean of Research and Outreach and an Associate Professor at the Wilder School. Her primary area of research is program evaluation, project impact and the impact of violent crime on youth and community development. Her research involves working with service-based organizations and law enforcement agencies to evaluate the efficacy of programs offered to residents in communities that suffer many of the negative consequences resulting from high levels of crime, specifically violent crime. She has also worked with local and state correctional agencies in the development of effective prisoner re-entry programs as well as helped create a nationally recognized jailers academy internship program. McDougle has conducted training in leadership, stress management and death investigation for local, state, federal and international law enforcement agencies and public safety organizations.

Faculty

Mary Moore, Ph.D.

Mary Moore

Senior Field Research Director, Survey and Evaluation Research Laboratory

Bowe House, Room 302 Phone: (804) 827-4226 Email: mmoore@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Public policy
  • Survey research
  • Program evaluation

Accomplishments

Moore began working at the Survey and Evaluation Research Lab in 1990 as the field director while pursuing her graduate degree in social psychology at VCU.  At SERL, she oversees operations and directs a diverse group of projects.  Her research interests include public policy, survey research and program evaluation.  Her experience includes developing survey instruments, designing research projects and program evaluations, and all aspects of the data collection process.

Faculty

Nancy A. Morris

Associate professor, Program Chair, Criminal Justice

Raleigh Building, Room 2009B Phone: (804) 827-0484 Email: nmorris@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Developmental criminology
  • Cross-national study of crime, violence and terrorism
  • Crime prevention and policing at places

Education

B.A., Sociology, Virginia Tech

B.S., Political Science, Virginia Tech
M.S., Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Maryland
Ph.D., Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Maryland

Teaching

Criminological theory, research methods, developmental criminology, cross-national crime and violence

Research interests

Continuity and change in antisocial and criminal offending over the life course (persistence and desistance from criminal offending), cross-national patterns of lethal violence (homicide and terrorism), spatial distribution of crime (crime at places over time)

Accomplishments

Morris’ areas of research include the study of crime at places, developmental criminology and cross-national country-level violence. She was previously awarded a predoctoral fellowship with the National Consortium of Violence Research, has been a reviewer for peer-reviewed journals and funding agencies and has served on subcommittees for the American Society of Criminology. Her more recent published work has focused on identifying country-level patterns of terrorism over time and examining patterns and correlates of criminal offending among chronic offenders, with a focus on similarity among family members. She is a member of the American Society of Criminology, Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, American Sociological Association and American Psychological Association.

Selected publications

Kendler, K.S., Nancy A. Morris, Ohlsson, H., Lönn, S.L., Sundquist, J. and K. Sundquist. 2016. Criminal Offending and the Family Environment: A Swedish National High-Risk Home-Reared and Adopted-Away Co-Sibling Control Study. (Forthcoming, The British Journal of Psychiatry).

Nancy A. Morris. 2015. Target Suitability and Terrorism.Criminology and Public Policy13(3):451-97.

Kendler, K.S., Lönn, S.L., Maes, H., Nancy A. Morris,Lichtenstein, P., Sundquist, J. and K. Sundquist. 2015. A National Swedish Longitudinal Twin-Sibling Study of Criminal Convictions from Adolescence through Early Adulthood. Twin Research and Human Genetics18 (3):227-233.

Kendler, K.S., Maes, H., Lönn, S.L., Nancy A. Morris,Lichtenstein, P., Sundquist, J. and K. Sundquist. 2015. A Swedish National Twin Study of Criminal Behavior and its Violent, White-collar and Property Sub-types. Psychological Medicine, 45(11):2253-2262.

Kendler, K.S., Ohlsson, H., Nancy A. Morris, Sundquist, J. and Sundquist, K. 2014. A Swedish Population-Based Study of the Mechanisms of Parent-Offspring Transmission of Criminal Behavior. Psychological Medicine, 45(5):1093-1102.

Kendler, K.S., Nancy A. Morris., Lonn, S.L., Sundquist, J. and Sundquist, K. 2014. Environmental Transmission of Violent Criminal Behavior in Siblings: A Swedish National Study. Psychological Medicine, 44(15):3181-3187.

Kendler, K.S., Lönn, S.L, Nancy A. Morris, Sundquist, J., Långström, N. and Sundquist, K. 2014. A Swedish National Adoption Study of Criminality. Psychological Medicine44 (9):1913-1925.

LaFree, G. and Nancy A. Morris. 2012. Does Legitimacy Matter? Attitudes toward Anti-American Violence in Egypt, Morocco and Indonesia. Crime and Delinquency, 48(5):689-719.

Morris, Nancy A. and Slocum, L.A. 2012. Estimating Country-level Terrorism Trends using Group- based trajectory Analyses: Latent Class Growth Analysis and General Mixture Modeling. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 28(1):103-139.

Stepp, S., Pardini, D.A., Loeber, R. and Nancy A. Morris.2011. The Relation between Adolescent Social Competence and Young Adult Delinquency and Educational Attainment among At-risk Youth: The Mediating Role of Peer Delinquency. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry56(8):457-65.

Morris, Nancy A. and Slocum, L.A. 2010. The Validity of Self-reported Prevalence, Frequency, and Timing of Arrest: An Evaluation of Data Collected Using a Life Event Calendar.Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 47(2):210-240.

LaFree, G., Nancy A. Morris and Dugan, L. 2010. Cross-National Patterns of Terrorism: Comparing Trajectories for Total, Attributed and Fatal Attacks, 1970–2006. British Journal of Criminology50(4): 622-649.

Weisburd, D., Nancy A. Morris and Groff, E. 2009. Hot Spots of Juvenile Crime: A Longitudinal Study of Arrest Incidents at Street Segments in Seattle, WashingtonJournal of Quantitative Criminology, 25(4): 443-467.

Weisburd, D., Nancy A. Morris and Ready, J. 2008. Risk Focused Policing at Places: An Experimental Evaluation.Justice Quarterly, 25(1):163-200.

Faculty

Maureen Moslow-Benway

Maureen Moslow-Benway

Assistant professor, program chair - Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness

Scherer Hall, Room 217 Phone: (804) 475-6496 Email: mmoslowbenwa@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Terrorism and counterterrorism
  • U.S. intelligence community
  • Human trafficking

Education

B.S., International Affairs, U.S. Air Force Academy
M.A., Asian Studies, University of the Philippines

Teaching

HSEP – terrorism, the U.S. intelligence community and intelligence process, counter-terrorism, survey of terrorism

Research interests

Terrorism, counter-terrorism, covert action, international development

Accomplishments

While serving as a special agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Moslow-Benway was honored as the Officer Agent of the Year for Southeast Asia as well as the Southeastern U.S. twice. She was selected as the Department of Defense’s Counterintelligence Agent of the Year and chosen by Rotary International to represent TN in a group study exchange visit to India.

In addition, Moslow-Benway co-led efforts to raise $100,000 for reconstructive surgery for Indian children afflicted with polio and is a board member (and former chair) of J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College’s board of directors. She also serves as cochair of a bike tour that raises thousands of dollars for a local free health clinic.

Faculty

Luisa Nazareno

Assistant Professor

Raleigh Building, Room 2002 Phone: 804-828-2103 Email: nazarenoll@vcu.edu

Expertise

-Labor markets
-Future of work
-Social protection, equity, and inequality
-Urban studies

Luísa Nazareno is an Assistant Professor at the Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs. Her interests cover Labor Markets, Social Protection, and Development, focusing on Latin America and the United States. Dr. Nazareno’s recent work centers on the implications of emerging technologies for workers and society, including online platforms (gig work) and artificial intelligence. Her research has been published in journals such as The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, Journal of Urban Affairs, Technology in Society, Social Indicators Research, Economia Aplicada, the Journal of Information Policy, Population Research and Policy Review, and PLOS One.

COURSES INSTRUCTED

Seminar in Urban Policy (PPAD 750)
Public Policy Economics (PPAD 716)
Survey of Data Analysis Techniques in Public Policy (PPAD 722)

PUBLICATIONS

  • Churkina, Olga, Luísa Nazareno, and Matteo Zullo. 2023. The Labor Market Outcomes of Bilinguals in the United States: Accumulation and Returns Effects. PLOS One (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287711)
  • Nazareno, Luísa, and Juliana de Castro Galvao. 2023. The Impact of Conditional Cash Transfers on Poverty, Inequality and Employment During COVID-19: A Case Study from Brazil. Population Research and Policy Review (https://doi.org/10.1007/s11113-023-09749-3)
  • Nazareno, Luísa, Ellen Zegura, and Cathy Yang Liu. 2022. Changes in Mobile Broadband Infrastructure in Georgia during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Information Policy  (https://doi.org/10.5325/jinfopoli.12.2022.0007)  
  • Nazareno, Luísa, and Cathy Yang Liu. 2022. The Geography of Nonstandard Employment across U.S. Metropolitan Areas. Journal of Urban Affairs (https://doi.org/10.1080/07352166.2022.2053331 )
  • Nazareno, Luísa, and Daniel Schiff. 2021. The Impact of Automation and Artificial Intelligence on Worker Well-Being. Technology in Society. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101679 ) [
  • Liu, Cathy Yang, and Luísa Nazareno. 2019. The Changing Quality of Nonstandard Work Arrangements: Does Skill Matter? RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences (https://doi.org/10.7758/RSF.2019.5.4.04)
  • Marcelo, Medeiros, Juliana De Castro Galvao, and Luísa Nazareno. 2018. Correcting the Underestimation of Top Incomes: Combining Data from Income Tax Reports and the Brazilian 2010 Census. Social Indicators Research (https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-016-1498-8)

PERSONAL WEBSITE

luisanazareno.com

Faculty

William Pelfrey Jr.

