Education:

University of Maryland, College Park, Doctor of Philosophy, 1999
Major Fields: American Politics, Public Policy, Urban Politics, and State and Local Government

University of Maryland, College Park, Master of Arts, 1997
University of Connecticut, Master of Arts, 1994
University of Connecticut, Bachelor of Arts, 1992, Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa

Dissertation: Minority Interest Identification: How White Leaders Identify Minority Concerns and What Difference it Makes.

Honor: Conley H. Dillon Award for the Best Dissertation in American Government, 1999

Dissertation Chair:        Clarence N. Stone
Committee Members:    James G. Gimpel, Linda F. Williams, Vincent L. Marando, Charles M. Christian

Employment:

Loyola University, New Orleans
Associate Professor with tenure: Fall 2004 –

Loyola University, New Orleans
Assistant Professor: Fall 2001 – Spring 2004

Trinity College, Hartford
Visiting Assistant Professor: Fall 1999 – Spring 2001
Interim Director of the Legislative Internship Program: 2000 – 2001

University of Maryland
Public Service Fellow, Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant: Fall 1995 – Spring 1999

University of Connecticut
Teaching Assistant: Fall 1994

Articles in Refereed Journals:

“Repairing the Divide: An Investigation of Community Policing and Citizen Attitudes Toward the Police by Race and Ethnicity,” with Matthew O. Thomas. Journal of Ethnicity and Criminal Justice, 2005. 3 (1/2), forthcoming.

“State Government and the Development Regime in New Orleans,” with Matthew O. Thomas. Urban Affairs Review, 2004. 39 (6): 791-812.

“The South, Medium Sized Cities, and a New Look at the Determinants of African American Representation,” 2003. Politics & Policy 31 (4): 620-647.

“Regime Theory, State Government, and a Takeover of Urban Education.” 2003. Journal of Urban  Affairs 25 (3): 285-303.

“The Intergovernmental Regime and Public Policy in Hartford, Connecticut.” 2002. Journal of Urban Affairs 24 (1): 55-73.

“Economic Insecurity, Prejudicial Stereotypes and Public Opinion on Immigration Policy in the United States,” with James G. Gimpel. 2000. Political Science Quarterly 115 (2): 201-225.

“Labor at Work: Union Campaign Activities and Legislative Payoffs in the U.S. House of Representatives,” with Peter L. Francia and Paul S. Herrnson. 2000. Social Science Quarterly 81 (2): 507-522.

“The Gubernatorial Coattail Hypothesis Considered.” 1999. Southeastern Political Review 27 (1): 151-172.

Books Under Contract:

Electoral Politics is Not Enough: Racial and Ethnic Minorities and Urban Politics (Book under contract at the State University of New York Press, targeted publication date, Spring 2006).

Books and Articles in Preparation and/or Under Review:

The Regime Politics Behind State Takeovers of Urban Education. (Book manuscript in preparation).

“Community Organizations and the Ecology of Civic Engagement in New Orleans” (Chapter in preparation for book on community organizing, edited by Marion Orr).

“Race and Support for State Takeovers of Local School Districts” (Manuscript in preparation).

“Determinants of State Spending of Tobacco Settlement Funds” (Manuscript in preparation with Amber Winters, graduate of Loyola University New Orleans, 2005)

“The Effects of High-Stakes Testing on the Representation of African Americans in Special Education”  (Manuscript in preparation with Stacey Greene, graduate of Loyola University New Orleans, 2005)

Honors and Awards:

Norton Long Young Scholar, given by the American Political Science Association’s Organized Section on Urban Politics, 2001
Outstanding Young Alumni Award, University of Connecticut, 2001
Phi Beta Kappa
Pi Sigma Alpha
Phi Kappa Phi
Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society
Golden Key Honor Society
Who’s Who in Teaching, 2003-2004

Grants, Fellowships, and Scholarships:

Marquette Fellowship, Loyola University New Orleans ($7,500), 2005
American Political Science Association Small Research Grant Recipient ($1,697), 2003
Loyola University, New Orleans, Faculty Grant ($2,500), Spring-Summer 2002
Institute of Politics, New Orleans, Fellow, 2001-2002
APSA Workshop on Organizing Service Learning in Political Science, Stipend, 2000
Hewlett Fellows Program of the Trinity Center for Collaborative Teaching and Research, Spring 2000
Goldhaber Travel Award, University of Maryland, 1997, 1998
Maryland Public Service Fellow, University of Maryland, 1995–1996
Graduate Scholarship, University of Connecticut, 1994

Selected Conference Papers:

“Who Knows about Community Policing and Why Should We Care?” with Matt Thomas, Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Southwestern Social Science Association, New Orleans, LA, March 23-26, 2005.

