School of Public Affairs: Faculty Highlights

Dr. Valerie Stahl Recognized as an Influential Faculty Member

Undergraduate PA student Dennise Juarez Aguilar was awarded SDSU’s “Quest for the Best” Vice Presidential Student Services Award and selected Dr. Valerie Stahl as her Most Influential Faculty member.

The Quest for the Best Vice Presidential Student Service Award has celebrated students who excel academically, contribute to their communities, demonstrate leadership, and actively engage in student activities for over three decades. This tradition underscores the impactful role of educators like Valerie Stahl in shaping the holistic development of students beyond the confines of the classroom.

Drs. Welsh Carroll and Flanigan's Research Included in Amicus Brief to US Supreme Court

Dr. Welsh Carroll’s and Dr. Flanigan’s award-winning research, conducted with the support of community partners at The San Diego River Park Foundation and the San Diego Public Library, was cited in an amicus brief submitted to the United States Supreme Court this April. The amicus brief was signed by over fifty social scientists in support of the plaintiffs in the upcoming landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Grants Pass v. Johnson, the most important case regarding homelessness in the past 40 years.

Criminal Justice faculty Secured a Grant to Evaluate the County Public Defender’s Office

Drs. Paul Kaplan, Kim Kras, Erica Redner-Vera, and Tereza Trejbalova, along with several undergraduate and graduate students, led the evaluation of the San Diego County Public Defender’s Program -- the Pre-Arraignment Advocacy and Community Connection project via a $3 million Board of State and Community Corrections grant.

Dr. Megan Welsh Carroll Named Institute of Innovative Governance Director

The Institute for Innovative Governance at  SDSU, housed in the School of Public Affairs, is dedicated to shaping the future of public service by fostering creativity, ethical conduct, and social equity in governance.  Dr. Welsh Carroll will lead the relaunch of the Institute.