William Pelfrey Jr.

Professor

Scherer Hall, Room 205 Phone: (804) 828-8467 Email: wvpelfrey@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Policing
  • Terrorism prevention
  • Spatial analysis of crime

Education

B.S., Psychology, Western Carolina University
M.S., Clinical Psychology, Radford University
Ph.D., Criminal Justice, Temple University

Teaching

Graduate research methods, forensic psychology, terrorism, police administration, problems in policing and homeland security

Research interests

Policing, terrorism prevention, the spatial analysis of crime, police use of force, crime patterns, the psychology of the offender and program evaluation

Accomplishments

Dr. William Pelfrey’s work addresses issues of programmatic effectiveness within the context of public safety, particularly revolving around law enforcement agencies. He has written numerous articles, book chapters and manuscripts as well as applied research reports for local, state and federal agencies. Pelfrey’s research has been published in the nation’s leading scholastic journals, including Justice Quarterly, Criminal Justice Studies, Homeland Security Review and the Journal of Criminal Justice. He also serves as an expert commentator on crime patterns, law enforcement and the psychology of crime for numerous media outlets.

Applied work plays an important role in Pelfrey’s research agenda. His research projects include efficacy evaluations of drug treatment courts, juvenile crime reduction programs, law enforcement and community policing efforts, cyberbullying, safety in schools and homeland security. Pelfrey has served as principal or co-principal investigator on grants from a variety of federal, state and local funding sources.

Appointments

ChairHomeland Security/Emergency Preparedness, 2011-2021. Currently Professor in both Criminal Justice and HSEP.

Criminal Justice Research Alliance—Board Member. Invited to serve on national level board which guides research policy and national lobbying activity, representing the two largest criminal justice associations. Term is 2020-2022.

Chair—Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Public Policy Committee: Led a twelve-person committee to address the intersection of criminal justice and policy issues, with special focus on informing government decision-makers and members of the media. Term is 2020-2022.

Faculty Development Fellowship—Virginia Commonwealth University, 2018. Awarded competitive fellowship to study terrorism and radicalization in Lebanon, June/July 2018.

Residential Fellowship—Max Planck Institute, 2016, Awarded residential, paid fellowship to study terrorism learning at the Max Planck Institute in Germany. Residential period was Summer 2016, I continue work with the Institute as a Fellow.

Authored Research Book:

Weber, N.L. and Pelfrey, W.V. (2014). Cyberbullying: Causes, Consequences, and Coping Strategies. El Paso, TX: LFB Scholarly Publishing.

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles:

Pelfrey, W.V. (2020). Emergency Manager Perceptions of the Effectiveness and Limitations of Mass Notification Systems:  A Mixed Method Study.  Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.  Published Online First: https://doi.org/10.1515/jhsem-2019-0070

Pelfrey, William and Young, Anna. (2020) Police Crisis Intervention Teams: Understanding Implementation Variations and Officer Level Impacts.  Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 35, 1, 1-12.

Brady, Caitlin; Baker, Thomas, and William Pelfrey. (2019). Comparing the Impact of Bullying Victimization on Drug Use and Weapon Carrying among Male and Female Middle and High School Students:  A Partial Test of General Strain Theory. Deviant Behavior:  Online First: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01639625.2019.1637405

Pelfrey, William and Steven Keener. (2018). Body Worn Cameras and Officer Perceptions: A Mixed Method Pretest Posttest of Patrol Officers and Supervisors. Published Online First: Journal of Crime and Justice.

Pelfrey, William, Steven Keener and Michael Perkins*.  (2018). Examining the Role of Demographics in Campus Crime Alerts—Implications and Recommendations.  Race and Justice, 8, 3, 244-269.

Pelfrey, William and Steven Keener. (2016).  Police Body Worn Cameras:  A Mixed Method Approach Assessing Perceptions of Efficacy.  Policing:  An International Journal of Police Strategies and Management, 39, 3, 491-506.

Baker, Thomas and William Pelfrey.  (2016). Bullying Victimization, Social Network Usage, and Delinquent Coping in a Sample of Urban Youth:  Examining the Predictions of General Strain Theory.  Violence and Victims, 31, 6, 1021-1043.

Baker, T. and Pelfrey, W.V. (2016) Exploring the Effects of Traditional and Cyberbullying Victimization on the Delinquent Coping of Frequent and Infrequent Users of Social Networking Sites: An Examination of Experienced and Anticipated Strains among a Sample of Urban Youth. Violence and Victims.

Pelfrey, W.V.  (2015). Cigarette Trafficking, Smurfing and Volume Buying: Policy, Investigation, and Methodology Recommendations from a Case Study.  Criminal Justice Policy Review, 26, 7, 713-726.

Pelfrey, W.V. and Weber, N.L. (2015). Active and Passive Strategies to Combat Cyberbullying in an Urban Student Population. Preventing School Failure, 59, 4, 227-236.

Pelfrey, W.V. (2014). Policing Heterogeneity through Omniculturalism: An Assessment of County Level Correlates of Terrorist Attacks in the United States. Criminology and Public Policy, 13, 3, 483-491.

Pelfrey, W.V. and Weber, N.L. (2014). Talking Smack and the Telephone Game: Conceptualizing Cyberbullying with Middle and High School Youth. Journal of Youth Studies, 17, 3, 397-414. Impact Factor—1.38.

Baker, T, Pelfrey,W.V., Bedard, L., Dhungana,L, Gertz, M., and K. Golden. (2014). Female inmates’ procedural justice perceptions of the police and courts: Is there a spill-over of police effects? Criminal Justice and Behavior, 41, 2, 144-162.

Pelfrey, W.V. and Bubolz, B.F. (2014). Hybridizing Socrates: A Hybrid Approach to Teaching Graduate Research Methods. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 25, 1, 34-53.

Pelfrey, Jr., W.V. & Weber, N.L. (2013). Keyboard gangsters: An analysis of incidence and correlates of cyberbullying in a large urban student population. Deviant Behavior.34, 1, 68-84.

Faculty

Damian Pitt

Damian Pitt

Associate professor

Raleigh Building, Room 3016B Phone: (804) 828-7397 Email: dpitt@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Solar energy policy and planning
  • Climate action planning
  • Collaborative environmental planning

Education

B.S., Sociology, University of Tennessee
M.C.R.P., University of Oregon
Ph.D., Planning, Governance and Globalization, Virginia Polytechnic University

Teaching

Intro to Urban and Regional Planning, Environmental Policy and Planning, Sustainable Energy Policy and Planning, Great Cities of the World

Research interests

State and local energy and climate policy, local climate action planning, grid integration and permitting issues for renewable energy systems, land use impacts of utility-scale solar

Accomplishments

Dr. Damian Pitt’s work examines opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through energy conservation, renewable energy use, land use and transportation policies. He focuses on community-engaged and applied research, which brings together the talent and resources of the university to work on diverse collaborations that benefit the people and communities of the commonwealth. 

He has written numerous academic articles and professional reports, including recent studies for The Nature Conservancy, the Solar Energy Industries Association, and the City of Richmond’s Office of Sustainability. His most prominent academic publications investigate the factors behind local government adoption of energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives, and in particular their use of collaborative planning techniques to develop their clean energy strategies. He teaches a variety of courses on urban planning and energy and environmental policy.

Pitt currently serves as the Associate Director of Policy and Community Engagement for the VCU Institute for Sustainable Energy and Environment. He has also served as a gubernatorial appointee to the Virginia Solar Energy Development and Energy Storage Authority, on the Richmond 300 Master Plan Advisory Commission, and on the board of directors for the Virginia chapter of the American Planning Association, among other positions. Prior to his academic career, he worked for Cogan Owens Greene, a nationally respected urban planning consulting firm in Portland, Oregon.

Selected publications

Pitt, D., and Oakley, D. (2024). “Assessing the Benefits of Distributed Solar in Virginia: 2024 Update and Status Report.” Report to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). Forthcoming.

Pitt, D., Suen, I., et al. (2022). “Investing in Virginia through Energy Efficiency: An Analysis of the Impacts of RGGI and the HIEE Program.” https://rampages.us/wilderresearch/wp-content/uploads/sites/37363/2023/01/Pitt-et-al.-2023-Analysis-of-the-Impacts-of-RGGI-and-the-HIEE-Program-1.pdf

Michaud, G., and Pitt, D. (2019): “Non-Utility Photovoltaic Deployment in the US: Evaluation of State-Level Policy Drivers.” Strategic Planning for Energy and the Environment. 38 (3) 52-80. https://doi.org/10.1080/10485236.2019.12043348.