“Pro-Growth Regimes, Low-Income Residents, and the Redevelopment of Public Housing in New Orleans,” with John Benton (Loyola University student), Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Urban Affairs Association, Washington, DC, March 31 – April 3, 2004.

“The Effect of Community Policing on People’s Perceptions of the Police,” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, Boston, MA, March 4-8, 2003.

“Do Neighborhood Groups Represent Minority Interests? An Examination of Community Based Organizations in a Minority-Majority City,” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, San Francisco, CA, August 30 – September 2, 2001.

“Assessing Alternative Political Structures: Neighborhood Groups in Hartford, Connecticut,” with Jillian Liese, Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the New England Political Science Association, Hartford, CT, May 5-6, 2000.

“The Dynamics of the Representation of Minority Interests in White-Majority Cities,” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, IL, April 27-30, 2000.

“Whites, African Americans, Latinos and the Local Policy Process: Examining the Conditions Under Which White Leaders Substantively Represent Minority Interests,” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Atlanta, GA, September 2-5, 1999.

“Representation in the Community: The Effects of Racial Change in a Community on City Council Composition,” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Boston, MA, September 3-6, 1998.

“Do the Citizens Matter?  The Impact of Demographic Changes on the Urban Regime,” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, IL, April 23-25, 1998.

“The Dynamics of the Matrix of Political Change,” with Matt Thomas, Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Political Science Association, Norfolk, VA, November 1997.

Teaching and Service Awards:

Dr. Norman Roussell Commitment For Excellence Award, given by the Loyola University New Orleans Black Student Union, November 19, 2004

Loyola University Faculty Senate Award for Teaching, 2002-2003

Faculty, staff, and students nominated me for this campus-wide teaching award.  A select committee of the Faculty Senate chooses the winner.  According to the University, the winner of this award shows superior performance in teaching.

Alcazar Award for Exceptional Service to LUCAP, 2004

Award given in recognition of valuable contribution to Loyola University Community Action Program

Distinguished Faculty Service Award, given by Student Government, Loyola University New Orleans, April 23, 2003

The students voted for the winner of this award, which states the following: “In appreciation for your selfless contributions to the student body.”

Campus Life Leadership Award for Excellence in Faculty Service, given by Student Government, Trinity College, April 23, 2001

“This award recognizes a faculty member who has worked closely with student organizations and displays genuine support in regard to the development of campus life.  They are viewed by their peers, students, and administrators as an educator.  They have extraordinary impact on students’ lives and have earned their respect through involvement and collaboration with the campus community.”

Richard Brainerd Award, given by the Pi Gamma Mu Honor Society, Trinity College, April 20, 2001.

This award is “given to the faculty member who was there when most needed.”

Official Citation from the Connecticut General Assembly in Recognition of Service to the Students at Trinity College, given by the President Pro Tempore of the State Senate, the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives, and the Secretary of the State of Connecticut, April 30, 2001.

Award recognizes my achievements in the area of education and the impact that my “energy and idealism” has had on the lives of Trinity College students.  Citation also states, “your knowledge of state and urban politics, as well as constitutional law, has been second to none.”   The citation concludes by stating, “Trinity College is a better place because you have taught here.”

Research Interests:

Urban Affairs
Education Policy
Race and Ethnicity
State and Local Government

Teaching Interests:

American Government
Urban Affairs
Public Policy
Race and Ethnicity
State and Local Government

Research Experience:

Research Assistant
Professor Vincent L. Marando: Fall 1998 – Spring 1999.
Assisted Professor Marando on a project that examined the benefits of large and small units of government.  We wrote a paper on this subject that I presented at the Annual Meeting of the New York Political Science Association.

Research Assistant
Professor Paul S. Herrnson: Spring 1997 – Spring 1998.
Worked on every facet of Professor Herrnson’s Congressional Elections: Campaigning at Home and in Washington (2nd ed). Washington DC: CQ Press.

Also, researched for, collected data for, and proofread Professor Herrnson’s articles, book chapters, conference papers, and After the Revolution: PACs, Lobbies, and the Republican Congress (1999 Allyn and Bacon), a book co-edited by Professor Herrnson.

