Public Sector Management (PSM) - Faculty

Lawrence H. Bailey, Ph.D.

• POLS 360: Public Administration
• POLS 466: The Politics of Public Spending

Bailey has taught and conducted research in the public administration field for more than 20 years. He teaches courses in public budgeting, public administration, organizational theory, public sector ethics, and bureaucracy and democracy. Bailey earned his Ph.D. Political Science from the University of Massachusetts and Master of Arts Government from the University of Virginia. He brings his educational background and extensive experience to his classes. Bailey has worked at every level of government and with the U.S. Department of State, teaching and collaborating with political science and public administration professors from over 70 countries. He also has published books on the development of the American state, and the political party system. His international expertise includes giving keynote addresses and presentations in several countries overseas. He also was awarded a Fulbright Specialist Grant to teach and collaborate with Constanta University in Romania.

POLS 360 and 466 help students develop key analytical skills and build important competencies for those seeking management and leadership positions in the public sector. Budgets are at the heart of public organizations. Understanding their design and logic, and how decisions are made, are key to management at every level. Students will have a new and broader understanding of the public sector and gain insights they can will use throughout their careers.

Jessica Baty McMillan

Lecturer, Department of Communication Studies

• COMS 309: Advanced Public Speaking
• COMS 323: Group Communication
• COMS 321: Rhetorical Discourse

Sustainability and social justice guide McMillan’s teaching and ethos. She is proud of the community engagement partnership she started with Los Angeles Police Department cadets, where her advanced public speaking courses teach youth across Los Angeles the fundamentals of public speaking. McMillan won both CSUN's Visionary Community Service Learning Award and the Exceptional Service to Students Award because of her dedication to service and community.

McMillan received her Bachelor of Arts Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, with a focus in journalism and writing. After working in the publishing world for several years, she received her Master of Arts Human Communication from the University of Denver, with a focus in rhetoric and communication ethics. The power of voice is a tool everyone possesses. Her communication classes help students tune, warm-up and strengthen that tool to impact the world around them.

Lawrence Becker, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Political Science

• POLS 361: Introduction to Public Policy
• POLS 407: Policy Implementation and Program Evaluation
• POLS 462: Ethics in Politics and Administration

The public sector is a challenging work environment because programs and policies are implemented in a political context. Becker has a Ph.D. Political Science and brings to light the political context of public policy and administration. His research interests center on the link between legislative procedures and policy outcomes. Becker studies the connection between political institutions and public policymaking. As a political science professor, he teaches a variety of American political courses. He also teaches courses on policy and administration in the Master of Public Administration and Public Sector Management programs.

He authored the book, Doing the Right Thing, about Congressional procedures, and is co-authoring a book examining the tension between science and democracy in regulatory politics. Students will get in-depth understanding of the politics of policy making and implementation from an expert in the field.

Lori Ann Campbell

Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology
Academic Lead, Public Sector Management program

• SOC 401: Class, Status and Power

Campbell studied social inequality for more than 15 years and earned her Ph.D. Sociology at The Ohio State University. Her research focuses on the racial wealth gap and children's academic achievement – core topics related to social inequality, the focus of SOC 401.

Students learn how and why the United States has become a very unequal society in terms of income, wealth, educational opportunities, housing, and health. The class explores the causes and consequences of inequality. It also helps students understand why state, city and county budgets may shrink and why some people may resent the benefits received by workers in the public sector, since good healthcare benefits and retirement benefits have become less common in the private sector. In short, SOC 401 will help students understand the society in which they live and the challenges facing the public sector.

Moshoula Capous-Desyllas, Ph.D., MSW

Professor, Department of Sociology

• SOC 356: Social Welfare Institutions

Capous-Desyllas has a strong background in social welfare and social justice. Her social work experience includes working with children who suffered physical, mental, and sexual abuse and neglect; and at-risk youth and youth in the foster care system. She has worked in a variety of settings, including group homes, schools and nonprofit organizations, where she dealt with adults,such as homeless women, sex workers and Vietnam veterans dually diagnosed with mental health issues, drug and alcohol addiction, and previous incarceration. She brings her social work practice and research experiences to the classroom, giving students a real-world look at this field. Over the past 12 years, she has facilitated community-based, arts-based research projects with marginalized populations, such as grandparent caregivers, LGBTQ foster youth, sex workers, and immigrants and refugees. She often connects her research and practice experiences with the course content that focuses on social problems.

Capous-Desyllas has a Ph.D. in social welfare and social research, and a Master of Social Work degree. SOC 356 stimulates student interest in social welfare and institutions in the United States that address social problems, such as poverty, mental illness, child abuse, substance abuse, racism, sexism, aging and disabilities. She presents philosophical, historical and contemporary perspectives on the nature, extent and causes of such problems; and she highlights the role of the social work profession throughout the course.

Michael J. Carter, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Sociology

• SBS 320: Social Science Research Methods
• SOC 350: Population Dynamics
• SOC 400: Organizational Theory

Carter has taught research methods and other sociology courses for the Department of Sociology since 2011. He has conducted extensive research and has years of experience teaching social science, population dynamics and organizational theory. He is trained in social psychology and quantitative research methodology. He also specializes in organizations and institutions. Carter earned his Ph.D. Sociology from UC Riverside, and Bachelor of Arts Communication Studies from Sonoma State University. He provides a strong understanding of research methodology and the macro and micro dynamics of a variety of social processes. Carter also teaches for the Master of Public Administration program in the areas of research methods and organization theory. His specialty fields include social psychology, research methods, self and identity, group processes, sociology of emotions, and social institutions. He has been published in numerous sociology journals and brings an array of knowledge about the field to students of public sector management.

Monica Gallegos

Associate Professor, Department of Communication Studies

Dr. Monica Gallegos completed her PhD at the University of Arizona with a focus in Health Communication and a minor in Public Health. Dr. Gallegos studies how interpersonal relationships impact health in underrepresented, underserved, understudied, and at-risk populations, including Latinos, pregnant women seeking treatment for opioid addiction, as well as incarcerated women, their children, and the guardians of their children. Dr. Gallegos teaches a variety of courses at the undergraduate level, including Interpersonal Communication, Health Communication, Communication Theory, Intercultural Communication, Public Speaking, Advanced Public Speaking, Health Campaigns, and Lifespan Communication. At the graduate level, Dr. Gallegos teaches Health Communication and Interpersonal Communication.

Gigi Hessamian

Faculty, Department of Communication Studies

• COMS 323: Group Communication

Effective group communication is a must in every industry and organization that values effective functioning in task-oriented teams, departments and committees. Hessamian helps students understand the unique dynamics and challenges of diverse groups. COMS 323 will also empower students to function more effectively in meetings, conflict scenarios, decision-making sessions, and in leadership and support roles.

Hessamian earned her M.A. Communication Studies from CSUN and has extensive expertise in group communication. COMS 323 is a classic communication theory course combined with practical applications. Her interest in and knowledge about power dynamics, leadership, assertiveness and rhetorical strategy make this one of her favorite courses to teach.

Tom Hogan-Esch, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Political Science

• POLS 360: Public Administration
• POLS 403: State and Local Government

Hogan-Esch has a Ph.D. Political Science from the University of Southern California. He has devoted virtually all his professional career to studying political reform at the state and local level, particularly in the Los Angeles region. In the process of studying reform, students learn about historical, demographic, social, and economic and political forces that shape California urban areas. Public policy areas covered in his classes include education, housing and police reform, social movements and community development.

In all his classes, he emphasizes the importance of studying politics and policy at the local level. He believes too much discussion of politics focuses on events at the national level, to the exclusion of the level of government that most directly impacts individuals’ lives. In particular, he places great attention to historical forces that shaped urban areas, along with public policy issues critical to the successful function of democracy. Students emerge from his classes better equipped to meaningfully and knowledgeably participate in the public policy process in California communities.

Tyler Hughes, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Political Science

• POLS 361: Introduction to Public Policy
• POLS 406: Fundamentals of Policy Analysis

Hughes’ research focuses on agenda setting and the policy making process. He has a Ph.D. Political Science from the University of Oklahoma and has published in peer reviewed political science and public policy journals, including American Politics Research, Social Science Quarterly, Party Politics, and Review of Policy Research.

He brings his education and policy analysis skills to the classroom. In POLS 361 he gives students a broad understanding of the public policy process. This information is vital for anyone work in the public sector, as the class covers topics ranging from non-governmental policy actors to policy implementation. POLS 406 provides students with a toolkit to engage with the practice of policy analysis, an important component of many public sector jobs. By the end of the class, students will be able to identify policy problems, formulate a plan to evaluate policy solutions to address problems, and critique analyses created by other organizations/agencies.

David Leitch, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Political Science

• POLS 462: Ethics in Politics and Administration

POLS 462 is a vital course, because the legitimacy of the U.S. system of public administration depends in large part on its participants acting in an ethical, thoughtful, humane manner. Absent that legitimacy, administrative procedures fall apart. Leitch earned his Ph.D. in political science at UC San Diego, and he is an expert in the issues POSL 462 raises. His degree, research and interests include political theory, public law and politics. He has taught courses in the political science department that include Great Questions in Politics, Jurisprudence, and Proseminar in Political Theory.

Dominic Little, M.A.