Pitt, D. (2018). “Comparative Analysis of Solar Energy Grid Integration Best Practices in the USA.” Report to Ohio University, Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs, for inclusion in “Evaluating the Economic Benefits of Solar Energy Deployment in Southeastern Ohio.” 

Pitt, D., Michaud, G, and Duggan, A. (2018). “Analyzing the Costs and Benefits of Distributed Solar Energy in Virginia (USA): a Case Study of Collaborative Energy Planning.” Journal of Environmental Planning and Management. 61 (11) 2032-2049. https://doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2017.1381074

Pitt, D., and Congreve, A. (2016). “Collaborative Approaches to Local Climate Change and Clean Energy Initiatives in the USA and England.” Local Environment. 22 (9) 1124-1141. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2015.1120277.  

Pitt, D., and Michaud, G. (2015). “Assessing the Value of Distributed Solar Energy Generation.” Current Sustainable/Renewable Energy Reports. 2 (3) 105-113.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40518-015-0030-0

Pitt, D., and Michaud, G. (2014). “Analyzing the Costs and Benefits of Distributed Solar Generation in Virginia.” Report from the Virginia Solar Stakeholders Group to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy. 

Pitt, D., and Bassett, E. (2014). “Innovation and the Role of Collaborative Planning in Local Clean Energy Policy.” Environmental Policy & Governance. 24 (6) 377-390.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/eet.1653.  

Pitt, D., and Bassett, E. (2013): “Collaborative Planning for Clean Energy Initiatives in Small to Mid-Sized Cities.” Journal of the American Planning Association 79 (4) 280-294.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01944363.2014.914846

Pitt, D. (2013). “Evaluating the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Benefits of Compact Housing Development.”  Journal of Environmental Planning & Management 56 (4) 588-606.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2012.692894

Pitt, D. (2010). “Harnessing Community Energy: The Keys to Climate Mitigation Policy Adoption in U.S. Municipalities.”  Local Environment 15 (8) 717-729. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2010.509388

Pitt, D., and Randolph, J. (2009). “Identifying Obstacles to Community Climate Protection Planning.”  Environment and Planning C: Government & Policy 27 (5) 841-857.  http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1068/c0871.  

Faculty

Sarah Raskin, Ph.D., is an assistant professor at the VCU Wilder School.

Sarah Raskin

Associate professor

Raleigh Building, Room 3009D Phone: (804) 828-1651 Email: seraskin@vcu.edu

Expertise

- Oral health disparities
- Dental safety net
- Health care workforce
- Community engaged research
- Community organizing
- Rural health

Education

B.A.I.S., George Mason University

M.P.H., Emory University

Ph.D, University of Arizona

Research Interests

1. Oral health service delivery: The political and moral economies of care; dental safety net policy advocacy, implementation, and practice; team-based care; dental workforce diversification; patient-reported outcomes; shared decision-making
2. Experiences of people with unmet dental needs: Self-management of pain and infection; stigma and other social effects; narrative
3. The dental humanities and social sciences

Accomplishments

Excellence in Teaching Award, L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs (2021, Nominee)
Excellence in Mentoring Award, L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs (2020, Recipient)
Rudolph Virchow Graduate Student Award, Society for Medical Anthropology (2015, Recipient)
Eugene J. Gangarosa Award for International Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University (2004, Recipient)
Sarah E. Raskin is an Assistant Professor at the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, member of the iCubed Initiative Oral Health Core, and  faculty affiliate with the VCU School of Dentistry's Department of Dental Public Health and Policy. A former public health practitioner cross-trained in medical anthropology, health services research, and implementation science, Dr. Raskin conducts mixed methods community engaged research on oral health equity in the U.S. through an intersectional, anti-oppression lens. She co-chairs the Virginia Health Catalyst's Future of Public Oral Health Workforce Implementation Team. She also serves as Association for the Anthropology of Policy's Anthropology News column editor and on its anti-racism working group; on the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research's Ethics in Dental Research Committee; and as a Legal Observer with the Washington DC chapter of the National Lawyers Guild. Dr. Raskin's research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Agency for HealthCare Research and Quality, CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, and The VCU C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research.

Key Publications

2021 Raskin, Sarah E., Vuong Diep, Katherine Chung-Bridges, Lisa Heaton, Julie Frantsve-Hawley. Dental safety net providers’ experiences with COVID-19 year one service delivery should inform dental pandemic preparedness. Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adaj.2021.11.005

2021 Raskin, Sarah E., Eric P. Tranby, Sharity Ludwig, Ilya Okunev, Julie Frantsve-Hawley, and Sean Boynes. Survival of silver diamine fluoride as a non-aerosol generating procedure among patients treated in community dental clinics. BMC Oral Health 21, 35 https://bmcoralhealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12903-020-01379-x  

2021 Burton, Dana,* Sarah E. Raskin, Leyla Safta-Zecheria, and Paul Stubbs.Anti-Racism for an Anthropology of Policy Otherwise. Anthropology News. https://www.anthropology-news.org/articles/anti-racism-for-an-anthropology-of-policy-otherwise/ 

2021 Zimmerman, Emily B., Sarah E. Raskin, Brian Ferrell*, Alex H. Krist. Developing a classification system and algorithm to track community-engaged research using IRB protocols at a large research university. Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, 1-18. https://doi:10.1017/cts.2021.877 

2021 Stuart, Elizabeth A., Ashley Darcy-Mahoney, Natalie Exum, and Sarah E. Raskin. A four-point plan to vaccinate America's elementary-school-age children. The Hill. Nov 11. Available at: https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/580905-a-four-point-plan-to-vaccinate-americas-elementary-school-age-children?rl=1 

2020 Raskin, Sarah E. Parents’ experiences with a school-based dental sealant project in central Appalachia. Health Behavior and Policy Review 7:215-222(8). doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.7.3.6

2020 Akinkugbe, Aderonke A., Sarah E. Raskin, Richard H. Singer, Tracy L. Finlayson, Marston Youngblood, Nadia Laniado, Shirley Beaver, Linda Kaste. Perceived oral health care need and actual oral health status in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL). J. Public Health Dentistry. doi.org/10.1111/jphd.12376 

2019 Phillips, Serena, Sarah Raskin, Francesca Gany, Ruta Brazinskaite, and Cherise Harrington. “You have to keep a roof over your head”: A taxonomy of housing needs among cancer patients and survivors in New York City. J. Oncology Practice. doi/pdf/10.1200/JOP.19.00077

2017 Raskin, Sarah. “Toothless Maw-maw can’t eat no more”: Stigma and synergies of dental disease, diabetes, and psychosocial stress among low-income rural Appalachians In: Stigma syndemics: New directions in biosocial health. Shir Lerman, Bayla Ostrach, and Merrill Singer, eds. Pp. 193-216. Lanham MA: Lexington Books.

Faculty

Jenn Reid

Jennifer Reid

Director of Evaluation, Survey and Evaluation Research Laboratory

Kearney House Rm. 304 Phone: (804) 827-0459 Email: jguyre@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Program evaluation 
  • Survey research methods 
  • Project management

EDUCATION

B.F.A., Virginia Commonwealth University
M.S., Developmental Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University
Ph.D., Developmental Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University

 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Reid began her career at the Survey and Evaluation Research Laboratory in 1990 while completing her B.A in Art History.  Since that time, she has completed an M.S. in Psychology and will complete her PhD in Psychology in the May of 2013. She has continued to work at SERL in a variety of capacities and has a rich background in all aspects of survey research, evaluation and analysis utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methods. Her research interests lies in examining the health risk behaviors and aspects of relationships within emerging adulthood and adolescence populations. Reid enjoys traveling, visiting museums and historical buildings, and networking with researchers across disciplines and learning about new topics.

Faculty

A photo of Dr. Grant E. Rissler

Grant Rissler

Affiliate faculty

Email: risslerge@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Immigration policy
  • Education policy
  • Social Equity

EDUCATION

B.A., History, Goshen College
M.A., International Relations, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies
Ph.D., Public Policy and Administration, Virginia Commonwealth University

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Local responsiveness to immigration, education policy, social equity, peace and conflict resolution in public administration

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Dr. Grant Rissler started as Assistant Director of OPPO in December 2017.  Previously he served as Assistant Director of Programs for the Commonwealth Educational Policy Institute (CEPI).  He began coordinating communications and special projects for CEPI in the fall of 2012 while working on his Ph.D. and became assistant director in 2015. Rissler received his Ph.D. from the Wilder School’s public policy and administration program in August 2017.  His research focuses on local immigration policy and its intersection with education.

He holds a master’s degree in international relations from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies, a graduate certificate in conflict transformation from Eastern Mennonite University’s Center for Justice and Peacebuilding and a bachelor’s degree in history from Goshen College.

Prior to joining the Wilder School, Rissler coordinated fundraising for Mennonite Central Committee – East Coast, directed communications for The Faith & Politics Institute and served two and one-half years in three positions through Mennonite Voluntary Service.