Research Appointment:

Hewlett Fellows Program of the Trinity Center for Collaborative Teaching and Research - Spring 2000.
Through this fellowship, four other professors and five students examined the politics of dissent in Hartford, China, and in prisons.  A student fellow, whom I selected, and I specifically researched the politics of dissent among African Americans, Latinos, and whites in Hartford, and we wrote a conference paper on this subject.

Teaching Experience:

Loyola University, New Orleans
Associate Professor: Fall 2004 –
Assistant Professor: Fall 2001 – Spring 2004
Teaching courses in American Government, Urban Politics, State and Local Government, Public Policy, Racial and Ethnic Politics, and Southern Politics.  Also carry out full-time research, academic advising, committee work, and other activities related to these areas.

Trinity College, Hartford
Visiting Assistant Professor: Fall 1999 – Spring 2001
Taught courses in American Government, Urban Politics, State and Local Government, and Constitutional Law.  Advised undergraduate students, participated in all department and college activities, directed three honors theses, and served as interim director of the Legislative Internship Program.

University of Maryland
Teaching Assistant
Maryland Public Service Fellowship Program: Fall 1998 - Spring 1999
Led biweekly class meetings, which concentrated upon the connection between theoretical and practical politics, and assisted in placement of interns.

University of Maryland
Teaching Assistant
Introduction to American Government: Fall 1996.
Leader of three discussion sections of approximately 25 students each.  Responsible for grading mid-term and final exams.

University of Connecticut
Teaching Assistant
Introduction to International Relations: Fall 1994.
Leader of one discussion section of approximately 40 students.  Responsible for designing and grading mid-term and final exams.

City of Ansonia, Connecticut, Public School System
Substitute Teacher, 1990, 1993, 1995.

Professional Activities:

American Political Science Association’s Organized Section on Urban Politics, Membership Committee, Member, 2004-

American Political Science Association’s Organized Section on Urban Politics, Nominations Committee, Member, 2005

Southern Political Science Association’s Annual Meeting, Section Head for Urban Politics, 2006 Conference

Participation as a Discussant at Professional Meetings:

“Gender Equity and Difference in Office-Seeking and Elections,” Panel at the Annual Meeting of the Southwestern Social Science Association, New Orleans, LA, March 23-26, 2005.

“Rethinking Urban Governance in the 21st Century,” Panel at the Annual Meeting of the Urban Affairs Association, Washington, DC, March 31-April 3, 2004.

“Redevelopment and the Arts and Culture,” Panel at the Annual Meeting of the Urban Affairs Association, Boston, MA, March 20-23, 2002.

“Contemporary Policy Development: New Complexities, New Results,” Panel at the Annual Meeting of the New England Political Science Association, Hartford, CT, May 5-6, 2000.

“Race, Human Rights, and Democracy,” Panel at the Annual Meeting of the Northeast Political Science
 Association, Philadelphia, PA, November 11-13, 1999.

Participation as the Chair of a Panel at Professional Meetings:

“Gender Equity and Difference in Office-Seeking and Elections,” Panel at the Annual Meeting of the Southwestern Social Science Association, New Orleans, LA, March 23-26, 2005.

“Perceptions of Neighborhood Policing,” Panel at the 40th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, Boston, MA, March 4-8, 2003.

“Public Opinion and Public Administration,” Panel at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Boston, MA, August 29 – September 1, 2002.

Convener of a Roundtable Discussion:

“Race, Ethnicity, and the Study of Neighborhoods,” Breakfast and Open Roundtable at the Annual Meeting of
 the Urban Affairs Association, Detroit, MI, April 26. 2001.

Participant in Workshops:

Workshop on Organizing Service Learning in Political Science at the Annual Meeting of the American Political
 Science Association, Washington, DC, September 2, 2000.

Editorial Advisory Board Member:

Criminal Justice Studies: A Critical Journal of Crime, Law and Society

Reviewer:

Journal of Urban Affairs
Urban Studies
Urban Affairs Review
State and Local Government Review
Social Science Quarterly
Political Research Quarterly
Criminal Justice Review
American Politics Review
Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management

Professional Associations:

American Political Science Association
Southern Political Science Association
Policy Studies Organization
Urban Affairs Association

Professional Experience:

Capitol Hill Internship Assistant: Spring 1997 - Spring 1998.

Office of the Secretary of State, State of Maryland
Public Service Fellow, 1995-1996.

U.S. Senator Christopher J. Dodd
Washington Center Internship, Spring 1991.