Meet Us
Department Chair and Administrative Staff
Brian DiSarro, Ph.D.
Professor, Department Chair
- Location: Tahoe Hall 3104
- Phone: (916) 278-6202
- disarrob@csus.edu
- Pronouns: He/Him/His
- Specialty & Interests: LGBTQ Politics, American Political Development, Constitutional Rights & Liberties, Research Methods
Michelle Tarter
Administrative Support Coordinator I
- Location: Tahoe Hall 3104
- mtarter@csus.edu
- Pronouns: she/her
Department Program Contacts
Harry Blain
Assistant Professor, Model United Nations Faculty Advisor and Pre-Law Faculty Advisor
- Location: Tahoe Hall 3122
- Phone: (916) 278-7098
- harry.blain@csus.edu
- Specialty & Interests: Civil liberties, civil rights, the U.S presidency, comparative constitutionalism, law and society
Jaime Jackson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Internship Coordinator & Director of Sacramento Semester Program
- Location: Tahoe Hall 3112
- Phone: (916) 278-7099
- jaime.jackson@csus.edu
- Pronouns: She/Her
- Specialty & Interests: Civil Conflict, Nonviolent Action, Foreign Policy
Kristina Flores Victor
Associate Professor, Coordinator of Master's Program and Odyssey Mentoring Program Faculty Advisor
- Location: Tahoe Hall 3118
- kristina.victor@csus.edu
- Pronouns: She/Hers
- Specialty & Interests: Latinx Politics, Immigration Politics, California Politics
Faculty
David Andersen-Rodgers,Ph.D.
Professor
- Location: Tahoe Hall 3119
- Phone: (916) 278-7095
- david.andersen@csus.edu
- Specialty & Interests: Human security, peace and conflict studies, forced displacement, and foreign policy decision-making
Christopher Arns, M.A.
Lecturer
- Location: Online Only
- christopher.arns@csus.edu
- Specialty & Interests: International relations, U.S. foreign policy, United States political history, California political history, politics of race and gender
Mark Brown, Ph.D.
Professor
- Location: Tahoe Hall 3124
- Phone: (916) 278-6430
- mark.brown@csus.edu
- Website
- Specialty & Interests: Political Theory
Patrick G. Cannon
Professor
- Location: Tahoe Hall 3113
- Phone: (916) 278-4529
- pcannon@csus.edu
- Specialty & Interests: International Political Economy; International Relations; African Politics
Corin Choppin, M.A.
Lecturer
- Location: Tahoe Hall 3001
- cchoppin@ccp.csus.edu
- Pronouns: He/Him
- Website
- Specialty & Interests: Local Government Polling Political Campaigns
Anna Daily, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
- Location: Tahoe Hall 3107
- Phone: (916) 278-4399
- anna.daily@csus.edu
- Pronouns: she/her
- Specialty & Interests: Democratic theory, citizenship, feminist theory, disability studies
Mario Guerrero, M.P.A.
Lecturer
- Location: Tahoe Hall 3001
- mario.guerrero@csus.edu
- Pronouns: He/Him/His
Julian Haddad, M.I.A.
Lecturer
- Location: Online Only
- julian.haddad@csus.edu
- Specialty & Interests: Comparative Political Economy (technology, AI, and welfare states); Comparative Political Theory (including non-Western traditions and conceptions of the state’s role in the economy)
Valerie Higgins, J.D., LL.M.
Lecturer
- Location: Online Only
- valerie.higgins@csus.edu
- Specialty & Interests: California State and Local Government, American Institutions, Civil Litigation, Government Law
Wesley Hussey
Professor
- Location: Tahoe Hall 3120
- Phone: (916) 278-3849
- whussey@csus.edu
- Specialty & Interests: California Politics, American Political Parties, Elections & Voting
Richard Launey, M.A.
Lecturer
- Location: On leave Spring 2026
- Phone: (916) 996-8528
- rlauney@csus.edu
- Website
Young-Im Lee, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
- Location: Tahoe 3008
- Phone: (916)278-7090
- young-im.lee@csus.edu
- Pronouns: She
- Specialty & Interests: Gender and elections in East Asia, South Korean politics
Danielle Joesten Martin, Ph.D.
Professor
- Location: Tahoe 3110
- Phone: (916) 278-6380
- danielle.martin@csus.edu
- Website
Kimberly Nalder, Ph.D.
Professor
- Location: Tahoe 3121
- Phone: (916) 278-6693
- klnalder@csus.edu
- Website
Joshua Pryor, Ph.D.
Lecturer
- Location: Tahoe 3001
- joshua.pryor@csus.edu
- Specialty & Interests: International Relations International Organization Network Analysis Globalization Political Stability Economic Inequality
James DeShaw Rae
Professor
- Location: On leave Spring 2026
- Phone: (916) 278-7866
- rae@csus.edu
- Website
- Specialty & Interests: Human Rights and Transitional Justice; Peacebuilding and the United Nations; Ethnic Conflict, Nationalism, and Political Violence; Politics of East and Southeast Asia
Sahar Razavi, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Director of Iranian and Middle Eastern Studies Center
- Location: Tahoe 3101
- Phone: (916) 278-6098
- razavi@csus.edu
Janice Shiu, Ph.D.
Lecturer
- Location: Tahoe 3051
- Phone: (916) 278-7694
- janice.shiu@csus.edu
- Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Christopher C. Towler, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
- Location: Tahoe Hall 3117
- Phone: (916) 278-4012
- towler@csus.edu
- Specialty & Interests: Dr. Towler examines the dynamic relationship between progressive social movements and far-right movements. Recent scholarship examines the mobilizing power of both racial threat and political hope.
Monicka Tutschka, Ph.D.
Professor
- Location: Tahoe Hall 3114
- tutschka@csus.edu
- Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
- Specialty & Interests: Political Theory, Early Modern Political Thought, Thomas Hobbes, Social Contract Theory, Ideas in Context, Religion and Politics, Political Theology, Contemporary Political Thought, Social Justice
Michael J. Wadle, M.A.
Lecturer
- Location: Online Only
- wadlem@csus.edu
- Specialty & Interests: California state and local government, the legislative process, California’s budget process and experiential learning/internships.