Faculty

Charity Scott

Assistant Professor

Raleigh Building, Room 2001 Phone: 804-828-2348 Email: scottcp4@vcu.edu

Expertise

-K12 education policy and management
-Racial/social equity
-Community self-determination
-Governance

PUBLICATIONS

Scott, C.P. and Rodriguez Leach, N. (2024), "Philanthropy as whiteness: toward racially just philanthropic practices", Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-06-2023-0202

Scott, C. P.,
 Glickman, A. R., & DiTommaso, A. (2022). Toward a more reflexive and deliberative public affairs: A critical reimagining of doctoral training. Public Integrity, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/10999922.2021.2014201

Walk, M., Scott, C., & Littlepage, L. (2021). It’s not all the same: Implemented and perceived HR practices in the volunteer context. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 0734371X21994631. It’s Not All the Same: Implemented and Perceived HR Practices in the Volunteer Context - Marlene Walk, Charity Scott, Laura Littlepage, 2022 (sagepub.com)

Faculty

Avrum Shriar

Distinguished Career Professor

Phone: 804-355-8473 Email: ajshriar@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Environmental Policy and Planning
  • Rural Planning and Development
  • International Development

Education

  • BA, Geography, Bishop’s University (Lennoxville, Quebec)
  • MES, Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
  • PhD, Geography, University of Florida (Gainesville), Phi Beta Kappa

Teaching

Physical Geography; History of Human Settlement; Regional Geography of Latin America and the Caribbean; Environmental Management; Food Systems, Rural Development, and Landscape Conservation; Natural Resources and Environmental Planning; Global Economic Change and Development; Rural Development for Socioeconomic and Ecological Resilience (service-learning, field course in Guatemala); Environmental Planning and Community Health (taught in Madrid and Córdoba, Spain).

Research

Shriar’s research interests include environmental planning, policy, and evaluation; rural development and farming systems; cultural and political ecology; and international development policies and programming.  More specifically, his work has focused primarily on three topics: a) farmer decision-making and agricultural change; b) factors contributing to poverty, land degradation, and deforestation in rural regions of developing countries; and c) strategies and policies that can help alleviate these problems.

Accomplishments

Prior to pursuing his Ph.D. at the University of Florida, Shriar served for six years as a consultant in environmental planning and rural development in the Andes, the Caribbean, Canada and Vietnam. His doctoral dissertation, for which he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, is entitled “Agricultural Intensification and Resource Conservation in the Buffer Zone of the Maya Biosphere Reserve, Petén, Guatemala.” He has since conducted additional fieldwork in Petén on several occasions to examine the impacts of regional economic integration on agricultural land use, the rural economy, and forest cover. In 2003, he studied food security and rural poverty issues in Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala on behalf of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Spanish International Cooperation Agency (AECI). In 2005 and 2017 he conducted fieldwork on irrigation systems in Bolivia as a follow-up to research conducted as a consultant in the mid-1990s.  His most recent work has focused on land preservation strategies in Virginia, and on the local economic impacts of different types of agriculture in the state.  Shriar has done research or consulting work in 15 countries, and has traveled and trekked in about 60 countries.  In addition to his native English, he speaks Spanish fluently and French at an advanced level.

Select Publications

Shriar, Avrum J. and Akins, Alissa. 2018. “Transfer of Development Rights, Growth Management, and Landscape Conservation in Virginia.”  Local Environment 23(1): 1-19.

Shriar, Avrum J. 2014 “Theory and Context in Analyzing Livelihoods, Land Use, and Land Cover: Lessons from Petén, Guatemala.” Geoforum 55: 152-163.

Shriar, Avrum J. 2011. “Economic Integration, Rural Hardship, and Conservation on Guatemala’s Agricultural Frontier.” Journal of Sustainable Forestry 30 (1-2):133-157. [Special issue on: Conservation and the Agricultural Frontier: Integrating Forests & Agriculture in the Tropics.]

Shriar, Avrum J. 2010. “Destitution through ‘Development’: A Case Study of the Laka Laka Project in Cochabamba, Bolivia.” Sustainability 2: 3239-3257. [Special Issue on: Land Use and Sustainability.]

Shriar, Avrum J. 2009. “Roads to Poverty: Exploring the Impacts of Economic Integration on Socioeconomic Conditions and Land Use in Northern Guatemala.” Journal of Planning Education and Research 28: 456-469.

Shriar, Avrum J. 2007. “In Search of Sustainable Land Use and Food Security in the Arid Hillside Regions of Central America: Putting the Horse before the Cart.” Human Ecology 35(3): 275-287.

Shriar, Avrum J. 2006. “Regional Integration or Disintegration? Recent Road Improvements in Petén, Guatemala: A Review of Preliminary Agricultural, Economic, and Environmental Impacts.” Geoforum 37: 104-112.

*Article is featured in the Library of Congress Handbook of Latin American Studies (Volume 63).

Shriar, Avrum J. 2005.  “Determinants of Agricultural Intensity Index Scores in a Frontier Region: An Analysis of Data from Northern Guatemala.” Agriculture and Human Values 22: 395-410.

Shriar, Avrum J. 2002. “Land Use, Deforestation, and Food Security in Northern Guatemala.” Food Policy 27(4): 395-414.

Shriar, Avrum J. 2001. “The Dynamics of Agricultural Intensification and Resource Conservation in the Buffer Zone of the Maya Biosphere Reserve, Petén, Guatemala.” Human Ecology 29(1): 27-48.

*Article is featured in the Library of Congress Handbook of Latin American Studies (Volume 61).

Shriar, Avrum J. 2000. “Agricultural Intensity and Its Measurement in Frontier Regions.” Agroforestry Systems 49: 301-318.

Faculty

James Smither

James Smither

Assistant professor

Raleigh Building Rm. 3009-A Phone: (202) 701-8745 Email: jcsmither@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Urban design theory
  • Urban design practice
  • Urban design skills

Education

B.A., Urban Studies, Roanoke College
Master of Urban and Regional Planning, George Washington University
Master of Landscape Architecture, University of Virginia
Master of Urban Design, University of Melbourne (Australia)

Teaching

Urban planning theory, design, visualization, graphics, history, freehand and mechanical drawing, watercolor painting, AutoCAD, InDesign, PhotoShop and SketchUp

Research interests

Investigating, testing and creating innovative sustainable urban forms that meet the opportunities and challenges facing neighborhoods, cities and regions in the 21st century

Accomplishments

Among Smither's career highlights, he pioneered urban sustainability principles and design guidelines at William McDonough’s office and provided a leadership role in design and project management at Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects, where he was involved in numerous large-scale projects, including the George Mason University’s Southwest Sector Master Plan and the George Washington University’s Campus Streetscape Plan. He is licensed to practice landscape architecture in the commonwealth of Virginia and is a member of the American Planning Association, American Society of Landscape Architects and Congress for the New Urbanism.

 
 

Faculty

Anthony Starke

Anthony Starke

Assistant Professor

Scherer Hall, Room 315 Phone: (804) 827-7313 Email: starkeam@vcu.edu

Expertise

-Social equity and policy narratives
-Intersectionality and the social construction of identity
-Theories of governance and epistemologies of racial inequality
-Community engagement in higher education

EDUCATION

Ph.D., Public Administration, University of Nebraska
M.P.A., Public and Nonprofit Management, Virginia Commonwealth University
B.S., Psychology, Old Dominion University
B.S., Human Services, Old Dominion University

BIOGRAPHY

Anthony Starke is Assistant Professor of Public Administration at the Virginia Commonwealth
University L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs. Professor Starke's
research includes specific interests in vulnerable and oppressed populations, public service
education, and liberation. Prior to returning to the Wilder School as a faculty member, Professor
Starke was Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado Denver's School of Public Affairs.
Professionally, Dr. Starke worked as a human services practitioner and qualified mental health
professional engaging with public, private, and nonprofit service providers. A native of Hanover
County, VA, his greatest accomplishment to date is being a proud and doting uncle to several
amazing humans.

TEACHING

VCU Courses
PADM 602: Public Administration Theory
PADM 672: Social Equity and Public Policy Analysis

Other Courses (non-VCU instruction)
PA 4530: Strategic Planning
PUAD 4009: Human Service Organizations
PUAD 5001: Introduction to Public Administration & Public Service
PUAD 5006: Public Ethics & Leadership
PUAD 5260: Managing Diversity
PUAD 5350: Program Evaluation
PUAD 6600: Special Topics in Social Equity and Social Policy

RESEARCH

Professor Starke's work focuses broadly on social equity with a particular interest in issues of
democracy, identity, citizenship, and social equity. His dissertation, entitled Policy Narratives
and Policy Design: An Interpretivist Analysis of Bureaucrats’ Narratives, U.S. Welfare Policy
Reform, and the Social Construction of Welfare Recipients, won the inaugural Best Dissertation
Award given by the American Society for Public Administration’s Section on Democracy and
Social Justice. In addition to authoring several book chapters and technical reports, Dr. Starke’s
peer-reviewed research is published in leading public affairs journals, such as Public
Administration Review, Administrative Theory & Praxis, Journal of Public Affairs Education,
State and Local Government Review, and Public Management Review.

