2025 Newsletter
Department Chair’s Message
The 2024-25 academic year was once again an outstanding one for the Department of Political Science and Public Administration! We continue to develop excellent educational programming for our students and advance knowledge in areas that affect our country and our world. We hope you enjoy catching up with your alma mater!
We want to congratulate Dr. Taeko Hiroi for being the new president-elect of Pi Sigma Alpha (PSA), the National Political Science Honor Society, headquartered in Washington, DC. Her selection will help elevate our university, college, department, and students’ national profile as well as bring attention to the needs of our underserved community. This news follows the announcement that our local PSA chapter, Epsilon Epsilon, once again won a Best Chapter Award for their work in the last academic year. This is the 11th Best Chapter Award our chapter has won!
We are also continue to expand global awareness this year by brining to campus Dr. Suisheng Zhao of the University of Denver to discuss his new book, The Dragon Roars Back. His talk highlighted aspects of the current Chinese leadership as well as China-US relations. The strong student engagement demonstrates their desire to learn about current international affairs.
Our Masters of Public Administration Program continues to bring in community speakers for our students and offers a wonderful showcase for their research.
The newsletter also announces some changes in our faculty. Dr. Gregory Schmidt and Dr. Scott McDonald will be retiring at the end of the academic year. We wish them all the best in their next chapter. We are happy to introduce our two new colleagues, Dr. Esther Han and Dr. Euipyo Lee! They will contribute to the public administration teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as research in their specialized areas.
If you are interested in giving back to our department, especially to help our current students succeed, please consider contributing! Many of the extra work students undertake, such as internships outside of El Paso, study abroad, or attending and presenting at academic conferences, require supplemental funding from our department. Our funding from the Texas State government does not keep pace with the increasing costs of education. We wish to give our students the same experiences (or better!) that students in other nationally ranked institutions have. Did you know that our department gives out approximately $60,000 dollars in scholarships each year? This is due to the generosity of people like you, enabling us to distribute scholarships to a large number of very deserving students who have achieved success in their course work. Here is our link for donation.
- Dr. Gaspare M. Genna, Political Science and Public Administration Department Chair
Meet our new faculty
In the fall of 2024, the Department of Political Science and Public Administration welcomed two new faculty members to its MPA program: Dr. Esther Han and Dr. Euipyo Lee.
Dr. Esther Han joined the department from Georgia State University, where she had earned her Master’s and PhD in Public Policy. Her research focused on public and nonprofit management, citizen-state relations, public employee engagement, and social equity initiatives.
Dr. Euipyo Lee arrived from Indiana University-Bloomington, where he completed his MPA in Public Management and PhD in Public Affairs. His work spanned public management, public sector innovation, organizational behavior, policy processes, and representative bureaucracy.
The department was delighted to have Dr. Han and Dr. Lee as part of its MPA community and looked forward to their contributions to student development, research, and departmental collaboration.
Faculty transitions
Gregory D. Schmidt retired on May 31, 2025 after more than forty years in the professoriate.
Greg grew up in Austin and graduated summa cum laude from UT-Austin in 1975. A lifelong fascination with Peru began during his junior year, when he studied at the Catholic University in Lima, as part of UT’s first foreign exchange program. He returned to Peru many times in various roles: Fulbright scholar and lecturer, consultant, researcher, election observer, and tourist. His wife, Marcela, is a limeña.
After earning a Ph.D. from Cornell University, Greg was a faculty member at Northern Illinois University (1984-2007) and UTEP (2008-2025), where he served as chair of Political Science for seven years. He also taught at several Peruvian universities. His teaching focused on comparative politics, Latin American politics, U.S.-Latin American relations, international political economy, development management, and American (U.S.) politics. He will continue to teach online classes at UTEP part-time. Greg published extensively, especially on Peru, focusing on development, decentralization, electoral systems, executive–legislative relations, and gender.
Scott McDonald, Professor in the Political Science and Public Administration Department, is retiring at the end of Summer. He came to UTEP via Valdosta, Georgia, moving from one of the dampest places in America to one of the driest. He and his wife, Maureen, have thoroughly enjoyed their 18 years in El Paso.
Scott was hired originally to lead the academic programs in University College including the MPA, MLS, and INSS. He taught courses in two of the programs – the MPA and the MLS.
