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Faculty and Staff

Meet the people who will help prepare you for a career in public service

Faculty and Staff Faculty and Staff

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Our diverse and expert educators believe in making the world a better place, and helping you hone your passion into purposeful direction and action.

  • Lisa S. Alfredson

    Assistant Professor

    Alfredson’s expertise spans topics of globalization and international development, including gender violence, refugees, and children in armed conflict.

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  • Ariel Armony

    Professor, Vice Provost for Global Affairs, Director of the University Center for International Studies

    Armony has written numerous books on political science and Latin American Studies and leads Pitt's global engagement.

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  • Kathleen Buechel

    Senior Lecturer

    Buechel takes a successful career in corporate foundation philanthropy to the classroom to teach nonprofit sustainability.

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  • Louise K. Comfort

    Professor

    Comfort is an expert in disaster management, resiliency, and the use of technological support systems in disaster situations.

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  • Luke Condra

    Public and International Affairs Program Director; Associate Professor

    Condra studies the politics of violence in conflict-ridden, emerging democracies.

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  • Sabina Deitrick

    Associate Professor

    From outreach to economic planning, Deitrick has a breadth of experience in issues of community development.

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  • George Dougherty

    Public Policy and Management Program Director; Assistant Professor

    Dougherty brings extensive practical knowledge in issues of local government finance, court administration, and management.

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  • Müge Kökten Finkel

    Director, Ford Institute for Human Security; Assistant Professor

    An authority on gender equality, Finkel’s current research focuses on politics of public sector employment and opportunities for women.

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  • Nicola Foote

    Professor

    Foote is a scholar with research interests in race and state formation in Ecuador, Caribbean migration to South America, histories of reproductive health care access in Florida and human-animal relations in the Galapagos Islands.

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  • Shanti Gamper-Rabindran

    Associate Professor

    Trained in economics, environmental management and law, Gamper-Rabindran examines the role of markets, corporate social responsibility, information disclosure, regulatory and other policy tools in the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy in the U.S., Europe and emerging economies.

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  • Ryan Grauer

    Associate Professor

    Grauer's research focuses on security issues with a particular emphasis on the constitution, power, and the effectiveness of military organizations.

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  • Melinda Haas

    Assistant Professor

    An expert in law and international security, her current research focuses on how congressional regulation can have unintended effects on the types of covert action used in U.S. foreign policy.

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  • Gary Hollibaugh

    Public Administration Program Director; Associate Professor

    Hollibaugh focuses on American institutions in politics and leadership in public administration through theoretical and statistical analysis.

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  • Daniel Jones

    PhD Program Director; Associate Professor

    As an Applied Microeconomist, Daniel’s research focuses in the fields of public economics, labor economics, and political economy. Recently focusing on the economics of gender and race, he studies how diversity impacts certain economic, political, and policy outcomes.

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  • Kevin Kearns

    Professor

    From thought leadership to practical experience, Kearns is a specialist in ethical leadership in public and nonprofit organizations.

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  • John T.S. Keeler

    Professor

    Named dean of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) from 2007-2020, Keeler is a widely recognized international scholar, teacher, and leader.

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  • Michael Kenney

    Posvar Chair in International Security Studies; Director of the Ridgway Center; Professor

    Kenney conducts research in the areas of terrorism and organized crime in countries around the world.

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  • Michael Lewin

    Senior Lecturer

    A former Senior Economist at the World Bank, Lewin specializes in international economics (trade and finance) and economic development.

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  • Sera Linardi

    Associate Professor

    Linardi collaborates with social service providers and technology firms through field and laboratory experiments to understand their organizational challenges and how to solve them.

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  • John Mendeloff

    Professor

    Mendeloff analyzes public policies and works to make them more efficient and effective.

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  • Ilia Murtazashvili

    Associate Professor

    A specialist in political economy, Murtazashvili studies economic and political institutions closely associated with wealth creation and sustainable use of natural resources.

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  • Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili

    Associate Professor, Director of the Center for Governance and Markets

    Murtazashvili’s cutting edge research is based on more than two decades of extensive field and management experience in challenging environments.

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  • Paul J. Nelson

    Associate Professor

    With 13 years experience working as a policy analyst for several NGOs, Nelson brings a wealth of real-world knowledge to issues of international development.

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  • Lisa Nelson

    Associate Professor

    Nelson's current research explores social networking technologies while questioning information ethics.

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  • Erica Owen

    Associate Dean, Associate Professor

    Owen is an expert in political economy of trade, foreign direct investment, and the politics of labor and multinational firms.

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  • Louis A. Picard

    International Development Program Director; Professor

    Picard worked in more than 50 countries, primarily in Africa and the Middle East, over 40 years doing on-the-ground work and academic research.

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  • Marcela González Rivas

    Assistant Professor

    Rivas’ research focuses on how social equity, community development, and regional economic planning can overcome issues of marginalization.

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  • Julia Santucci

    Senior Lecturer in Intelligence Studies, Director of the Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership and Frances Hesselbein Leadership Forum

    Santucci brings extensive real-world experience in national security and foreign policy from her time working at the CIA and State Department.

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  • Carissa Schively Slotterback

    Dean, Professor

    Named dean of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) in 2020, Dr. Slotterback is widely recognized for her research and teaching on public engagement and decision making in environmental, land use, and transportation planning.

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  • Taylor Seybolt

    Associate Professor

    A specialist in protecting civilians in conflict zones, Seybolt seeks to identify ways to prevent violence from resulting in mass casualties.

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  • Nuno Themudo

    Associate Professor

    Themundo is an expert in how nonprofit organizations and NGOs are managed, as well as in civil society and public affairs.

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  • Jeremy Weber

    Associate Professor

    Weber’s research delves into the governance of oil and gas extraction, economic sustainability, and agricultural policy.

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  • Phil Williams

    Professor

    An expert in organized crime and international security, Williams serves as a consultant for the United Nations Crime Prevention Branch and Drug Control Program.

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