PR8. Elgin, D. J., Carter, D. P. & Starke, A. M. (2023). Situating public management’s contributions to social equity: Using decomposition analysis to examine U.S. child welfare outcome disparities. Public Management Review. DOI:10.1080/14719037.2023.2219682 

PR7. Starke, A. M. & Mastracci, S. H. (2023). Epistemic racism and sexism in public administration and theory’s unfinished business. Administrative Theory & Praxis, 45(1), pp. 16-24. DOI:10.1080/10841806.2022.2158634 

PR6. Starke, A. M. (2020). Poverty, policy, and federal administrative discourse: Are bureaucrats speaking equitable policy designs into existence?. Public Administration Review, 80(6), pp. 1087-1099. DOI: 10.1111/puar.13191

PR3. Starke, A. M., Heckler, N. & Mackey, J. (2018). Administrative racism: Public administration education and race. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 24(4), pp. 469-489. DOI: 10.1080/15236803.2018.1426428

BC7. Starke, A. M. & Zettas, E. (In Press). Defining administrative racism through the lens of higher education community engagement. Prepared for: Sara Rinfret (Ed.), The untold case studies in public administration: Documenting the voices of public service (pp. 15-32). New York, NY: Routledge. DOI: 10.4324/9781003359579-3

BC8. Starke, A. M. (In Press). Organizational theory. In Susan T. Gooden and Sean A McCandless (Eds.), Teaching Social Equity: A Cross-Curricular Guide for Faculty and Programs, (pp. 42-58). New York, NY: Routledge. DOI: 10.4324/9781003309680-4 

BC6. Croft, A. & Starke, A. M. (2023). Discourse. In Stephanie Dolamore and Angela Kline (Eds.), Organizational Culture and Social Equity: An Experiential Guide, (pp. 88-103). New York, NY: Routledge. DOI: 10.4324/9781003395591.

BC5. Gooden, S. T. & Starke, A. M. (2021). Social equity and public administration. In Thomas Byers (Ed.), Handbook of Theories of Public Administration Management, (pp. 43-53). Northhampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing. DOI: 10.4337/9781789908251

BR1. Starke, A. M. (2023). [Review for the book From equity talk to equity walk: Expanding practitioner knowledge for racial justice in higher education, by T. B. McNair, E. M. Bensimon, L. Malcolm-Piquex]. Why eight minutes and forty-six seconds is worth reading from equity talk to equity walk: expanding practitioner knowledge for racial justice in higher education. Journal Social Equity and Public Administration, 1(1), pp. 97-99. DOI: 10.24926/jsepa.v1i1.4802.

SERVICE

Professor Starke often lends his expertise to serve and lead universities, communities, and the
profession. During his tenure as Secretary and Newsletter Editor for the Section of Democracy
and Social Justice, he was recognized with the American Society of Public Administration’s
(ASPA) Patricia J. Yearwood Chapter Newsletter Award. Professor Starke has also been
honored with the Excellence in Leadership and Service Award (Tenure/Tenure-Track) at the
University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs.

Service to VCU

Program
· Member, MPA Program Committee (2022-present)
· Member, MPA Admissions Committee (2023 – present)
· Faculty Co-Sponsor, Public Administration Student Association (2022 – present)
School
· Chair, Wilder School Racial Equity Action Plan Steering Committee (2023 –
present)
· Member, Wilder School Artificial Intelligence Taskforce (2023 – present)
· Member, Wilder School Racial Literacy Workgroup (2023 – present)
· Co-Chair, Racial Equity Action Plan, Community and Alumni Engagement
Committee (2022 – 2023)
· Member, PPAD/RISE Tenure-Track Assistant and Associate Professor Search
Committee (2022 – 2023)
· Member, Wilder Fellows Interview Panel (2023)
· Member, Wilder School Scholarship Review Committee (2023)
University
· Member, Project Gabriel Implementation Taskforce (2023)

Service to the Profession

· Fellows Workshop Facilitator, Public Administration Theory Network Conference
Committee (2023)
· Member, NASPAA Conference Program Committee (2022, 2023)
· Director and Board Secretary, Public Administration Theory Network (2019 – 2022)
· District 4 Representative, Conference of Minority Public Administrators (2020 - 2022)
· Member, NASPAA Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Taskforce (2020)
· Secretary & Newsletter Editor, ASPA Section on Democracy and Social Justice (2016 -
2018)

Service to the Community

· Commissioner, Judicial Review Commission, City of Lakewood, CO (2020 – 2022)

AWARDS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Dr. Starke is the recipient of several professional awards and academic honors including VCU Wilder Graduate Scholars Fellow (2014), ASPA Founders' Fellow (2014) and International Young Scholar (2016), Engagement Scholarship Consortium Engaged Scholar Awardee (2016), PAT-Net Fellow (2017), and University of Nebraska Presidential Graduate Fellow (2018). An accomplished instructor and faculty colleague, Professor Starke received NASPAA's Social Justice Curriculum Award (2020), CU Denver's School of Public Affairs Excellence in Teaching (2021) and Excellence in Leadership and Service (2022) Awards for Tenure/Tenure-Track faculty. He is the inaugural recipient of ASPA's Section on Democracy and Social Justice Best Dissertation Award (2020). 

Faculty

I-Shian (Ivan) Suen

Associate professor

Raleigh Building, Room 3003 Phone: (804) 828-2721 Email: isuen@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Land use planning
  • Planning support systems
  • Applications of geospatial technologies for data analysis and visualization

Education

B.S., Urban Planning, Feng Chia University (Taichung, Taiwan), 1984
M.U.P., Planning, Public Policy and Management, University of Oregon, 1988
Ph.D., Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington, 1998

Teaching

Land use planning, geographic information systems and data analysis techniques

Research interests

Land use planning, geographic information systems, decision support systems, e-government services and their integration in planning education and practice

Accomplishments

Suen taught in the geographic information systems program at Grays Harbor College in Aberdeen, Wash., from 1996-98. He served as assistant professor in the Department of Community and Regional Planning at Iowa State University from 1998-2004. His project, “3D Visualization of Planning Scenarios: Brookland Park Boulevard Commercial Revitalization Plan, Richmond, Virginia,” was named 2007 Best Use of Technology to Improve a Plan or Planning Process by the Information Technology Division of the American Planning Association. He received the 2001 Faculty Award for Extraordinary Performance, as well as the 2003 Polster Teaching Award, presented “in grateful appreciation of outstanding instruction in the studio or classroom,” from the College of Design at Iowa State University.

Selected publications

3D Visualization in Community-Based Planning. Journal of Extension (2005). With Timothy O. Borich.

Residential development pattern and intra-neighborhood infrastructure provision: an empirical study of Story County, Iowa. Journal of Urban Planning and Development(March 2005).

Software Review: CommunityViz 1.3. Journal of the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association 16(1): 51-55 (2004).

Faculty

Shruti Syal

Assistant Professor

Raleigh Building Rm. 3019 Phone: (804) 828-1215 Email: syals@vcu.edu

Expertise

-Systems Research (SES, CAS, SNA)
-Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH)
-Urban informality
-Urban ecology

Shruti Syal is an Assistant Professor at the Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University. She holds a BSc in Biology from McGill University, a MSc in Environmental Studies from The Energy & Resources Institute, and a PhD in Regional Planning from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. She studies cities as integrated human-environment systems, applying various conceptual and empirical frameworks for complex systems study to examine WaSH infrastructure, stormwater management and green infrastructure, and governance of infrastructure and environmental quality. Her dissertation established environmental remediation of the river Yamuna and “slum” upgradation in Delhi as interdependent goals, challenging the dichotomies that plague planning practice in Indian cities, and received the Gill-Chin Lim Award for Best Dissertation in International Planning (2019)

TOPICS
Urban "Informality," Urban Ecology, Water and Waste Governance and Management, Nature-Based Solutions
FRAMEWORKS
Systems Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS), Social-Ecological Systems (SES), Social Network Analysis (SNA)
METHODS
Mixed methods, SESF, SNA

CURRENT RESEARCH

Research projects apply complex systems study frameworks to strengthen urban planners' and policymakers' understanding of urban resilience. There are two publications on the theoretical and methodological exploration of these frameworks:
One project is mapping the WaSH sector institutional network as a first step to developing a roadmap to link decentralized water remediation agendas to “slum” upgradation in rapidly urbanizing megacities. You can read more about this project in this VCU News articlethis Wilder School article, and this article by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning.

Research Team: Monali Mal ('23-'24), Michael O'Grady ('22-'23), Adelaide Alexander ('22-'23), Callie Houghland (22-'23), Katy Miller ('22-'23), Elena Johnson (F'22)

Related Publications:
A second project maps current and planned greening projects (representing the city’s natural capital) and their related social networks (representing the city’s social capital) as a first step to apply a systems perspective to coordinate multi-use greening projects for urban resilience. You can read a brief project profile in this VCU News article.
Geographic focus: Richmond, VA.
Research Team: co-PIs: Jennifer Ciminelli and Lillian Lewis, and RAs: Derek Cathcart (F'23), Tiffani Vasco ('23-'24), Katy Miller ('23-'24)
Related Publications:
  • Syal, S., Ciminelli, J. & Lewis, L. (expected 2024). Integrating Actor Network Theory, Social Network Analysis, and Suitability Analysis to map Social and Natural Capital in Cities.