When University College was dissolved, the academic programs were moved into Liberal Arts, reporting directly to the Dean. With time, each of the three graduate programs found a home in various places, with the MPA becoming a part of the Political Science Department, which eventually changed its name to Political Science and Public Administration.
The PS&PA leadership, faculty, and staff welcomed the MPA and made MPA faculty and staff comfortable in the program’s new home where the MPA has grown and achieved stability.
El Paso has been an excellent home for Scott’s research in economic and community development, and innovation. While at UTEP, Scott’s research focused on multilingual websites in local government, the future of public policy impacting tourism, and government innovation.
Scott thanks all the Political Science and Public Administration faculty and staff who have made his stay at UTEP a positive experience. More importantly, he would like to thank the Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, and Coasties (no Space Command); public servants, nonprofit workers, and even a few private sector workers he has enjoyed in classes. He hopes all the faculty, staff, and students have as pleasurable and rewarding career as he has enjoyed.
dr. hiroi elected president of political science honors society
Taeko Hiroi, Ph.D., a professor of political science and faculty advisor for the Epsilon Epsilon Chapter at UTEP, has been selected as president-elect of Pi Sigma Alpha (PSA), the National Political Science Honor Society. PSA, chartered in 1920, is the only national political science honor society in the U.S., with nearly 850 chapters across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Dr. Hiroi has been involved with PSA since 2008, serving as faculty advisor for UTEP’s chapter, which has won 11 best chapter awards under her leadership. She has also served on PSA’s National Executive Committee and Council and chaired the Personnel Committee since 2022.
“I was very honored to be nominated as the national president,” Hiroi said. “The National Executive Council recognized my service not only to our chapter at UTEP but also to the national organization. The Council and the Nominating Committee trusted that I would advance the missions and goals of PSA.”
Gaspare M. Genna, Ph.D., chair of UTEP’s Department of Political Science and Public Administration, noted that Hiroi’s leadership will elevate the university’s visibility, highlighting the quality of its programs.
Dr. Hiroi will serve as president-elect (2024-26), president (2026-28), and past president (2028-32).
Department hosts book talk on us-china relations
On April 9, 2025, Dr. Suisheng Zhao, Professor and Director of the Center for China-US Cooperation at Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver, gave a book talk on his latest book, The Dragon Roars Back: Transformational Leaders and Dynamics of Chinese Foreign Policy (Stanford University Press, 2023 and named one of “Best of Books 2024” by Foreign Affairs’ magazine).
In his book talk, Dr. Zhao presented his new model to understand China’s foreign policy under Xi and shed light on the unfolding confrontation between China and the US. He interacted with a lively audience and had a book-signing lunch with Liberal Arts Honors students before the book talk.
Dr. Zhao was impressed with UTEP’s Bhutanese-style architecture and the knowledge and interest of UTEP students.
The Updates and Achievements from our MPA Program
About Public Administration in Action
The PA in Action series, an initiative of the MPA Program, bridges classroom learning with real-world expertise by connecting students with leaders across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
Aligned with UTEP’s commitment to Community Engagement, the series in the past year invited professionals and scholars to share insights through presentations, discussions, and networking opportunities. Students engaged with speakers including:
- Omar Martinez (Assistant Director of Legislative Affairs, City of El Paso
- Paulina Lopez (Assistant Vice President, Transportation and Planning, WSP)
- Robert Cortinas (Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer, City of El Paso)
- Max Villaronga (President and CEO, Raiz)
Capstone Achievement: Celebrating MPA Success
The MPA curriculum culminated in PAD 5367, a rigorous capstone course where students applied their expertise in data analysis, policy review, and program evaluation to real-world challenges. Each student selected a research area, policy, or program of focus, often collaborating directly with government agencies or community organizations to bridge academic theory with practical solutions.
Under the mentorship of Dr. Ljubinka Andonoska, students developed comprehensive research frameworks, designed evaluation instruments, and formulated actionable policy recommendations. Their work reached its pinnacle at the Fall 2024 Capstone Showcase, where they presented their findings to MPA faculty, staff, alumni, and invited guests, including proud family members and friends.
The department celebrated these accomplishments with great pride, recognizing the students’ dedication and the profound impact they are poised to make as the next generation of public service leaders.
