Political Science Faculty

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.

Department Chair

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

Recent Faculty Publications

Faculty Office Hours

Core Faculty

Jared Abbott, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
323-343-2235
[email protected]
Ph.D. - Harvard University, 2020
M.A. - New School for Social Research, 2010

Interests:

Latin American Politics
Political Participation
Social Movements

Emily Acevedo, Ph.D.
Professor
323-343-2243
[email protected]
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, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
323-343-2236
[email protected]
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, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
323-343-2233
[email protected]
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, Ph.D.
Professor
323-343-2241
[email protected]
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

Taylor Dark III, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair
323-343-2247
[email protected]
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, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
323-343-2245
[email protected]
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, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
323-343-2246
[email protected]
Ph.D. - University of Nebraska at Omaha, 2020

Interests:

Public Administration
E-Government
Performance Management
Collaborative Government

Chongmyoung Lee, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
323-343-2245
[email protected]
Ph.D. - North Carolina State University, 2014

Interests:

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

Timothy C. Lim, Ph.D.
Professor
323-343-2242
[email protected]
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, Ph.D.
Professor and Graduate Advisor, MA Program
323-343-2284
[email protected]
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, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
323-343-2248
[email protected]
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, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Ph.D. - University of Southern California, 2012
Phone: 323-343-5826
E-mail: [email protected]
Office: E&T A514

Interests: