Political Science Faculty

Faculty group photo.

Department faculty (tenured/tenure track) in May 2023: from left, Timothy Lim, Gabrielle Clark, Gar Culbert, Jessica DeShazo, Xian Gao, Marla Parker, Michael McLendon, Taylor Dark (Chair), Chongmyoung Lee, and Martin Adamian. Not pictured are Professors Ellen Shiau and Jared Abbott.

Taylor Dark, Department Chair

Department Chair

The department chair, Prof. Taylor Dark, serves as the principal undergraduate advisor, and can be contacted at tdark@calstatela.edu. His office is located in Engineering and Technology (E&T), Rm. A517. Phone: (323) 343-2247.

Core Faculty

Jared Abbott

Jared Abbott, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
323-343-2235
jabbott3@calstatela.edu
Ph.D. - Harvard University, 2020
M.A. - New School for Social Research, 2010

Interests:

  • Latin American Politics
  • Political Participation
  • Social Movements

Emily Acevedo

Emily Acevedo, Ph.D.
Professor
323-343-2243
eacevedo3@calstatela.edu
Ph.D. - Claremont Graduate University, 2008

Interests:

  • Latin American Politics
  • Comparative and World Politics
  • Terrorism and U.S. Counterterrorism
  • Social Movements and Revolutionary Movements

Note: Dr. Acevedo is currently on leave from the department, working as Director of Academic and Facilities Planning.

Dr. Acevedo's Web Page

Martin Adamian

Martin Adamian, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
323-343-2236
madamia2@calstatela.edu
Ph.D. - Colorado State University, 2006
J.D. - Wayne State University Law School, 1996

Interests:

  • Public Law
  • Global Environmental Politics
  • Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
  • InternationalLlaw and Jurisprudence

Dr. Adamian's Web Page

 

Gabrielle Clark

Gabrielle Clark, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
323-343-2233
gclark@calstatela.edu
Ph.D. - New York University, Law & Society, 2014

Interests:

  • Immigration Law
  • Law and Employment Rights
  • Administrative Law
  • International Law
  • Law and Globalization
  • Public Law
  • American Political Development
  • Labor Migration

Dr. Clark's Web Page

Note: Dr. Clark will be on leave during the 2023/2024 academic year visiting the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, and during the 2024/2025 academic year, she will be on leave with a book grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. She will return to full teaching duties in Fall 2025. 
 

Gar Culbert

Gar Culbert, Ph.D.
Professor
323-343-2241
gculbert@calstatela.edu
Ph.D. - University of Virginia, 2010

Interests:

  • Political Behavior
  • Presidential Nominations and Elections
  • American Political Institutions and Development
  • Research Methods
  • Political Theory

Dr. Culbert's Web Page

Prof. Dark

Taylor Dark III, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair
323-343-2247
tdark@calstatela.edu
Ph.D. - University of California, Berkeley, 1993
M.Sc. - London School of Economics, 1984

Interests:

  • Political Parties and Interest Groups
  • Congress and the Presidency
  • European Politics
  • Labor Policy

Dr. Dark's University Web Page
Dr. Dark's Personal Web Page

Jessica DeShazo

Jessica DeShazo, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
323-343-2245
deshaz@calstatela.edu
Ph.D. - Northern Arizona University, 2014

Interests:

  • Public Administration
  • Public Budgeting
  • Environmental Policy and Politics/Natural Resource Management
  • Cultural Policy and Administration

Dr. DeShazo's Web Page

Xian Gao

Xian Gao, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
323-343-2246
xgao9@calstatela.edu
Ph.D. - University of Nebraska at Omaha, 2020

Interests:

  • Public Administration
  • E-Government
  • Performance Management
  • Collaborative Government

Chongmyoung Lee

Chongmyoung Lee, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
323-343-2245
clee140@calstatela.edu
Ph.D. - North Carolina State University, 2014

Interests:

  • Public and Nonprofit Management
  • Performance Measurement and Management
  • Quantitative Methods
  • Intersectoral Collaboration

