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Political Science College of Social Sciences & Interdisciplinary Studies

Meet Us

Department Chair and Administrative Staff

Brian DiSarro, Ph.D.

Professor, Department Chair

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  • Location: Tahoe Hall 3104
  • Phone: (916) 278-6202
  • Pronouns: He/Him/His
  • Specialty & Interests: LGBTQ Politics, American Political Development, Constitutional Rights & Liberties, Research Methods

Erika Cessna

Administrative Support Coordinator II

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Michelle Tarter

Administrative Support Coordinator I

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Department Program Contacts

Harry Blain

Assistant Professor, Model United Nations Faculty Advisor and Pre-Law Faculty Advisor

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  • Office Hours:
    Wed. 3 - 5 p.m.
    Thurs. 4 - 5 p.m.
  • 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

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  • Specialty & Interests: Civil Conflict, Nonviolent Action, Foreign Policy

Kristina Flores Victor

Associate Professor, Coordinator of Master's Program and Odyssey Mentoring Program Faculty Advisor

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  • Specialty & Interests: Latinx Politics, Immigration Politics, California Politics

Faculty

David Andersen-Rodgers,Ph.D.

Professor

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  • Office Hours: Tues./Thurs. 3 - 4:30 p.m.
  • Specialty & Interests: Human security, peace and conflict studies, forced displacement, and foreign policy decision-making

Christopher Arns, M.A.

Lecturer

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  • Office Hours: Mon./Fri. 4 - 6 p.m. Zoom
  • 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

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  • Office Hours: On leave Spring 2025
  • Specialty & Interests: Political Theory

Patrick G. Cannon

Professor

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  • Office Hours:
    Mon./Wed. 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. Zoom
    Tues. 4 - 5 p.m. Zoom
  • Specialty & Interests: International Political Economy; International Relations; African Politics

Daniel Cascaddan

Lecturer

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  • Office Hours: Tues./Thurs. 2:45 - 3:30 p.m.

Corin Choppin, M.A.

Lecturer

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  • Office Hours: Fri. noon - 3 p.m.
  • Specialty & Interests: Local Government Polling Political Campaigns

James Cox, Ph.D.

Professor

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  • Office Hours:
    Tues. 3 - 5 p.m.
    Thurs. 3 - 4 p.m.
    Tues. 3 - 5 p.m. Zoom
    Thurs. 3 - 4 p.m. Zoom

Anna Daily, Ph.D

Assistant Professor

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  • Specialty & Interests: Democratic theory, citizenship, feminist theory, disability studies

Mario Guerrero, M.P.A

Lecturer

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  • Office Hours: On leave Spring 2025

H. James Harper, M.A.

Lecturer

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  • Office Hours: Tues./Thurs. 10 - 11 a.m. by phone

Andrew Hertzoff

Professor

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  • Office Hours: TBD

Valerie Higgins, J.D., LL.M

Lecturer

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  • Office Hours: Mon./Thurs. 6 - 6:45 p.m. Zoom
  • Specialty & Interests: California State and Local Government, American Institutions, Civil Litigation, Government Law

Wesley Hussey

Professor

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  • Office Hours:
    Mon./Wed. 2 - 2:50 p.m.
    Thurs. 4:30 - 5:20 p.m.
  • Specialty & Interests: California Politics, American Political Parties, Elections & Voting

Trevor Krapf

Lecturer

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  • Office Hours: Wed. noon - 1 p.m. Zoom

Nancy Lapp, Ph.D.

Professor

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Vincent T. Latino

Lecturer, Academic Advisor Capitol Senate Fellows Program

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  • Office Hours: Mon./Wed. 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Contact instructor for Zoom link
  • Specialty & Interests: American Governments California State and Local Governments Lobbying and Campaigns

Richard Launey, M.A.

Lecturer

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  • Office Hours: On leave Spring 2025

Young-Im Lee, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

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  • Specialty & Interests: Gender and elections in East Asia, South Korean politics

Danielle Joesten Martin, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

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Kimberly Nalder, Ph.D.

Professor

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  • Office Hours:
    Tues./Thurs. 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.
    Tues. 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.

Joshua Pryor, Ph.D.

Lecturer

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  • Office Hours:
    Mon./Wed. 9:15 - 9:45 a.m.
    Mon./Wed. 12:15 - 1:15 p.m.
    Mon./Wed. 9:15 - 9:45 a.m. Zoom
    Mon./Wed. 12:15 - 1:15 p.m. Zoom
  • Specialty & Interests: International Relations International Organization Network Analysis Globalization Political Stability Economic Inequality

James DeShaw Rae

Professor

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  • 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

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  • Office Hours: Mon. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Zoom

Maria Sampanis, Ph.D.

Lecturer

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  • Office Hours:
    Tues./Thurs. 9:15 - 10:15 a.m.
    Wed. 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. Zoom (Contact instructor for link)

David Selby, Ph.D.

Lecturer

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Janice Shiu, Ph.D.

Lecturer

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  • Office Hours: TBD

Bruce Snyder, Ph.D., J.D.

Lecturer

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  • Office Hours:
    Mon. 10 - 10:50 a.m.
    Tues. noon - 1 p.m.
    Wed. 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.
    Thurs. 8 - 8:50 a.m.

Christopher C. Towler, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

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  • Office Hours:
    Thurs. 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
    Fri. 10 - 11 a.m. Zoom
  • 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

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  • Location: Tahoe Hall 3114
  • Phone: (267) 971-4360
  • 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

Jason Vitaich

Lecturer

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  • Office Hours: Thurs. 9 - 10 a.m. Zoom

Michael J. Wadle, M.A.

Lecturer

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  • Office Hours: Wed. 10 a.m. - noon by phone
  • Specialty & Interests: California state and local government, the legislative process, California’s budget process and experiential learning/internships.
Total Members: 37