Who We Are
The Department has a legacy of outstanding teaching, advising, scholarship, and service that continues today in both the Political Science Program and the Master of Public Administration Program. The ranging expertise and extensive knowledge of our faculty allows the Department to offer courses in all of the major fields of Political Science and a comprehensive graduate-level curriculum in Public Administration.
Faculty
As’ad AbuKhalil
Professor, Political Science
- BA 1981, American University of Beirut
- MA 1983, American University of Beirut
- PhD 1988, Georgetown University
At Stanislaus since 1993, Dr. AbuKhalil teaches the following courses in the Political Science Program: Politics of the Middle East; Gender & Sexuality in the Middle East; Arab-Israeli Conflict; International Relations; Model United Nations & Model Arab League; and Introduction to American Government.
- Phone: (209) 667-3536
- Location: Bizzini 132-C
- Email: aabukhalil@csustan.edu
David Colnic
Professor, Political Science
- BA 1987, University of California, Irvine
- MA 1994, University of Arizona
- PhD 2003, University of Arizona
At Stanislaus State since 2004, Dr. Colnic serves as Chair of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration. In the MPA Program, he teaches the following courses: Public Policy; Environmental Planning, Policy & Law. In the Political Science Program, he teaches the following courses: Media & Politics; Environmental Policy & Politics; Introduction to American Government; and Introduction to Political Science.
- Phone: (209) 667-3520
- Location: Bizzini 130-C
- Email: dcolnic@csustan.edu
Andrew Conteh
Lecturer, Political Science
- LLM 1970, Kiev State University
- PhD 1973, Kiev State University
At Stanislaus State since 2017, Dr. Conteh teaches the following courses: Foreign Policy (PSCI 4641), International Human Rights (HONS 3050) and Model United Nations.
- Phone: (209) 667-3301
- Location: Bizzini 132-B
- Email: aconteh2@csustan.edu
Umar Ghuman
Professor, Public Administration & Department Chair
Director, Master's in Public Administration Program
Director, Bachelor of Science in Leadership Studies (Online)
- BS 2001, Excelsior College
- MBA 2003, Florida Atlantic University
- PhD 2011, Florida Atlantic University
At Stanislaus State since 2012, Dr. Ghuman is the Director of the MPA program, the Director of the Online Bachelor of Science in Leadership Studies. He is also the Department Coordinator for the graduate student internship. Dr. Ghuman teaches the following courses in the MPA Program: Public Policy; Organizational Development; Human Resources; Organization Theory; Quantitative Analysis; Bureaucracy in Novels & Plays; and Non-profit Administration. In the Political Science Program, he teaches Introduction to American Government.
- Phone: (209) 667-3682
- Location: Bizzini 130-A
- Email: ughuman@csustan.edu
Justin Gilmore
Assistant Professor, Political Science
- PhD 2022, UC Santa Cruz, History of Consciousness
- MA 2014, San Francisco State, Political Science
- BA 2010, UC Santa Cruz, Politics, Feminist Studies
At Stanislaus State since 2022, Dr. Gilmore's research brings together political theory, historical materialism, American political development, and social movement studies around questions of political power, resistance, and reaction. His current book project, tentatively entitled Latent Fascism: The Capitalist Origins of Reactionary Politics, develops a materialist political theory to understand how capitalist structures facilitate a persistent, latent fascist potentiality that can take many possible mature forms, including reactionary populisms that fall short of a clear-cut fascist identification. He teaches courses on ancient, early modern, and contemporary political theory; Marxism and class struggle; liberalism and conservatism; and the politics of fascism.
- Phone: (209) 667-3389
- Room: B 132A
- Email: JGilmore@csustan.edu
Erin Hughes
Assistant Professor, Political Science
- BA 2003, McGill University (Political Science)
- MSC 2007, Univeristy of Edinburgh (Nationalism Studies)
- PhD 2016, University of Edinburgh (Sociology)
At Stanislaus State since 2019, Dr. Hughes is an Assistant Professor of Political Science and manages the Sarguis Modern Assyrian Project. Dr. Hughes is also the department coordinator for undergraduate internships. She teaches Introduction to Comparative Polticis in Poltitical Science and Modern Assyrian Studies in History.
- Phone: (209) 667-3301
- Location: Bizzini 132-B
- Email: ehughes1@csustan.edu
Nancy Hudspeth
Associate Professor, Public Administration
- BA & BS 1986, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
- MA 1999, University of Illinois, Chicago
- PhD 2011, University of Illinois, Chicago
At Stanislaus State since 2015, Dr. Hudspeth teaches the following courses in the MPA Program: Public Policy Analysis, Urban & Regional Planning, Quantitative Analysis, and Public Agency Budgeting. In the Political Science Program, she teaches Introduction to American Government and Land Use Planning.
- Phone: (209) 667-3285
- Location: Bizzini 130-B
- Email: nhudspeth@csustan.edu
Elaine Peterson
Professor, Economics
- BA 1982, Colby College
- MS 1990, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- PhD 1996, University of Wisconsin-Madison
At Stanislaus State since 1996, Dr. Peterson is a faculty member of the Department of Economics and in the MPA Program she teaches Public Finance and State & Local Public Finance.
- Phone: (209) 667-3327
- Location: Bizzini 101-D
- Email: epeterson@csustan.edu
Richard Randall
Lecturer, Political Science
- BA 1982, California State University, Stanislaus
- MA 1985, University of California, Davis
- ABD 1991, University of California, Davis
At Stanislaus State since 2011, Prof. Randall teaches the following courses in the Political Science Program: Introduction to American Government; Introduction to Political Science; and Global Politics.
- Telephone: (209) 667-3359
- Location: Bizzini 132-A
- Email: rrandall@csustan.edu
Stephen R. Routh
Professor, Political Science
- BA 1986, University of California, Santa Cruz
- MA 1992, San Jose State University
- PhD 2000, University of California, Davis
At Stanislaus State since 2002, Dr. Routh serves as the Pre-Law Advisor. He teaches the following courses in the Political Science Program: Introduction to American Government; The Presidency; Legislative Process; Judicial Process; Political Campaigns & Elections; Constitutional Law; and Civil Liberties. In the MPA Program, he teaches Administrative Law.
- Phone: (209) 667-3363
- Location: Bizzini 126-A
- Email: srouth@csustan.edu
Gerard C. Wellman
Professor, Public Administration
- BA 2003, Louisiana State University
- MPA 2007, University of Memphis
- PhD 2011, University of Nebraska, Omaha
At Stanislaus State since 2012, Dr. Wellman teaches the following courses in the MPA Program: Administration in Public Affairs; Public Service Ethics; Urban Affairs; Social Justice; Research Design & Public Evaluation; and Urban & Regional Planning. In the Political Science Program, he teaches Introduction to Public Administration; Ethnic & Gender Politics; and Introduction to American Government.
- Phone: (209) 667-3291
- Location: Bizzini 132-D
- Email: gwellman@csustan.edu
Staff
Lisa Anderson
Administrative Support Coordinator
Ms. Anderson provides administrative support to the Bachelor of Political Science, Master of Public Administration program and the Bachelor of Leadership Studies programs.
T: (209) 667-3388 / Bizzini 132
landerson7@csustan.edu
Updated: September 25, 2026