DPAP Faculty

Our students learn from and collaborate with the intellectual powerhouse of our faculty—prominent scholar-practitioners whose professional engagements and leading-edge research spans public administration, management, and policy. They are inspiring mentors, and their expertise and research plays a vital role in policy development, both nationally and globally.


Department Chair

Anna Amirkhanyan Professor and Chair, DPAP SPA | Public Administration

Professor Amirkhanyan’s research focuses on public and nonprofit management, organizational performance, public-private differences, and citizen participation. Her articles have been published in v

  amirkhan@american.edu

  (202) 885-6289

MPA/MPP Program Director

Marquise McGraw Professorial Lecturer

Marquise J. McGraw is an economist with a keen interest in applying economic principles and methods to affect real-world policy outcomes. He serves as the director of SPA's top-ranked Master's degr

  mcgrawm@american.edu

  (202) 885-1485

MPAP Program Director

Sonja Walti Senior Professorial Lecturer

Dr. Walti is an international scholar in public policy. Her fields of specialization include comparative public policy and public administration, policy analysis, comparative federalism, and environme

  walti@american.edu

  (202) 885-3738

PhD Program Coordinator

Seth Gershenson Professor

Seth Gershenson holds a PhD from Michigan State University in Economics with a primary focus on education policy. While at Michigan State, he taught several courses and received an Outstanding Teachin

  gershens@american.edu

  (202) 885-2687

Khaldoun AbouAssi Provost Associate Professor SPA | Public Administration

Khaldoun AbouAssi holds a PhD in public administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs of Syracuse University. From 2012-2015, Dr. AbouAssi was an Assistant Professor at the

  abouassi@american.edu

  (202) 885-2509

Anna Amirkhanyan Professor and Chair, DPAP SPA | Public Administration

Professor Amirkhanyan’s research focuses on public and nonprofit management, organizational performance, public-private differences, and citizen participation. Her articles have been published in v

  amirkhan@american.edu

  (202) 885-6289

Karen Baehler Scholar-in-Residence SPA | Public Administration

Karen Baehler's teaching and research focuses on the craft of policy analysis and the intersection between public policy and public administration, with applications to the social and environmental po

  baehler@american.edu

  (202) 885-6072

Scott Bass Professor and Provost Emeritus SPA | Public Administration

Dr. Scott A. Bass is Provost Emeritus and Professor of Public Administration and Policy in the School of Public Affairs at American University (AU). Since his arrival at AU in 2008, Dr. Bass has focus

  sbass@american.edu

  (202) 885-6305

Seth Gershenson Professor SPA | Public Administration

Seth Gershenson holds a PhD from Michigan State University in Economics with a primary focus on education policy. While at Michigan State, he taught several courses and received an Outstanding Teachin

  gershens@american.edu

  (202) 885-2687

Seth Grossman VP of Administration & Chief Administrative Officer UOA | University Office of Administration Operations

Seth currently serves as the Vice President of Administration and Chief Administrative Officer at American University and as a faculty member in the Department of Public Administration & Policy in AU'

  sethg@american.edu

Jocelyn Johnston Professor SPA | Public Administration

Professor Johnston’s current research focuses on government contracting, public management, and intergovernmental programs and policy. Her publications can be seen in such scholarly journals as the Jo

  johnston@american.edu

  (202) 885-2608

Laura Langbein Prof Emerita

Professor Langbein teaches quantitative methods, program evaluation, policy analysis, and public choice. Her research fields include: theories of bureaucratic discretion, productivity, principal-agent

  (202) 885-6233

Patrick Malone Director and Executive in Residence SPA | Public Administration

Professor Malone is the Director, Key Executive Leadership Programs at American University. He is a frequent guest lecturer on kindness, gratitude, emotional intelligence, compassion, ethics, mindfuln

  pmalone@american.edu

  (202) 885-6271

Dave Marcotte Interim Senior Associate Dean SPA | Public Administration

Dave E. Marcotte is Professor in the Dept. of Public Administration and Policy. His recent research focuses on inequality and socioeconomic segregation in K-12 education; access and attainment in high

  marcotte@american.edu

  (202) 885-3108

Marquise McGraw Professorial Lecturer SPA | Public Administration

Marquise J. McGraw is an economist with a keen interest in applying economic principles and methods to affect real-world policy outcomes. He serves as the director of SPA's top-ranked Master's degr

  mcgrawm@american.edu

  (202) 885-1485

Kenneth Meier Distinguished Scholar in Residence SPA | Public Administration

Professor Meier’s research in public policy and administration is characterized by a multi-disciplinary approach that combines both empirical and normative questions. He uses institutional theories

  kmeier@american.edu

  (202) 885-2361

Taryn Morrissey Professor SPA | Public Administration

Dr. Morrissey's work centers on examining and improving public policies for children and families. Ongoing research examines early care and education policy, paid family leave, family economic inst

  morrisse@american.edu

  (202) 885-6323

Claudia Persico Associate Professor SPA | Public Administration

Claudia Persico is an Associate Professor of public policy whose research focuses on environmental policy, inequality, health and education policy using causal inference methods. Persico is also a Fac

  cpersico@american.edu

  (202) 885-2719

Barbara Romzek Prof Emerita

Dr. Barbara Romzek is Professor of Public Administration and Policy. She served as Dean of the School of Public Affairs at American University from 2012-2017. Prior to her time at American University

David Rosenbloom Distinguished Prof Emeritus

David H. Rosenbloom received his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Chicago in 1969. He joined American University’s faculty as Distinguished Professor of Public Administration in 1990.

Shirin Sabetghadam Professorial Lecturer SPA | Public Administration

Prof. Sabetghadam is a professorial lecturer and SoTL Fellow in the Center for Teaching, Research, and Learning at American University. She currently serves as a member of Quantitative Literacy Progra

  shirins@american.edu

David Schwegman Assistant Professor SPA | Public Administration

David J. Schwegman is an assistant professor in the Department of Public Administration and Policy. He is also an Academic Affiliate with the Office of Evaluation Sciences (OES) in the General Service

  schwegma@american.edu

Erdal Tekin Distinguished Professor SPA | Public Administration

Erdal Tekin is the Fotis Family Distinguished Professor of Health Policy in the School of Public Affairs at American University, a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

  tekin@american.edu

  (202) 885-6361

Sonja Walti Senior Professorial Lecturer SPA | Public Administration

Dr. Walti is an international scholar in public policy. Her fields of specialization include comparative public policy and public administration, policy analysis, comparative federalism, and environme

  walti@american.edu

  (202) 885-3738

Vicky Wilkins Acting Provost PRO | Academics, Research & Awards

Vicky M. Wilkins is acting provost and chief academic officer at American University and professor of public administration and policy. Before assuming this role, she served as the dean of the School

  vwilkins@american.edu

  (202) 885-6443

Jhacova Williams Assistant Professor SPA | Public Administration

Jhacova Williams is an applied microeconomist focusing primarily on economic history and cultural economics. Her previous work has examined Southern culture and the extent to which historical events h

  jhacovaw@american.edu

Ruth Zaplin Senior Executive in Residence SPA | Public Administration

Dr. Ruth Zaplin is an Executive-in-Residence, School of Public Affairs, Department of Public Administration & Policy and Director of International Programs, Key Executive Leadership Programs at Americ

  zaplin@american.edu

  (202) 885-6300

Robert Marshak Distinguished Scholar in Residence