Dr. Hatcher is the Interim Chair of Augusta University's Department of Social Sciences and an Associate Professor of Political Science. His research focuses on the administrative features of community development and public finance. His research agenda tries to understand why public administration scholars and practitioners often have different opinions regarding the efficacy of certain administrative practices. His research has appeared in journals such as American Journal of Public Health, Journal of Public Affairs Education, Public Administration Quarterly, and The Review of Regional Studies.
Dr. Hatcher is active in NASPAA, the accrediting body for MPA programs, where he serves as chair of the organization's small MPA programs section. In the Department of Political Science, he teaches courses on public administration and public policy.
He received his doctorate from Mississippi State University in 2010.
Rhucha Samudra is the Interim Director of Augusta University's Master of Public Administration program and an Assistant Professor of Public Administration. Her research focuses primarily on income and food security and US Welfare Policy. Her work has been published in Review of Black Political Economy, Public Management and Social Policy and Journal of Rural Research and Policy.
She has also worked for the local governments in Washington DC, Arizona and Michigan on tax policy and human service programs.
She received her PhD in Public Administration from American University in 2016.
Dr. Foley joined the Department of Social Sciences in 2008, having completed her PhD. in Sociology at the University of Colorado. Among the courses she teaches are Deviance and Women, Crime, and the Criminal Justice Center.
She is also the Director of the Center for Social Science Research.
Dr. Martha Ginn is a Professor of Political Science and Public Administration. She earned her doctorate in American Politics from the University of South Carolina. Her research interests include judicial decision-making, public opinion of the judiciary, media coverage of elections, and the role of terrorism in voter turnout.
Her work has been published in journals such as Public Opinion Quarterly, Journal of Politics, Justice Systems Journal, Political Research Quarterly, and Judicature.
Dr. Kimberly Gray is the Director College Assessment and Strategic Initiatives for Pamplin College and an Assistant Professor in Political Science and Public Administration. She is the President of the Augusta University Chapter of Pi Alpha Alpha, the Global Honor Society for Public Affairs and Public Administration, and has been a member of the department since 2005.
She earned her doctorate of public administration (DPA) from Valdosta State University and her MPA from Augusta University (’00). Dr. Gray teaches undergraduate courses in Leadership and Professionalism, and teaches Grant Writing and Administration and various other courses in the MPA program.
A native of Ghana and graduate of the University of Akron, Dr. Hammond brings his research in social policy and economic development into the classroom to help students understand the nature of social and economic problems and the impact they have on individuals and societies as a whole.
Dr. Hatcher is the Interim Chair of Augusta University's Department of Social Sciences and an Associate Professor of Political Science. His research focuses on the administrative features of community development and public finance. His research agenda tries to understand why public administration scholars and practitioners often have different opinions regarding the efficacy of certain administrative practices. His research has appeared in journals such as American Journal of Public Health, Journal of Public Affairs Education, Public Administration Quarterly, and The Review of Regional Studies.
Dr. Hatcher is active in NASPAA, the accrediting body for MPA programs, where he serves as chair of the organization's small MPA programs section. In the Department of Political Science, he teaches courses on public administration and public policy.
He received his doctorate from Mississippi State University in 2010.
Dr. Heslen is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Augusta University and serves on faculty at Augusta University’s Cyber Institute.
Before coming to Augusta University, Dr. Heslen served as an intelligence officer with both the Defense Intelligence Agency and the United States Air Force, specializing in combatting terrorism, counterintelligence, and strategic cyber intelligence. He is a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force Reserve and has served in military operations on four continents to include humanitarian relief operations in Mozambique and South Africa as well as a tour in Afghanistan.
Dr. Heslen earned a bachelor's degree in History from the University of Georgia, a master's degree in International Relations from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in Organizational Leadership from the University of Oklahoma.
In his capacity as a military reservist, he is currently assigned to the National Intelligence University pursing an advanced degree in Strategic Intelligence. His research interests include cyber conflict, the influence of cognitive bias on discrimination, and applying the tenets of coalitional psychology to international relations theory. Dr. Heslen is married with three children.
Dr. Lizotte earned her Ph.D. in Political Science from Stony Brook University. Her research interests include political behavior and gender and public opinion. Much of her work is concerned with the origins and implications of gender differences in public opinion, often referred to as "gender gaps." In additional to her work on public opinion, she also has published research on the gender gap in voting, political knowledge, and party identification. Her work has been published in edited volumes as well as Politics & Gender; Journal of Women, Politics & Policy; The Social Science Journal; and Journal of Conflict Resolution. She teaches undergraduate courses on American government, Congress and the Presidency, and research methods. In our MPA program, she teaches Public Policy Analysis.
Dr. Meares is an assistant professor in political science and public administration at Augusta University. His research interests include housing, economic development, sustainability, urban politics and policy, and the role of nonprofits in neighborhood revitalization. He earned his PhD in Urban and Public Affairs from the University of Louisville, his MPA from Western Kentucky University and his BA in Political Science from LaGrange College. He has published a number of articles in top urban journals and coauthored a series of reports for the Housing Authority of Covington, a number of evaluation reports for nonprofit agencies and various impact studies for various private developers.
A retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, Dr. Ribando pulls from her practical experience in program evaluation and leadership to help students grasp how to address the difficult challenges facing today’s public and nonprofit managers and leaders. She is married with two children, five stepchildren, five grandchildren and one granddog. And she is a serious college football fan. Roll Tide!
Miss Medeiros is the Administrative Assistant for the Department of Social Sciences at Augusta University, helping coordinate the MPA program. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Art History from Georgia State University in 2013 and is an Alumna of our Master of Public Administration program [2019]. While at Georgia State University, she worked with their Middle East Institute and has an interest in Middle Eastern and North African languages, history, culture, and of course art!
Miss Medeiros has a passionate interest in art, other cultures, food, travel, and gardening.