Instruction:

URSP 313: Research Methods in Urban and Regional Planning (S'21, S'22, S'23, S'24)
URSP 332: Environmental Management (F'21, S'22, F'23)
URSP 515: Watersheds Planning and Governance (S'21, F'23)
URSP 650: Natural Resources and Environmental Planning (F'20, F'21, F'22)
URSP 591: Special Topics - Planning in the International Context (S'23, S'24)
She received a VCU Library Affordable Course Content Award to beta test Open Educational Resources (OERs) for URSP 650. These are nine highly scaffolded, applied learning assignments that are the core learning component of the weekly modules. These include skill-building exercises teaching the use of open access databases and web tools for analyses, and the guided exploration and evaluation of selected case studies on the Lincoln Institute Case Study Library and International Planning Case Studies Project

Faculty

Benjamin Teresa

Benjamin Teresa

Associate professor and co-director of the RVA Eviction Lab, assistant chair - Urban and Regional Studies and Planning program

Raleigh Building, Room 3015B Phone: (804) 828-8297 Email: bfteresa@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Real estate development and finance
  • Community development and organizing
  • Urban political economy

Education

B.S., Chemistry, Davidson College

Masters of Urban Planning and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago

Ph.D., Planning and Policy, Rutgers University

Teaching

Adaptive reuse and real estate development finance, research methods, economic geography, housing and community development

Research Interests

Ben Teresa studies the changing relationship between finance and cities. His research examines how the increasing role of financial institutions, actors, and logic—sometimes referred to as the “financialization” of the economy—affects urban development and governance. Rooted in a community-engaged approach that emphasizes democratic inquiry and distributed expertise, his research focuses on how financialization positions communities and planners to exercise control over the institutions that shape how cities change.

By examining financialization as a process of urban transformation, Teresa’s research engages across multiple arenas including real estate development, housing, tax incentives, and urban education. He has explored how professional investment in rent regulated multifamily housing in New York City marks a significant change in the ownership and management of affordable housing by increasing displacement pressure on low-income tenants, challenging existing affordable housing policy, and inspiring new community development and organizing practices. In Chicago, he studied how the city used tax increment financing (TIF) to subsidize corporate headquarters relocations and how the practice motivated planners to develop new tools to evaluate the incentives. He has also looked at how private financing allowed charter school networks to expand rapidly in Chicago, transforming existing educational inequality into speculative investment opportunity without accountability to communities, parents, and students.

His current research project compares financial investment in 1) New York City and other “global cities” property markets; 2) single family rental housing emerging from the post-2008 foreclosure crisis in the American Southeast and Southwest; and 3) property markets in the declining cities of the American Midwest. The comparison shows how the increasing interconnection of financial and real estate markets directly links invested and disinvested places while intensifying the pace of uneven urban development, and how policy and community development engage with the challenges and opportunities these transformations bring.

Accomplishments

2015 Susan S. Fainstein Distinguished Doctoral Dissertation Award, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University

Publications

Teresa, Benjamin F. (2016): Rationalizing tax increment financing in Chicago, Urban Geography, DOI: 10.1080/02723638.2016.1206707.
 
Juan J. Rivero, Benjamin F. Teresa & John West (2016): Locating rationalities in planning: market thinking and its others in the spaces, institutions, and materials of contemporary urban governance, Urban Geography, DOI: 10.1080/02723638.2016.1206703.
 
Teresa, Benjamin. F. (2016). Managing fictitious capital: The legal geography of investment and political struggle in rental housing in New York City. Environment and Planning A, 48(3), 465-484.
 

Faculty

Niraj Verma

Professor

Raleigh Building, Room 3017 Phone: (804) 828-6962 Email: nverma2@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Urban planning
  • Institutional analysis
  • Public management

Education

B.Sc., Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology, India
M.I.P., Master of Infrastructure Planning, University of Stuttgart, Germany
Ph.D., Specialization in Design Theories and Methods (Architecture), University of California, Berkeley

Teaching

Planning theory, research design, policy process, institutionalism, international development

Research interests

Urban planning, institutional analysis, public management, technology and society

Accomplishments

Niraj Verma is an expert in urban planning and management. He joined the Wilder School in 2010 and served as its director and first dean until 2016. Under his leadership, the Wilder School became a stand-alone school at VCU directly under the provost and gained several new faculty roles in teaching, research and administration. Prior to joining the Wilder School, Verma served as professor and chair of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University at Buffalo. He began his academic career at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where he directed doctoral programs in the School of Policy, Planning and Development as a tenured faculty member.

Verma’s scholarly work has been contributing toward a theory of planning and governance that draws on the philosophy of American pragmatism and particularly the philosophy of  William James. He is the author of Similarities, Connections, Systems: The search for a New Rationality for Planning and Management (Lexington 1998) and the editor of Institutions and Planning (Elsevier 2008) as well as several articles and contributions to edited books. He serves on the editorial board of several academic journals including Planning Theory, Planning Theory and Practice, S, Town Planning Review and Urban Design International

Verma's research, teaching and education have been recognized internationally. Most recently, he served as a Visiting Fellow at the Judge Business School at Cambridge University and was awarded a Fulbright-Nehru Award for Academic and Professional Excellence. He has also been awarded fellowships by the Rotary Foundation, the German Academic Exchange Service and the Zumberge Foundation. Verma was the only North American urban planning scholar invited by the National Academy of Engineering to the 2002 Frontiers of Engineering Conference and the only U.S.-based academic invited to supervise the 2001 doctoral workshop of the Association of European Schools of Planning held in Lodz, Poland. His contributions to doctoral education include serving as the chair of the American Collegiate Schools of Planning doctoral committee for more than five years and as a member of the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration doctoral committee. Many of his doctoral students are now academics at major research universities or are otherwise engaged in successful research careers.

Verma's research has been supported by the Federal Transit Administration, the Department of Transportation and by several foundations and international organizations, including the Alexander Humboldt Foundation, Rotary Foundation, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and several other organizations. Professionally, his work includes large-scale projects such as technology planning for an integrated steel plant in India and developing a master plan for the state of Hawaii’s library system.

Selected publications

Verma is the author or co-author of more than 25 articles and book chapters and of “Similarities, Connections, Systems,” published by Lexington Books in 1998. He is also the editor of “Institutions and Planning,” published by Elsevier in 2007. An invited speaker at many distinguished universities, including Berkeley, MIT and Harvard in the U.S. and Naples, Newcastle, Rome, Seoul National and Stuttgart overseas, Verma’s work has been translated into German, Italian and Korean.

 

Faculty

David Webber

David Webber

Associate professor, homeland security and emergency preparedness assistant chair

Scherer Hall, Room 219 Phone: (804) 828-8711 Email: dwebber@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Psychology of violent extremism
  • Radicalization and deradicalization
  • Motivation

EDUCATION

Ph.D., Social and Cultural Psychology, University of Alberta

M.S., Experimental Psychology, University of Wyoming

B.A., Psychology, University of Wyoming

TEACHING

Terrorism, radicalization, introduction to homeland security and emergency preparedness

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Terrorism, the psychological, cultural and social factors of the radicalization process, effectiveness of deradicalization programs, existential threat, social psychology

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Dr. Webber conducts theory-driven research on ideological extremism, with a particular focus on violent extremism and terrorism. Along with his colleagues, he has advanced and tested a tripartite theory of radicalization and deradicalization that examines how motivation, social relationships, and ideologies combine to facilitate movement to and away from extremist movements. Webber has been invited on numerous occasions to share his work for academic and practitioner audiences, including prosecutors, law enforcement officers, the US State Department, multiple terrorism research centers, and the Anti-Defamation League. His work has been funded by the US Department of Defense. He has consulted with the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism in the Hague on numerous research and training projects, including with prison staff who work with terrorist offenders.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Jasko, K., Webber, D., Molinario, E., & Kruglanski, A. W. (2021). Ideological extremism among Syrian refugees is negatively related to intentions to migrate to the West. Psychological Science, 32(9), 1362-1374.

Webber, D., Kruglanski, A., Molinario, E., & Jasko, K. (2020). Ideologies that justify political violence. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences34, 107-111.

Kruglanski, A. W., Webber, D., & Koehler, D. (2019). The radical’s journey: How German Neo-Nazis voyaged to the edge and back. Oxford University Press.

Webber, D., Babush, M., Schori-Eyal, N., Vazeou-Niewenhuis, A., Hettiarachchi, M., Belanger, J. J., … Gelfand, M. J. (2018). The road to extremism: Field and experimental evidence that significance loss-induced need for closure fosters radicalization. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 114(2), 270-285.

Webber, D., Chernikova, M., Kruglanski, A. W., Gelfand, M. J., Hettiarachchi, M., Gunaratna, R., ... & Belanger, J. J. (2018). Deradicalizing detained terrorists. Political Psychology39(3), 539-556.

Faculty

Christopher Whyte

Christopher Whyte

Assistant professor

Scherer Hall, Room 218 Phone: (571) 338-0442 Email: cewhyte@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Interstate cyber conflict and non-state cyber operations
  • U.S. cybersecurity policymaking
  • Risk analysis and forecasting methods

EDUCATION

Ph.D., Political Science, George Mason University School of Policy, Government and International Affairs

B.A., International Relations, College of William & Mary

B.A., Economics, College of William & Mary

M.A., Political Science, George Mason University

Christopher Whyte is an assistant professor of homeland security and emergency preparedness. His research interests include a range of international security topics related to the use of information technology in war and peace, political communication and cybersecurity doctrine/policy. His dissertation explores the determinants of decision-making among subversive groups that choose to use different kinds of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in their campaigns. His scholarly and analytic work on cyber conflict and trends in international politics scholarship has appeared or is forthcoming in several publications including International Studies Quarterly, International Studies Review, Strategic Studies Quarterly, Orbis, Comparative Strategy, New Media & Society, Foreign Policy and The National Interest. He is also co-author of a forthcoming Routledge volume on international security and cyberspace – entitled Understanding Cyber-Warfare: Politics, Policy and Strategy – with Brian Mazanec and Angelos Stavrou.