Lecturer, Department of Criminology and Justice Studies

• SBS 320: Social Science Research Methods

As a professional educator and consultant for more than 20 years, Little teaches a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses that emphasize public policy and quantitative and qualitative research techniques. His consulting projects center on public policy and on small- to large scale state and international initiatives. Little has a Master of Arts Sociology from CSUN and a perspective based on an adage adapted from Karl Popper and other empiricists: “If you don’t measure, you don’t know.” Coupled with the Thomas Theorem, “If people define a situation as real, they are real in their consequences,” the results give a powerful set of presuppositions. Those presuppositions illuminate why reliable, valid knowledge – minimally contaminated by ideology and subjectivism – is important to construct a meaningful, actionable set of solutions and strategies for solving social problems, promoting social change and educating. As an experienced speaker, he interacts with experts and consumers alike. His value system is motivated by reducing suffering in the world and improving the human condition – a goal he realizes while preparing future generations in the classroom and consulting in public policy projects.

Lauren McDonald

Professor, Department of Sociology

Dr. McDonald's primary research interests are in sociology of education, social inequality, politics, the media, and public policy. Her research has examined various facets of how the conservative movement in America has used think tanks, the media, and policy planning organizations to influence education policy debates. Her more recent research has focused on the framing of healthcare and immigration policy debates by high profile cable TV pundits on FOX News and MSNBC, and navigating ethical issues in community-based participatory research. She is currently working on a project that analyzes the educational trajectories of first-generation college students at CSUN using data collected by the Office of Institutional Research's Learning Habits Project. In 2011 Dr. McDonald was the winner of the Don Dorsey Excellence in Mentoring Award given by the Office of Educational Opportunity, and in 2015 she was a recipient of the Exceptional Levels of Service to Students Award given by the Office of the Vice President for Faculty Affairs. Her research has appeared in academic journals such as Educational Policy, the Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies, and the Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics.

Randi Picarelli

Lecturer, Department of Communication Studies

• COMS 356: Intercultural Communication
• COMS 494/L: Internship in Communication Studies and Lab

Picarelli is a critical/cultural scholar who has been teaching and studying race/class/sex/gender for 20 years. She earned her Bachelor of Arts Speech Communication and Master of Arts Communication Studies with an emphasis in Gender from CSUN, and she has taught in the Department of Communication Studies and Department of Gender and Women’s Studies since 2002.

In an increasingly divisive society, learning how to be ethical citizens with words and bridging cultural chasms are critical. COMS 356 explores identities and positionalities, allowing students to gaze into the mirror of their own journeys and histories and become more aware of barriers to effective intercultural communication and relationships.

Picarelli is the director of the Communication Studies Internship Program at CSUN. She received the Excellence in Service to Students award at CSUN for her work to make the internship experience more equitable and accessible to students, particularly those most marginalized. COMS. 494 is the last course in the program, and it connects material from past courses to current contexts. She gives students a look at organizational theories – development of the modern organization, organizational structures, neoliberalism and capitalism, identity in the workplace, company cultures, and their personal relationship to work. Students get the opportunity to create (often with an employer) a project that allows them to develop new skills. These projects enhance the student's profile at work, give them a new sense of competence, all while being of service to an organization or community.

Josh Sides, Ph.D.

• POLS 380: Los Angeles: Past, Present, Future

Dr. Sides joined the CSUN History Department in 2005 as the second Whitsett Professor of California History, and was appointed as the Director of the Center for Southern California Studies in 2007, where he served until 2014. He was the Editor of California History, the official state historical journal, from 2014-2019.

At CSUN, he teaches classes on the history of the United States, African Americans, California, and Los Angeles. He has published numerous articles and the books L.A. City Limits: African American Los Angeles from the Great Depression to the Present (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2004) (Winner, Martin Ridge Prize, HSSC), Erotic City: Sexual Revolutions and the Making of Modern San Francisco (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009) (Winner, Bullough Prize for Best Book of 2009 by the Foundation for the Scientific Study of Sexuality and the Lewis Mumford Prize from the Society for American City and Regional Planning History). He is the editor of an anthology entitled Post-Ghetto: Reimagining South Los Angeles. In 2021, Bison Books published his newest book, Backcountry Ghosts: California Homesteaders and the Making of a Dubious Dream.

Ronen Sigalit

Professor, Department of Management

Sigalit Ronen is a professor of organizational behavior at the David Nazarian College of Business and Economics at California State University, Northridge. The focus of Professor Ronen's research expertise and consulting practice is leadership, motivation, performance appraisal systems, and corporate social responsibility. She is a recipient of research and teaching awards and has published her work in distinguished academic research journals in her field, such as Journal of Vocational Behavior, Applied Psychology, Academy of Management Learning and Education, Journal of Business Ethics, and the European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology. Her academic work was cited in business and HR outlets including the Forbes magazine, and the Institute of Professional Management. Using her academic expertise and industrial experience, Prof. Ronen integrates cutting edge knowledge into her teaching and consulting practices and helps individuals thrive by better utilizing their heads and hearts.