Our Pi sigma alpha chapter is continuing its trajectory of excellence
Pi Sigma Alpha at UTEP is continuing with its impressive trajectory of academic excellence, leadership, and community engagement. The Epsilon Epsilon Chapter was awarded a 2023-24 Best Chapter Award. This is the 11th Best Chapter Award our PSA won. Congratulations! During the Fall 2024 semester, PSA won two grants from the National Office. They used the Civic Engagement Grant to fund their Voter Registration Drive and Presidential and Vice Presidential Debate Watch Parties they organized in September and October. PSA is sponsoring a movie-and-discussion series (funded by the Chapter Activity Grant) in the spring semester. In February, four PSA members (Oriana Torrealba, Sara Sherwood, Annica Henry, and Danae Gonzales) and Chapter Advisor, Dr. Taeko Hiroi, went to the National Student Research Conference organized by the National Pi Sigma Alpha, held at George Washington University in Washington, DC. Our PSA members presented their papers and enjoyed the research, information sessions, and networking opportunities provided by the conference.
Pi Sigma Alpha, Epsilon Epsilon Chapter Officers, AY 2024-25
President: Oriana C. Torrealba
Vice President: Sara Sherwood
Secretary: Abraham Sidrian
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Taeko Hiroi
Spring 2024 Inductees
Priscila Daher
Fhernanda Laris
Sofia Ortega Vazquez
Denise Saenz
Fall 2024 Inductees
Danae Ann Gonzales
Annica R. Henry
Mariana Muniz Aguinaga
Juan D. Saldana
Sarah K. Sherwood
Abraham P. Sidrian
Spring 2025 Inductees
Ernesto Altamirano Barraza
Luz S. Guerra
Claudia E. Lara
Daniel D.Moreno Montanelli
Daniel A. Napoles
Everly F. Rodriguez
Congratulations!
Follow us on Instagram: @psa.utep
Student Accomplishments
Political Science Major Made Top 10 UTEP Seniors.
For Angel Martinez, a Political Science major in UTEP’s College of Liberal Arts, the university was more than an academic institution—it became a transformative platform for leadership and civic engagement. Sparked by the historic 2020 election, Martinez arrived on campus driven by a dual mission: to deepen his understanding of governance and to create tangible change in his community.
As a distinguished Terry Scholar, Martinez pursued hands-on experience through internships with nonprofit organizations and corporate social responsibility teams. His exceptional dedication earned him competitive fellowships, including the Texas Civic Ambassador Fellowship and the prestigious Archer Fellowship. The latter brought him to Washington, D.C., where he excelled as a congressional intern, gaining firsthand insight into federal policymaking.
Now approaching graduation, Martinez looks toward the future with clear purpose: to return to Capitol Hill and dedicate his career to shaping equitable public policies. His journey stands as a testament to UTEP’s power to cultivate tomorrow’s change-makers.
Students Attending Conferences
Pi Signma Alpha National Student Research Conference
In the spring of 2025, several political science students attended the Pi Sigma Alpha National Student Research Conference in Washington, D.C, where they presented their research on topics including China’s historical narratives and Yemen’s role in counter-terrorism.
“The conference was an incredible academic experience,” said Oriana Torrealba, one of the student presenters. “It was also a valuable networking opportunity, where I connected with fellow students, faculty, and professionals who share my passion for political science.”
Being in Washington, D.C. allowed the students to explore the heart of American politics and history, making the entire experience even more inspiring. “It reaffirmed my commitment to international security and policy research, and it was a meaningful step toward graduate studies and a future career in government,” said Oriana Torrealba.
Southern Political Science Association
Carlos Fierro presented his coauthored research at 2025 Southern Political Science Association conference in Puerto Rico. This project examines how the regional human rights court uses social media, like YouTube, to communicate with audiences across the Americas and how viewers engage with that content. “The feedback we received allowed me to look at our research from different angles, including opportunities for expanding the project such as analyzing the effects of social media use on judicial legitimacy,” Carlos said. “What I gained in SPSA was life changing in the way I view my future as a scholar and the importance of the research that we do.”
Carlos recently earned an MA in political science from UTEP, joined the Marines, and plans to pursue a JD.
