Los Angeles, CA —
Raphael J. Sonenshein, a noted professor, author and expert on the
governance of Los Angeles and the region, has been named executive
director of the Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute (PBI) of Public Affairs
at California State University, Los Angeles.
Sonenshein will begin his tenure at PBI in February 2012, replacing
Jaime Regalado, who is retiring after heading the Institute since 1991.
The Institute is a non-partisan public policy center dedicated to
sustaining the vision and legacy of former California Governor Pat Brown
through convening public policy forums, engaging multi-sector
stakeholders and diverse communities, and conducting timely policy
research and community-driven initiatives.
“It’s a great honor to follow in the footsteps of Jaime Regalado. PBI is
a jewel, one that reflects the vision of the great governor for whom it
is named, and the work of the many people who built and have sustained
it for more than two decades,” said Sonenshein. “I hope to further
expand the Institute’s impact on the daily lives of the people who live
in our neighborhoods, our cities, our region and our state, and on the
public policies that affect us all. For me, it’s the opportunity of a
lifetime.”
Sonenshein is currently chair of the Division of Politics,
Administration and Justice at Cal State Fullerton (CSUF), a professor of
political science and public administration, and the director of the
Division’s Center for Public Policy. He has been teaching at CSUF since
1982.
From 1997 to 1999,
he served as executive director of the City of Los Angeles Appointed
Charter Reform Commission, which helped create the first successful
comprehensive reform of the Los Angeles City Charter in 75 years, and
has since advised charter reforms in Glendale, Burbank, Culver City, and
Huntington Beach.
“The breadth of Dr. Sonenshein’s experience as an expert in city
governance, politics and as an educator is immeasurable,” said CSULA
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Ashish Vaidya, who
chairs the Board of Advisors of the Institute. “His prowess as a
researcher and writer, as well as his innate ability to work
collaboratively with civic leaders, policy makers, and educational
administrators will be invaluable as he leads the Institute in expanding
its mission, and in continuing the enduring legacy of former Governor
Pat Brown.”
As a professor,
Sonenshein has received numerous awards, including “Best Educator” from
the CSUF’s Associated Students, Inc., “Distinguished Faculty Member”
from the CSUF’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the
CSU Wang
Family Excellence Award.
As an author, he
has written extensively regarding city governance and the relationships
among racial and ethnic groups, and is currently working on his fourth
book. His monthly column, “The Jewish Vote,” which runs in the Jewish
Journal of Greater Los Angeles, was nominated in 2005 as the best
column by the Los Angeles Press Club.
Sonenshein is also
sought after as a political expert by many local and national media
outlets. During the election seasons of 1997, 2001, and 2005, he served
as the political consultant of the Los Angeles Times’
election-day exit polls, and has penned op-ed pieces for the newspaper.
He has also appeared on CNN, NPR, KPCC and KCRW.
Sonenshein
received his B.A. in public policy from the Woodrow Wilson School of
Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, and his M.A.
and Ph.D. in political science from Yale University.
Working for California since 1947: The 175-acre hilltop campus of California State University, Los Angeles is at the heart of a major metropolitan city, just five miles from Los Angeles’ civic and cultural center. More than 20,000 students and 220,000 alumni—with a wide variety of interests, ages and backgrounds—reflect the city’s dynamic mix of populations. Six
Colleges offer nationally recognized science, arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education and humanities programs, among others, led by an award-winning faculty. Cal State L.A. is home to the critically-acclaimed Luckman Jazz Orchestra and to
the Honors College for high-achieving students.
Programs that provide exciting enrichment opportunities to students and community include an NEH-supported humanities center; a NASA-funded center for space research; and a growing forensic science program, housed in the Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center. www.calstatela.edu
Professor, author and
city governance expert
Raphael J. Sonenshein named executive director of
the Pat Brown Institute of Public Affairs
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