Ryan Skinnell is an associate professor of rhetoric and writing in the Department of English and Comparative Literature. He holds a bachelor’s degree in english from the University of California, Santa Barbara, a master’s degree in english from California State University, Northridge and a doctoral degree in rhetoric, composition, and linguistics from Arizona State University. His work focuses primarily on public rhetoric—how politicians, public figures, and average citizens use persuasive language to influence public policy. Dr. Skinnell is the author or editor of five books, including Conceding Composition: A Crooked History of Composition’s Institutional Fortunes (Utah State University Press, 2016) and Faking the News: What Rhetoric Can Teach Us About Donald J. Trump, (Societas, 2018). He has also published numerous essays in academic and popular outlets on rhetoric, writing education, political speech, fascism, and demagoguery.
Politics
Gordon Douglas

Director, Institute for Metropolitan Studies; Assistant Professor, Department of Urban and Regional Planning (Photo by: David Schmitz/San Jose State University)
Gordon Douglas is the director of the Institute for Metropolitan Studies and an assistant professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. He holds master’s degrees in media and communication from the University of Southern California and the London School of Economics; and a doctoral degree in sociology from the University of Chicago. His work focuses on social inequality in planning and development, neighborhood identity and gentrification, and peoples’ relationships to their physical surroundings from streetscape design to disaster response. He is working on local improvement efforts in San Jose and Oakland and advising climate change resiliency efforts in San Francisco. His new book The Help-Yourself City (Oxford 2018) concerns people who create unauthorized but functional “do-it-yourself urban design” interventions to help their communities. He is currently working on local improvement efforts in San Jose and Oakland and advising climate change resiliency efforts in San Francisco. Prior to joining SJSU, Gordon helped lead the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University and worked on the U.S. exhibition at the Venice Architecture Biennale.
Sergio Bejar-Lopez

Assistant Professor, Political Science (Photo by: Thomas Sanders/San Jose State University)
Sergio Bejar-Lopez is an assistant professor of political science. He holds a doctoral degree in political science from the University of Notre Dame. He teaches courses in comparative politics and Latin American politics. His research focuses on political and policy consequences, the political and policy consequences of globalization, the political influences of financial policies, and the policy consequences of party systems.
Melinda Jackson

Associate Professor, Political Science. (Photo by: David Schmitz/San Jose State University)
Melinda Jackson is a professor of political science and currently serves as Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education. She holds a doctoral degree in political science from the University of Minnesota, with concentrations in American politics and political psychology. Her research focuses on public opinion and political engagement in American politics. She is an expert on polling, and the importance of Silicon Valley in U.S. politics.
Frances Edwards

Professor of Political Science and Director of the Master of Public Administration Program. (Photo by: David Schmitz/San Jose State University)
Frances Edwards is a professor of political science and director of the Master of Public Administration program. She is deputy director of Mineta Transportation Institute’s National Transportation Safety and Security Center. She holds a doctoral degree in public administration from New York University. She is a certified emergency manager with over 20 years of experience in California. Her research focuses on issues related to seismic safety, emergency management, homeland security, continuity of operations for government and businesses, and global supply chain security.
Hien Duc Do

Hien Duc Do, Professor, Sociology and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences. (Photo by: David Schmitz/San Jose State University)
Hien Do is a professor of sociology and interdisciplinary social sciences specializing in Asian American Studies. He holds a doctoral degree in philosophy from the University of California, Santa Barbara. His research focuses on Vietnamese Americans, the formation of Vietnamese-American communities, and impacts on religion and immigration. He is an expert on race and ethnic relations, students in higher education and Asian Americans in politics.
Karthika Sasikumar

Karthika Sasikumar, Associate Professor, Political Science. (Photo by: David Schmitz/San Jose State University)
Karthika Sasikumar is an associate professor of political science. She holds a doctoral degree from Cornell University. Her research and teaching interests are in international relations theory, international regimes, global security, migration and national identity. She specializes in nuclear security issues and terrorism in South East Asia and the Middle East.
Garrick Percival

Garrick Percival, Associate Professor, Political Science. (Photo by: David Schmitz/San Jose State University)
Garrick Percival is an associate professor and chair of the Political Science Department at SJSU. He holds a doctoral degree in political science from the University of California, Riverside. He teaches courses in state and local government, public policy and American government. His research focuses on American politics and public policy, primarily the nexus between criminal justice policy and inequality at the state and local levels of government. He is the co-author of the forthcoming book, California Politics and Government: A Practical Approach (15 ed).