Scholarship Recipients
Marian and Alina Komarnicki Undergraduate Scholarship: Mario Angelo Ayala, Orion James Blanco, Andrea Del Real, Gustavo Diaz de Leon, Carlos Fierro, Annica R. Henry, Josue Lopez Tapia, Angel Martinez, Paula Martinez, Melissa Olivas-Rodriguez, Sofia Ortega Vasquez, Maritza Rodriguez Landess, Denise Saenz, Lydia Natalia Torres Ayala
Dr. Joseph B Graves Scholarship: Barbara Molina Valles
June M. Kruszewski Memorial Scholarship: Vianee Hernandez
Irena Grabowska Kruszewska Memorial Scholarship: Randall Uriel Barraza
Mary Misiewicz Sadowski Memorial Scholarship: Jacqueline Ibarra
Political Science Award Recipients
Undergraduate Awards:
Joseph Malchus Ray Award: Kayla Eulloqui, Sofia Ortega Vasquez
Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award: Sofia Ortega Vasquez
Top Ten Senior Award: Angel Martinez
Archer Fellows: Giulianna Alcantarapalai, Jessica Baidoe-Ansah, Arantza DeJesus Soto
Graduate Awards:
Outstanding Graduate Student Award: Lydia Torres
Ira Cook Award: Gustavo Diaz de Leon, Lydia Torres
Public Administration Award Recipients
Outstanding Student Award: Matthew Barnett, Yuanlu Yin
Outstanding Public Service Award: Brenda Cantu
Faculty Briefs
Dr. Melissa Baker was awarded a Social Science and Humanities Research Council Insight Grant with her collaborators at Western University and McMaster University. This five-year grant will examine the role of stress in polarization, particularly how political competition affects personal and democratic health. She also received a College of Liberal Arts Career Enhancement Award with Dr. Amanda Goodson (UTEP Criminal Justice and Security Studies) for data collection to examine artificial intelligence generated pornography, specifically perceptions of morality and legality of the content and how the content affects the well-being of those involved. She published two papers, one in the Journal of Experimental Political Science and one (forthcoming) in the International Journal of Public Opinion Research. She has been appointed as the new Chair of the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences and continued her role as co-organizer of the Western Political Science Association Inclusive Teaching Virtual Community (WPSA ITVC). She published a co-authored chapter related to her work with WPSA ITVC in the Teaching Political Science and International Relations for Early Career Instructors volume. At UTEP, she continues to mentor students in her lab, serve on the Fulbright Committee, and serve as a co-organizer of the Interdisciplinary Research and Education Community of Practice.
Dr. Charles Boehmer continued to serve as Associate Dean for Faculty in the College of Liberal Arts and Director for Intelligence and Security Studies. His research continued as a Co-Pi on a grant from the National Science Foundation in the Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) program and on a contract to study air pollution on the Bridge of the Americas and its effects on the local community through the North American Development Bank, in cooperation with the EPA, to study. He also continued to work on projects that involve economics and security. Service to the university included serving as UTEP’s Truman Scholar representative and as a member of the Campus Office of Undergraduate Research Initiatives (COURI) Advisory Board.
Dr. Eric Boyer has a forthcoming book chapter with Hyunrang Han, to be published in the Research Handbook on Privatization (Edward Elgar), which examines the potential of government–foundation partnerships to address complex public sector challenges. In November 2024, Dr. Boyer attended the inaugural International Conference on Advancing Public Procurement (ICAPP) in Dublin, Ireland—an event drawing over 70 participants from 23 countries—where he presented a co-authored paper with Carlos Olmedo (UTEP), Niccolò Cusumano, and Veronica Vecchi (Bocconi University) on differentiating knowledge sources in centralized procurement. He also met with PPP expert Dr. Eoin Reeves at Limerick University during the trip. Dr. Boyer also discussed best practices in public administration education at the Annual Conference of the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) in Washington, DC in October of 2024 and he presented a research study coauthored with Joao Faria (Florida Atlantic University) on Predicting Failures in Public-Private Partnerships at the Annual Conference of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) in March 2025, in Washington, DC.