Whyte received his doctorate and master's degrees in political science from George Mason University and his bachelor's degree in International Relations and Economics from the College of William and Mary. He was previously a non-resident fellow with Pacific Forum CSIS and a fellow at the Center for Security Policy Studies, George Mason University. Previously, he worked in various roles at several national security think tanks, including the Cato Institute, the Center for the National Interest and the Center for a New American Security. He grew up in Glasgow, Scotland and, despite having lived on the East Coast for more than a decade, maintains a strong interest in rugby union and British politics.

Faculty

Nelson Wickman

Nelson Wikstrom

Professor emeritus

Email: nwikstro@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Vertical and horizontal intergovernmental relations
  • Government and politics of metropolitan areas

Education

B.A., Northeastern University
M.A., University of Connecticut
Ph.D., University of Connecticut

Teaching

Federalism and intergovernmental relations, state and local government and politics

Research interests

Vertical and horizontal intergovernmental relations, government and politics of metropolitan areas

Accomplishments

Wikstrom has been the recipient of many awards and honors and has received several research grants. He is the author of numerous published papers and books and is a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, Phi Alpha Theta and Phi Kappa Phi.

Selected publications

American Intergovernmental Relations: A Fragmented Federal Polity. Oxford University Press (2006). With G. Ross Stephens.

County Manager Government in Henrico County: Implementation, Evolution, and Evaluation (2003).

Metropolitan Government and Governance: Theoretical Perspectives, Empirical Analysis, and the Future. Oxford University Press. With G. Ross Stephens.

The Political World of a Small Town: A Mirror Image of American Politics (1993).

Councils of Governments: A study of political incrementalism. Burnham, Munger & Root (1977).

Faculty

L. Douglas Wilder

Distinguished professor

Scherer Hall, Room 413 Phone: (804) 828-8520 Email: ldwilder@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • Virginia law
  • Government and public affairs
  • Social justice

Education

B.S., Chemistry, Virginia Union University
J.D., Law, Howard University

Teaching

Public Policy Challenges in Virginia and the Nation, various guest lectures

Accomplishments

Former Virginia Gov. L. Douglas Wilder was the first African-American to be elected governor in the U.S., leading the commonwealth of Virginia from 1990 to 1994. As governor, he was commended for his sound fiscal management and balancing the state budget during difficult economic times. Financial World magazine ranked Virginia as the best managed state in the U.S. for two consecutive years under his administration. He served as lieutenant governor from 1986 to 1990.

Serving as a state senator representing Richmond from 1969 to 1985, Wilder became the first African-American state senator in Virginia since Reconstruction. During his five terms as state senator, he chaired committees on transportation, rehabilitation and social services, privileges and elections, the Virginia Advisory Legislative Council and the Senate Steering Committee, which appoints committee members. He successfully sponsored Virginia’s first drug paraphernalia law and the compulsory school attendance law.

Other legislative achievements as state senator include providing state health care coverage for sickle cell anemia patients, toughening penalties for capital murders and prison escapees and expanding low- and moderate-income housing. For eight years, he persisted in sponsoring legislation that eventually led to establishing a state holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Selected Pubilications

Son of Virginia: A Life in America’s Political Arena, Lyons Press, 2015

Seek to Emulate Mandela’s Strength of Character, Richmond Times-Dispatch, 2013

Faculty

Blue Wooldridge

Distinguished Career Professor and Professor Emeritus

Email: bwooldri@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • State and local government finance
  • Public and nonprofit financial management
  • Social equity and workforce diversity

Education

B.S., Physics, Berea College, Kentucky, 1961
M.G.A., Governmental Administration, University of Pennsylvania, 1968
M.P.A., Public Administration, University of Southern California, 1972
D.P.A., University of Southern California, 1993

Teaching

Wooldridge teaches courses in public and nonprofit management and organizational behavior in the Ph.D. program, including governmental financial management, human resource management, principles of public administration, public administration theory, public policy analysis, and formulation and implementation.

Research interests

Identifying and overcoming barriers to the success of programs designed to promote social equity, strategies for increasing the effectiveness of management education and training, issues in privatization, trends in local government revenues, procedures and content of local government budgets, strategies used to improve productivity, obstacles to the implementation of innovations in public organizations, learning styles of international and U.S. public managers, the implications for public managers of the increased diversity of the workforce, attributes of high performing organizations, organizational behavior issues within symphony orchestras, development of diversity competencies by public affairs professionals

Accomplishments

During his career, Wooldridge has served as extension professor at the Institute of Public Service International at the University of Connecticut; director of the graduate program in urban affairs (Northern Virginia) at Virginia Tech; director of the Urban Management Curriculum Development project and training association with the National Training and Development Service; coordinator of federal programs and budget analyst for the U.S. Virgin Islands; and Peace Corps volunteer and senior science master in secondary schools in Nigeria.

Wooldridge received the Teaching Excellence Award given by the College of Architecture and Urban Studies at Virginia Tech and twice received the School of Community and Public Affairs’ Excellence in University and Community Service Award at VCU. He also received the College of Humanities and Sciences Distinguished Service Award in 1999.

Wooldridge has authored or coauthored more than 150 papers, presentations, professional reports and training modules on such topics as public budgeting, revenue management, productivity improvement and public sector training and education. His publications have or are scheduled to appear in International Review of Administrative Sciences, Journal of Budgeting, Accounting and Financial Management and many others. Portions of his works have been translated into Czech, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Danish, Italian, Russian, Macedonian, French, Lithuanian and Georgian.

Faculty

Chernoh Wurie 2023

Chernoh Wurie

Assistant professor

Raleigh Building, Room 2009F Phone: (804) 827-0493 Email: cmwurie@vcu.edu

Expertise

 

  • Police recruitment and requirements
  • Perceptions of police officers
  • Crime scene identification, processing and analysis
  • Cultural diversity and inclusion in policing
  • History and current practices of policing

Education

B.S., Criminal Justice, Radford University
M.A., Public Administration and Public Safety, Walden University
Ph.D., Public Policy and Administration, Walden University

Teaching

Introduction to Policing, Principles of Criminal Investigations, Violent Crime Scenes Investigations, Race, Crime, and Justice and Criminalistics 

Research interests

Basic requirements of becoming a police officer, positive and negative perceptions of police officers, immigration and policing, re-imagining the police perceptions and the communities they serve.

Accomplishments

Dr. Wurie’s area of concentration strongly focuses on policing because he was a sworn police officer for more than 10 years with the Prince William County Police Department. During his police tenure, he was a patrol officer, crisis intervention team member, police mentor, crime scene technician and police planner. He also completed various applicable police training courses such as crisis intervention training, criminal investigations training, basic police crime scene photography, police planners training and crime scene technician. In addition to his police experience, Wurie completed his doctoral degree in 2012, which primarily focused on the impact of the immigration policy 287(g) and its impact on Salvadoran families residing in Prince William County. He also has co-authored other publications and has written and published one book, “Impact: A Compilation of Positive Police Encounters.” Wurie recently completed his first textbook titled “Introduction to policing: perceptions versus reality” revised first edition published January 2020. Currently he is also the chair of the Henrico Police chief’s advisory board wherein he is a special consultant and instructs the history and current practices of policing to both academy recruits and in-service members. His educational and professional experiences contribute greatly to his teaching and service endeavors at the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Selected publications

Wurie, C. M. (2012). Exploring the lives of Salvadoran families after the implementation of Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 Section 287(g) (Doctoral Dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest (ID# 12491).

Wurie, C. M. (2013). Impact: A compilation of positive police encounters. Indiana: AuthorHouse.

Intro to Policing: Perceptions versus reality. Wurie, C.M. (2019), CA: Cognella Pub Inc. 
https://store.cognella.com/82280-1a-001 
Co-Author (Chapter 3) “Breakthrough Mentoring in the 21st Century: A Compilation of Life Altering Experiences,” by Walter McCollum Ph.D.
Co-Author (Chapter 6) “Black Men Changing the Narrative through Education

Wurie, C. M. (2020). Brain fingerprinting. International Journal of Forensic Sciences, 5(2),DOI: 10.23880/ijfsc-16000189

Faculty

Wenli Yan

Wenli Yan

Associate professor

Scherer Hall, Room 309 Phone: (804) 827-0541 Email: wyan@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • State and local government finance
  • Public and nonprofit financial management
  • Regional economic development

Education

B.A., Economics, University of International Relations (Beijing, China)
M.P.A., University of Kentucky
Ph.D., Public Administration, University of Kentucky

Teaching

Public budgeting, finance and accounting, nonprofit financial management

Research interests

Revenue structure and debt financing of state and local government, nonprofit revenue and capital structure and the fiscal impact of federal environmental regulations

Accomplishments

Yan’s current research focuses on the impact of revenue structure on revenue volatility of public and nonprofit organizations and also the subsequent impact on the financial sustainability of these organizations. Her research has been published in domestic and international leading journals, including National Tax Journal, Public Finance Review, Public Budgeting & Finance, The American Review of Public Administration, Journal of Regional Science, Economic Development Quarterly, Regional Studies, Public Money & Management, Municipal Finance Journal, Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs and Public Finance and Management.

