The University of West Georgia political science faculty is a leader among the four-year institutions in the state. Their doctoral training represents a variety of areas and approaches to the discipline. The faculty is engaged in ongoing research and takes an active interest in state, regional, and national political science organizations. Quality teaching is particularly emphasized. The student may expect small classes and individual attention in the major courses. 

Go to MPA Faculty Page .

Dr. Robert Schaefer - Chair, Department of Political Science/Planning & Professor of Political Science

Dr. Schaefer teaches courses in American government including the Presidency, American Political Organizations, and State & Local Politics. His areas of interest also include state constitutions, Cuba, and Shakespeare. The fifth edition of American Political Rhetoric was recently published.

Email:  rschaefe@westga.edu

Dr. Robert Sanders - Professor of Political Science - Dr. Sanders teaches in the MPA program. 

Dr. Robert M. Sanders has published research articles in academic journals in the areas of environmental policy, animal rights lobbying activities and immigration policy. In subjects regarding local governance, Professor Sanders has written about privatization of social services, Georgia government and the GeorgiaGain program, which appeared in Public Personnel Management. Dr. Sanders has also presented his research and arranged academic panels at several national and regional conferences including the National Conference of the American Society for Public Administration and the Southeast Conference of the American Society for Pubic Administration. He is also served as editor and member of the Review Board on academic journals such as Policy and Politics.
On campus, Professor Sanders serves as advisor to several organizations including the Political Science Club, and in the community, he serves on the Executive Committee of the Carroll County Democratic Party. Dr. Sanders has also engaged in consulting for local governments and has served as a political commentator for area newspapers and radio stations. He has also served as West Georgia Chapter President of the American Association of University Professors and Georgia Chapter President of the American Society for Public Administration.
Dr. Sanders has received the "Research of the Year" award from the graduate school, as well as "Advisor of the Year" and "Faculty Member of the Year Award" from the Student Government Association. He received his Ph.D. in Public Administration from Florida International University, Miami.

Vitae: Robert Sanders
Email:  bsanders@westga.edu

Dr. Richard Larkin -  Associate Professor of Political Science - Dr. Larkin teaches Planning, Public Administration, and American Government. He is the Graduate Coordinator for the Master of Science degree in Rural and Small Town Planning.

His current research includes the application of neural networks and other forms of artificial intelligence to the study of policy subsystems and networks. Other publications and presentations cover topics including public-private partnerships in local economic development and the interactions of science and coastal policy. 

Vitae: G. Richard Larkin
Email:  dlarkin@westga.edu

Dr. Said Sewell III - Associate Professor of Political Science - Dr. Sewell teaches in the MPA program. 

His interests include: American Government, Black Religion and Politics, Urban Politics, Public Administration, Public Policy, and Research Methods.   Professor Sewell specializes in American politics, urban politics, urban studies, Black politics,  public policy, the religion andpolitics, and the black church as a vehicle for community development.  He has written and presented several articles on his dissertation topic which concerned black Baptist pastors and their efforts toward community development, especially in Atlanta. He is presently beginning two research projects, one of which seeks to examine the type, and success, of community development initiatives in black churches around the nation; and a critical study of southern rural black churches and community development programs.  Professor Sewell is a member of several political science organizations and is the West Georgia advisor to a newly-created chapter of the NAACP.

Vitae:  Said Sewell
Email:  ssewell@westga.edu

Bio: Professor Said L. Sewell, Ph.D.

Dr. Stan Caress - Professor of Political Science - Dr. Caress teaches in the MPA program. 

His recent research includes a book in progress, Administration at the Local Level, a textbook designed for use in an upper level municipal, local, or urban administration course.  He has published articles on legislative term limits and environmental policy.  Additionally, he is the regional director of the Center for Future Democracy, a non-profit research organization.  Dr. Caress was recently elected as the president of the Georgia Chapter of the American Society of Public Administration. 

Vitae: Stan Caress
Email: scaress@westga.edu

Dr. Louis Howe - Associate Professor of Political Science - Dr. Howe teaches political  and organizational theory and American political thought courses. 

He has recently had an article published in Administrative Theory and Praxis, entitled “Civil Service Reform and the  Political Culture of Governmentality: Massachusetts 1952 - 1981,” as well as a second article, “Mourning Democracy and Administering the Future: Lessons from Wallace Shawn's The Designated Mourner” to be published in the journal, Administration & Society. 

Vitae: Louis Howe
Email:  lhowe@westga.edu

Dr. Heather A. D. Mbaye - Assistant Professor of Political Science – received her doctorate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and recently joined the faculty at West Georgia.

Her research interests include policy implementation in the European Union, regional activities and offices in Brussels, and European political parties. She has written and published several articles on policy compliance in Europe, her dissertation topic, and has been invited to speak on plenary session panels on compliance. Dr. Mbaye teaches European politics, integration, and international political economy and is active in the University System of Georgia's European Union Center.

Vitae:  Heather A. D. Mbaye
Email:  hmbaye@westga.edu

J. Salvador Peralta - Assistant Professor of Political Science.

Dr. Peralta received his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University ofArizona in 2006. His research and teaching interests are in the areas of Comparative Politics and American Politics, with emphasis on Latin Americanand Latino politics. Prof. Peralta is also interested in international migration and immigration policy. His current research focuses on legislative development, regime support and breakdown, and immigration policy-making. He teaches courses on American politics, international relations and Latin American politics.

Vitae: Salvador Peralta
Email: jperalta@westga.edu

Dr. Sooho Lee - Assistant Professor of Political Science.

Dr. Lee teaches in the MPA program.

His research interests include outsourcing in the public sector and science & technology policy. He has been involved in several outsourcing projects that Georgia state government has funded. He has presented and published outsourcing research papers in public policy conferences and journals. Currently he is studying management capacity change in the outsourcing process in public agencies. He is also engaged in science and technology policy research. Recently he published an article, "The impact of research collaboration on scientific productivity," in Social Studies of Science. Currently he is studying science policy and immigration policy.

Vitae: Sooho Lee
Email: slee@westga.edu

Dr.Thomas R. Hunter - Assistant Professor of Political Science.

Vitae:Dr.Thomas R. Hunter
Email: thunter@westga.edu

Dr. Donald R. Wagner - Professor of Political Science, Director of Special Programs, Dean of the Honors College.

Bio: Dr. Donald R. Wagner
Vitae: Dr. Donald R. Wagner
Email: dwagner@westga.edu

  Dr. Gregory Dixon -

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