Dr. Susan Gaffney is an Associate Professor of Public Administration/MPA Program Coordinator in the College of Business and Public Administration at Governors State University. She has a Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science and History from Northern Illinois University, Master’s in Public Administration from Governors State University, and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Urban Planning and Public Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Dr. Gaffney teaches courses in Research Methods, Public Planning, Urban Government, American National Government, Ethics for Public Administrators, Public Policy Analysis, Data Analysis, and the Graduate Capstone Course. 

Prior to her appointment to the Public Administration faculty, Dr. Gaffney has held a number of positions in public organizations that focus on serving the public. She served as Assistant Director of Admissions at Northern Illinois University. In that position, she designed outreach and recruitment programs. Dr. Gaffney has also served as the Director Employment and Training for the Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County, Inc. CEDA). Dr. Gaffney has conducted numerous workshops on customer service in the public sector, diversity in academia, and city manager leadership, and organizational sustainability.

Teaching
What makes Dr. Gaffney an outstanding professor, she is dedicated to her students. Her students are always stating that not only is she knowledgeable, in her subject area; she makes the most boring topics fun and exciting. You can walk pass her classes and hear lively discussions and heated debates. She will stay late or come in early to help students complete assignments, explain course material, and listen to their non-academic concerns. Dr. Gaffney often shares with students that she expects them to excel and further their education, because she is more than an MPA faculty member, she is a proud GSU MPA graduate. She is currently pursuing a Master’s of Science in Geography with in a concentration in Geographical Information Systems at Chicago State University. Her motto” knowledge is power.”

Research
Dr. Gaffney has conducted research on customer service in the public sector, minority public administrators; transitioning ex-offenders into urban communities; local municipality property foreclosure initiatives; legislative over criminalization policies that affect at risk populations and transitional housing for women and children. She has publications that have appeared in Journal of Practical Dispute Resolution, Business and Leadership and Policy Profiles. Her current research covers municipal employee retention, professional development and the role of social media in student recruitment.

Service
Dr. Gaffney is the faculty advisor for the Master of Public Administration Club; Master of Public Administration Program Coordinator in addition to serving on numerous university committees including College of Business and Public Administration Committees, Institutional Review Board (IRB), University Honors Council, President Diversity Planning Committee and Civic Engagement Committee.

Curriculum Vitae: Dr. Gaffney