Among those publications, her paper published in Public Finance Review titled “Revenue Structure and Nonprofit Borrowing” highlights the importance of revenue diversification and government subsidy in the debt financing decision of nonprofit organizations. This paper was rated as the most frequently read article in Public Finance Review in 2009. In addition, her research has been recognized by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management and the Public Finance and Budgeting Section of the Western Social Science Association. Prior to joining the Wilder School, Yan was an assistant professor at Indiana University.

Selected publications

Andrew Duggan, Douglas Carr and Wenli Yan, “Conditional Impacts of Political and Fiscal Factors on State Environmental Budgets”, Forthcoming at Public Budgeting & Finance

Spencer Brien and Wenli Yan, “Are Overlapping Local Governments Competing With Each Other When Issuing Debt?”, Public Budgeting & Finance, first published: 11 June 2020, https://doi.org/10.1111/pbaf.12264

Wenli Yan and Douglas Carr, “Impacts of Revenue Diversification and Revenue Elasticity on State Fiscal Health.” Public Finance and Management, Vol. 19 No. 2, (2019)

Denison, D., Yan, W., & Butler, J. S. (2019). Managing risk and growth of nonprofit revenue. Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs, 5(1), 56-73. https:// doi.org/10.20899/jpna.5.1.56-73

Meagan M. Jordan, Wenli Yan and Somayeh Hooshmand, “The Role of State Revenue Structure in the Occurrence and Magnitude of Revenue Variance.” The American Review of Public Administration, first published October 5, 2015, https://doi.org/10.1177/0275074015608265

Justin M. Ross, Wenli Yan and Craig Johnson (2015). “The Public Financing of America’s Largest Cities: A Study of City Financial Records in the Wake of the Great Recession.” Journal of Regional Science, 55(1), 113-138. doi: 10.1111/jors.12117.

Wenli Yan and Margaret Sloan, “The Impact of Employee Compensation and Financial Performance on Nonprofit Organization Donations.” The American Review of Public Administration, first published on October 19, 2014, https://doi.org/10.1177/0275074014554000

Wenli Yan (2013), “Using Trend Data to Evaluate the Differential Response of State Borrowing to Revenue Volatility.” Public Budgeting & Finance, 33(2), 75-92.

Wenli Yan and Douglas Carr (2013), “Federal Environmental Regulation Impacts on Local Economic Growth and Stability.” Economic Development Quarterly, 27(3), 179-192. doi: 10.1177/0891242413486187.

Justin M. Ross and Wenli Yan (2013). “Fiscal Illusion from Property Reassessment? An Empirical Test of the Residual View." National Tax Journal, 66(1), 7-32. (Nominated for the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) Distinguished Research and Development Award in 2013).

Wenli Yan (2012). “The Impact of Revenue Diversification and Economic Base on State Revenue Stability.” Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, 24(1), 58-81.

Wenli Yan (2011). “The interactive effect of revenue diversification and economic base on US local government revenue stability.” Public Money & Management, 31 (6), 419–426.

Wenli Yan (2011). “Revenue Diversification and State Credit Risk.” Municipal Finance Journal, 31 (4), 41-62.

Douglas Carr and Wenli Yan (2010).“Federal Environmental Policy and Local Industrial Diversification:The Case of the Clean Air Act.” Regional Studies, 46(5), 639-649. doi: 10.1080/00343404.2010.509131.

Wenli Yan, Dwight Denison and J.S. Butler (2009). “Revenue Structure and Nonprofit Borrowing.” Public Finance Review, 37(1), 47-67. (Rated as the most frequently read article in Public Finance Review in 2009).

Dwight Denison, Wenli Yan and Zhirong (Jerry) Zhao (2007). “Is management performance a factor in municipal bond credit ratings? The case of Texas School Districts.” Public Budgeting and Finance, 27 (4), 86–98.

Faculty

Benjamin Young

Benjamin Young

Assistant Professor

Scherer Hall Room 211 Email: youngb9@vcu.edu

Expertise

  • North Korean history and politics
  • U.S-East Asia relations
  • Global History of Socialism and Communism

 

Dr. Young received the 2023 Wilder School Award for Teaching Excellence. He teaches a variety of national security-related courses, such as terrorism, legal and constitutional issues in homeland security and emergency preparedness, the senior seminar, and cybersecurity policy. He recently developed a special topics course on state sponsors of terror, which emphasizes a study of North Korea and China.

Dr. Young has served as a guest lecturer and academic presenter for a wide variety of distinguished national and international institutions, such as the University of British Columbia, Michigan State University, The Ohio State University, and Middlebury Korean Language School. He regularly comments on North Korean affairs and U.S-Asia relations for podcasts and national and international news outlets, most notably 99 Percent Invisible, the New York Times, LA Times, and BBC News. He is currently working on a research project examining the importance of mountains in anti-colonial guerilla struggles and Leninist party-states. He is also working on a paper investigating the relationship between Revolutionary Iran and African American radicals. 

Education

B.S (2012), History, SUNY Brockport
M.A (2013), History, SUNY Brockport
PhD (2018), History, George Washington University

Research interests

North Korea's Foreign Relations, Maoism, History of Marxism-Leninism, Cold War international history, and the relationship between political culture and hacking

Accomplishments

Dr. Benjamin R. Young is the author of the book, Guns, Guerillas, and the Great Leader: North Korea and the Third World (Stanford University Press, 2021). Previously, he was an Assistant Professor in Cyber Leadership & Intelligence at Dakota State University and a postdoctoral fellow in Strategy and Policy at the U.S Naval War College. He has published a number of scholarly articles on East Asian history and politics in peer-reviewed journals, such as the International History Review, the International Journal of Korean Unification Studies, and Souls: A Critical Journal of Black Politics, Culture, and Society. He was a 2018-2019 CSIS/USC NextGen US-Korea Scholar and has also written journalistic pieces for The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Diplomat, Nikkei Asia, The National Interest, Reuters, and NKNews.org. Dr. Young has lived in South Korea during a Fulbright fellowship and has traveled extensively in North Korea, China, and Russia. 

Selected publications

Book

Guns, Guerillas, and the Great Leader: North Korea and the Third World. (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, April 2021). 

 Journal Articles

“Mountain Warriors: The Importance of Mountains in Mao’s People’s War Strategy,” American Journal of Chinese Studies, Vol. 29, No. 2 (2022), 131-149.
“Dangerous Ideas and Leftist Deviation: Anarchism and North Korean Political Culture,” Journal for the Study of Radicalism, Vol. 15, No. 2 (2021), 49-72.
 
“The Role of Cyber in Kim Jong Un’s Byungjin Line: North Korea’s Political Culture, Hackers, and Maritime Tactics,” Maritime Security, Vol. 3, No. 1 (2021), 45-72.  

 “When the Lights Went Out: Electricity in North Korea and Dependency on Moscow, “International Journal of Korean Unification Studies  Vol. 29, No. 1 (2020), 107-134.

 “Before ‘Fire and Fury’: The Role of Anger and Fear in U.S-North Korea Relations, 1968-1994,” The Korean Journal of Defense Analysis Vol. 32, No. 2 (2020), 207-229.

  “Cultural Diplomacy with North Korean Characteristics: Pyongyang’s Exportation of the Mass Games, 1972-1996,” International History Review, Vol. 42, No. 3 (2020) 543-555.

   “Thucydides in Pyongyang: Fear, Honor, and Interests in the 1968 Pueblo Crisis,” Journal of Territorial and Maritime Studies, Vol. 7, No. 1 (2020), 68-85. 

 “Imagining Revolutionary Feminism: Communist Asia and the Women of the Black Panther Party,” Souls: A Critical Journal of Black Politics, Culture, and Society, Vol. 21, No. 1 (2019), 1-17. 

 “An Emotional Relationship: Trust, Admiration, and Fear in North Korea-Zimbabwe Relations, 1976-1988,” S/N Korean Humanities, Vol. 4, No. 2 (2019), 129-149.

 “Not There for the Nutmeg: North Korean Advisors in Grenada and Pyongyang’s Internationalism, 1979-1983,” Cross-Currents: East Asian History and Culture Review No. 27 (2018).

  “Hammer, Sickle, and the Shamrock: North Korea’s Relations with the Workers’ Party of Ireland,” Journal of Northeast Asian History, Vol. 12, No. 2, 105-130 (2015).

  “The Struggle for Legitimacy: North Korean-African Relations, 1965-1992,” British Association for Korean Studies Papers (now known as the European Journal of Korean Studies) Issue 16 (2015), 97-116.

 “Juche in the USA: The Black Panther Party’s Relations with North Korea, 1969-1971,” The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus, Vol. 13, Issue 12, No. 2 (2015).