Timothy Lim

Timothy C. Lim, Ph.D.
Professor
323-343-2242
tclim@calstatela.edu
Ph.D. - University of Hawaii, Manoa, 1996
M.A. - Columbia University, 1987

Interests:

  • Transnational Migration
  • Human Trafficking and Smuggling
  • Comparative Politics and Development
  • Comparative and International Political Economy
  • International Relations and U.S. Foreign Policy
  • East Asian Politics/Korean Politics

Dr. Lim's Web Page

 

Michael McLendon

Michael McLendon, Ph.D.
Professor and Graduate Advisor, MA Program
323-343-2284
mmclend2@calstatela.edu
Ph.D. - University of Texas, Austin, 2001
MA - Columbia University, 1993

Interests:

  • Ancient Political Thought
  • Modern Political Thought
  • Rousseau
  • Critical Theory
  • Postmodernism

Dr. McLendon's Web Page

Marla Parker

Marla Parker, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
323-343-2248
mparke17@calstatela.edu
Ph.D. - University of Illinois, Chicago, 2014

Interests:

  • Public Administration and Management; Public Sector Leadership
  • Diversity, Social Equity and Social Justice
  • Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Policy
  • Social Networks and Capital

 

Ellen Shiau

Ellen Shiau, Ph.D. 
Associate Professor
Ph.D. - University of Southern California, 2012
Phone: 323-343-5826
E-mail: eshiau@calstatela.edu
Office: E&T A514

Interests:

  • Public Policy
  • Urban Politics
  • Civic Engagement
  • GIS Methods and Analysis
  • Public Administration

Lecturers

Debito Beamer

Debito Beamer, Ph.D.
323-343-2683
dbeamer@calstatela.edu
Ph.D. - Meiji Gakuin University, 2014

Interests:

  • Politics and Internationalization in Japan
  • Racial Discrimination and Immigration
  • Comparative Politics
  • American Politics
  • Critical Thinking and Research Methods

Jeremy Busacca

Jeremy Busacca, Ph.D.
323-343-2243
jbusacc@calstatela.edu
Ph.D. - Claremont Graduate University

Rick Groper

Richard Groper
323-343-2233
rgroper@calstatela.edu
Ph.D. - University of Southern California

Interests:

  • American Politics
  • Political Communication
  • Campaigns and Elections 

Dr. Groper's Web Page

Cynthia McMeekin

Cynthia McMeekin
323-343-2233
cmcmeek2@calstatela.edu
Ph.D. - University of Georgia, 2013

Interests:

  • International Organizations
  • Civil War
  • Human Rights

Dr. McMeekin's Web Page

Greg Santori

Gregg Santori
gsantor2@calstatela.edu
Ph.D. - Johns Hopkins University, 2001

Interests:

  • Political Theory
  • American Politics

Atsuko Sato

Atsuko Sato
323-343-2242
asato@calstatela.edu
Ph.D. - University of Hawaii

Interests:

  • Comparative Politics
  • Quantitative Methods

Dr. Sato's Web Page

Recipient of the Cal State LA 2011 Outstanding Lecturer Award.

Joey Torres

Joey Torres
323-343-2683
jtorr256@calstatela.edu
Ph.D. - Claremont Graduate University, ABD
M.A. - Claremont Graduate University, 2016

Interests:

  • Religion and politics 
  • Christian right social movements 
  • American political thought and development
  • Voting rights in Indian Country
  • Political philosophy (Plato, Locke, and Heidegger) 

Missing media item.

John Treantafelles
323-343-2683
jtreant@calstatela.edu
Ph.D. - University of Chicago, 1992

Interests:

  • Political Philosophy (Classical and Modern)
  • American Politics (Public Opinion and Public Policy)

Dr. Treantafelles's Page

Kim Williams

Kim Williams, Ed.D.
323-343-2683
kwilli61@calstatela.edu
Ed.D., Education Leadership - University of California, Davis, 2002

Interests:

  • Public Administration
  • Organization Theory and Human Behavior 
  • Ethics in Public Administration
  • Nonprofit Governance and Strategy
  • Organizational Leadership 

Dr. Williams' Web Page