Dr. Gaspare Genna had a productive year as demonstrated by four publications. His article in European Politics and Society examines why British voters decided to leave the European Union by examining emotional influences. The study published in the Journal of Economic Integration explains that closer economic relations among countries is beneficial when their networks include wealthier economies and their memberships do not overlap with many organizations. His work in Contemporary Politics looks at perceptions of US voters regarding closer economic and political relations with Mexico. His last publication in The Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice attempts to understand how to best retain students through workshop interventions that focus on needed learning skills for at-risk students.
Dr. Taeko Hiroi recently published an article, “Legislative Underrepresentation and Executive Dominance: Why Powerful States Accept Legislative Malapportionment,” in Publius: The Journal of Federalism. Dr. Hiroi also co-presented a paper, “Legislative Support and Cabinet Portfolio Reallocations in Multiparty Presidential Regimes,” with our Political Science MA program alumnus, Jay Langford, at the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association. Dr. Hiroi continues to serve as the faculty advisor for the Epsilon Epsilon (UTEP) Chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, The National Political Science Honor Society. In September, Dr. Hiroi was elected to serve as National President Elect of Pi Sigma Alpha for the next two years, and then as National President from 2026. She is currently the Vice Chair of the Representation and Electoral Systems Section of the American Political Science Association and served on the section’s inaugural Graduate Research Grant Committee.
Dr. Euipyo Lee finished his first academic year at UTEP. During his first academic year at UTEP, he made substantial progress in advancing his research agenda in public administration. He secured the acceptance of one article at Review of Public Personnel Administration, examining how organizational culture moderates the relationship between job autonomy and innovative behavior. Additionally, he published two articles in the International Public Management Journal. The first, coauthored with Dr. Nicholson-Crotty et al., investigates how representation and expectations shape citizen evaluations of police. The second explores the link between innovation climate and individual innovative behavior through the lens of psychological needs. He also presented a coauthored paper at the 2025 Midwest Political Science Association Conference in Chicago, addressing the intergenerational transmission of public sector employment. These projects collectively reflect his commitment to producing impactful scholarship on public sector innovation, organizational behavior, and workforce dynamics in the field of public administration.
Dr. Rebecca A Reid published two book chapters: “Judicial Activism in Human Rights: IACtHR, Conventionality Control, and the Mexican Supreme Court” in Judicial Activism in Comparative Perspective (Peter Lang) and “Evaluating Regime Support Groups and Judicial Independence” (with graduate student Denise Saenz) in Open Judicial Politics: An Empirical Reader (third edition, Oregon State University Open Textbook Initiative). Her current research includes examining the role of extrajudicial communication via social media for the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) (with graduate students Carlos Fierro, Lydia Torres, and Arantxa Rangel Salcido), indigenous law at the IACtHR and state compliance, and judicial decision-making in indigenous cases before U.S. federal and state courts. She serves as the Graduate Director for the MA in Political Science program and as a UTEP Native American and Indigenous Studies faculty affiliate. She continues to run the International and Comparative Law & Courts Research Collaborative.
Dr. José D. Villalobos published a co-authored journal article in Politics & Gender (Cambridge University Press 2024), which analyzes data from an original national survey to demonstrate how group empathy served as a catalyst for people to act on their opposition to the overturning of Roe v. Wade during the 2022 midterm elections. He also has a forthcoming co-authored book chapter (University of Michigan Press) and a forthcoming co-authored textbook (Routledge) in the pipeline. Dr. Villalobos also presented two research papers at the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) Annual Meeting in Chicago, gave three externally invited research presentations, and, at UTEP, held a special talk on the Electoral College as well as served on a panel covering the 2024 Presidential Election results. He also served as Faculty Fellow for UTEP’s Center for Community Engagement, as Councilor for the Provost’s Community Engagement Council, and more recently began serving as an Associate Editor for The Social Science Journal.
Dr. Joseph Yingnan Zhou published a solo-authored article in Journal of Asian and African Studies, in which he finds that competing effects of education on pro-immigration attitudes in China. Specifically, education makes one less pro-immigration in elementary, middle, and high school and but it makes one more pro-immigration after college. He presented a co-authored paper at the Midwest Political Science Association conference in Chicago, which examines the political impacts of economic slowdowns in China. He organized a book talk by Professor Suisheng Zhao on the latter’s award-winning book The Dragon Roars Back: Transformational Leaders and Dynamics of Chinese Foreign Policy. Dr. Zhao is conducting new research on immigration politics in China.
