Policy Studies

Leadership, Staff and Faculty

Professor Bill Coplin with students outside of Maxwell Auditorium

The policy studies faculty and staff are more than just experts in their field, they are deeply invested teachers, mentors and connectors. Learn about the dedicated staff and award-winning faculty, who come from across Maxwell’s social science departments and top-ranked graduate professional program in public affairs.

Richard Barton

Assistant Teaching Professor, Public Administration and International Affairs Department

Assistant Teaching Professor, Policy Studies

Assistant Teaching Professor by Courtesy Appointment, Political Science Department

Research Affiliate, Center for Policy Design and Governance

Ph.D., Government Department, Cornell University, 2022

Bill Coplin

Professor, Policy Studies

Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor for Teaching Excellence

Ph.D., American University, 1964

Areas of Expertise

Higher education, high school education, citizenship and urban education, public policy analysis, pedagogical partners with undergraduates

Paul Driscoll

Adjunct Professor, Policy Studies

MUP, University of Southern California

Areas of Expertise

Housing policy, urban planning, geographic information systems (GIS).

Jay Golden

Pontarelli Professor of Environmental Sustainability and Finance, Public Administration and International Affairs Department

Director, Dynamic Sustainability Lab

Senior Research Associate, Center for Environmental Policy and Administration

Ph.D. (Cantab), University of Cambridge, 2005

Areas of Expertise

Net-Zero Carbon Transition, technology transitions, energy transitions, bio-based transitions, supply chains, ESG and finance

Colleen Heflin

Professor, Public Administration and International Affairs Department

Senior Research Associate, Center for Policy Research

Research Affiliate, Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health

Research Affiliate, Center for Aging and Policy Studies

Faculty Affiliate, Aging Studies Institute

Ph.D., University of Michigan, 2002

Areas of Expertise

Social policy, poverty policy, child and family policy

Zach Huitink

Associate Teaching Professor, Public Administration and International Affairs Department

Senior Research Associate, Campbell Public Affairs Institute

Research Affiliate, Center for Policy Design and Governance

Ph.D., Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Department of Public Administration and International Affairs, Syracuse University, 2017

Areas of Expertise

Acquisition and government contracting, public-private partnerships, human capital management, policy implementation.

(Pronouns: He, Him)

Lionel C. Johnson

Professor of Practice, Public Administration and International Affairs Department

B.A., Rutgers University, 1982

John McPeak

Professor, Public Administration and International Affairs Department

Senior Research Associate, Center for Environmental Policy and Administration

Senior Research Associate, Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs

Senior Research Associate, Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration

Senior Research Associate and Advisory Board Member, Maxwell African Scholars Union

Ph.D., University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1999

Areas of Expertise

Development economics, natural resource economics, African agricultural development

Robert B. Murrett

Professor of Practice, Public Administration and International Affairs Department

Deputy Director, Institute for Security Policy and Law

M.A., Political Science Department, Georgetown Univeristy, 1982

Areas of Expertise

National security, international relations, military and defense strategy, leadership

(Pronouns: He, Him)

Tomás Olivier

Assistant Professor, Public Administration and International Affairs Department

Assistant Director, Center for Policy Design and Governance

Senior Research Associate, Center for Policy Research

Senior Research Associate, Program on Latin America and the Caribbean

Ph.D., School of Government and Public Policy, University of Arizona, 2017

Areas of Expertise

Water policy, environmental policy, policy design, policy process

Kristen Patel

Professor of Practice, Policy Studies

Donald P. and Margaret Curry Gregg Professor of Practice in Korean and East Asian Affairs

Maxwell Advisory Board Member

Senior Research Associate, Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration

Research Affiliate, East Asia Program

M.A., Duke University, 1992

Areas of Expertise

National security, intelligence issues, and illicit finance

Jack Reilly

Associate Teaching Professor, Public Administration and International Affairs Department

Senior Research Associate, Campbell Public Affairs Institute

Ph.D., University of California, Davis, 2013

Ying Shi

Associate Professor, Public Administration and International Affairs Department

Senior Research Associate, Center for Policy Research

Research Affiliate, Campbell Public Affairs Institute

Ph.D., Duke University, 2017

Areas of Expertise

Economics of education, labor economics, political economy

Michiko Ueda-Ballmer

Associate Professor, Public Administration and International Affairs Department

Senior Research Associate, Center for Policy Research

Research Affiliate, Center for Policy Design and Governance

Faculty Affiliate, Aging Studies Institute

Research Affiliate, East Asia Program

Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2006

Areas of Expertise

Social determinants of health, suicide prevention, mental health policy, public health, computational social science

Peter Wilcoxen

Professor, Public Administration and International Affairs Department

Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor for Teaching Excellence

Director, Center for Environmental Policy and Administration

Director of Undergraduate Studies, Policy Studies

Senior Research Associate, Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration

Research Affiliate, Center for Policy Research

Ph.D., Harvard University, 1989

Areas of Expertise

Natural resource, environmental economics

Austin Zwick

Associate Teaching Professor, Policy Studies

Director, BPS Policy Studies Program, College of Professional Studies

Ph.D., University of Toronto, 2018

Areas of Expertise

Smart cities, platform economy, autonomous systems, urban and regional planning, policy analysis, and quantitative methods

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