Staff

• Steven Rathgeb Smith, Executive Director
• Betsy Super, Deputy Director
• Dan Gibson, Senior Director of Communications and Marketing
• Kimberly Mealy, Senior Director of Diversity and Inclusion Programs
• Larry Burner, Finance Director
• Tianrui Cai, Senior Accountant
• Megan Davis, Program Assistant Research
• Annalisa Dias-Mandoly, Program Coordinator of Diversity and Inclusion Programs
• Amanda Grigg, Associate Director, the Centennial Center for Political Science and Public Affairs
• Jon Gurstelle, Director of Publishing
• Casey Harrigan, Program and Administrative Assistant of Member Services
• Rory Jackson, Manager, Research
• Laura Leddy, Program Assistant of Academic Programs, Professional Development, and Congressional Fellowship Program
• Meghan McConaughey, APSA Fellow and Program Associate
• Teka K. Miller, Director of Member Services
• Katelyn Olsen, Meetings Associate
• Abby Paulson, Program Coordinator, Government Relations and Public Engagement
• Jason Sapia, Development Director
• Tanya B. Schwarz, Associate Director, Academic and Professional Development Programs
• Karima D. Scott, Director of Communications and Marketing
• Andrew Stinson, Associate Director of International Programs
• Celina Szymanski, Managing Editor of PS: Political Science and Politics
• Nicholas Townsend, Publishing Associate
• Ashley Vande Bunte, Director, Meetings and Events
• Julia Walters, Development Coordinator

Executive Management

Steven Rathgeb Smith
Executive Director

Steven Rathgeb Smith is the executive director of the American Political Science Association. Previously, he was the Louis A. Bantle Chair in Public Administration at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. He also taught for many years at the University of Washington where he was the Nancy Bell Evans Professor of Public Affairs at the Evans School of Public Affairs and director of the Nancy Bell Evans Center for Nonprofits & Philanthropy. In addition, he has taught at Georgetown, Duke, American University, and Washington University in St. Louis. From 1997 to 2004, he was editor of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly and, from 2006 to 2008, president of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action. Dr. Smith has authored and edited several books including, Nonprofits for Hire: The Welfare State in the Age of Contracting (with Michael Lipsky), Governance and Regulation in the Third Sector: International Perspectives (co-edited with Susan Phillips) and, most recently, Nonprofits and Advocacy: Engaging Community and Government in an Era of Retrenchment (The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014) (co-edited with Robert Pekkanen and Yutaka Tsujinaka). He is currently president of the International Society for Third Sector Research. Email ››  View CV ››

Betsy Super
Deputy Director

Betsy Super serves as Deputy Director. She oversees and leads development of programs supporting research excellence and broadening participation in the profession, including APSA awards, the Centennial Center for Political Science & Public Affairs, Diversity & Inclusion Programs, International Programs, small research grants and travel grants. She also leads APSA’s research on the profession and supports a number of governance committees, including the Nominating Committee, the Committee on Professional Ethics, Rights and Freedoms, and Ad Hoc Committee on Governance Reform. Prior to joining APSA, Super worked at the University of Edinburgh on an ESRC-funded project investigating party positioning on immigration and EU membership, and was the first project officer of the Public Policy Network. Her research has been published in Scandinavian Political Studies, Acta Politica, and Environmental Politics, among others. Super received her BA in Government with honors from Dartmouth College and PhD in Politics from the University of Edinburgh, UK. Email ››

Dan Gibson
Senior Director, Communications and Marketing

Dan Gibson serves as APSA director of communications and marketing. He is responsible for APSA media/press relations, branding, and web communications. He is a veteran communications and marketing professional. He has worked primarily in the association field for more than 20 years using his expertise to deliver clear, consistent messaging and promote the interests of organizations and their memberships. His travels include the IEEE Computer Society, United Rentals, the American Gas Association, the National Association of Workforce Boards, the International Franchise Association, and the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals. He received a BA Communications from Salisbury University in Salisbury, Maryland and has received numerous awards in marketing and communications. Email ››

Kimberly Mealy
Senior Director, Diversity and Inclusion Programs

Kimberly Mealy is senior director of diversity and inclusion programs. Kimberly supported two presidential task forces, Political Science in the 21st Century (2010) and Negotiating Agreement in Politics (2013). Prior to joining APSA in 2007, Kimberly taught in the political science department at Wellesley College, as a teaching fellow and a visiting assistant professor. Kimberly earned her PhD in political science and public policy in 2004 from Indiana University, where she also directed mentoring and professional development programs for the Office of the Dean for Women’s Affairs and taught courses in political science. In her free time, Kimberly enjoys visiting the monuments in DC and photography. Email ››

Accounting

Tianrui Cai

Senior Accountant

 Tianrui (Rina) Cai is the Staff Accountant II on the finance and administration team. She is responsible for supporting the accounting manager in carrying out the responsibilities of the finance department. Prior to joining APSA in 2015, she worked as a tax preparer at DC EITC Campaign (IRS VITA Program) and a finance intern at Relief International. She earned an MA in Accounting from the George Washington University in 2015 and a BA in Business Administration from the Ocean University of China. Rina keeps an open mind and enjoys travelling, cooking, yoga and classical music. Email ››

Administration

Centennial Center

Karima D. Scott
Director, Communications & Marketing

Karima Scott serves as the Director of the Communications and Marketing department. She is responsible for all communications and marketing efforts of the association including branding and promotion of APSA program initiatives, managing and monitoring of the association website and social media channels, implementation of new marketing materials and campaigns, as well as serving as one of the association’s layout and design specialist. She supports and collaborates with all departments and teams to best serve APSA members. Prior to joining APSA in late 2013, Karima served as an AmeriCorp Public Ally after receiving her BA from George Mason University where she studied media communications, sociology and theater. Karima is a Washington, D.C. native. She enjoys live entertainment, traveling, art, and painting. Email ››

Development

Diversity & Inclusion

Annalisa Dias-Mandoly
Program Coordinator, Diversity and Inclusion Programs

Annalisa Dias-Mandoly serves as program coordinator for diversity and inclusion programs. She coordinates the Minority Fellowship Program, Ralph Bunch Summer Institute application cycle and marketing, Minority Student Recruitment Program, Fund for Latino Scholarship, APSA Mentoring Program, and assists with several of APSA’s Status Committees related to diversity and inclusion in the discipline of political science. Prior to joining APSA in 2016, Annalisa worked for 5 years in intercultural programs at The Catholic University of America. Outside of her work at APSA, Annalisa works professionally in theatre as a playwright, director, and performer. Her work, which focuses largely on the performance of identity, race, and power, has been staged nationally and internationally. Annalisa is also Co-Founder and Co-Director of the DC Coalition for Theatre & Social Justice, and was selected as one of Theatre Communications Group’s Rising Leaders of Color in 2016. Annalisa holds an MA in Theatre History and Criticism from The Catholic University of America and a Dual BA in English and Religion from Boston University. Email ››

International Programs

Andrew Stinson
Associate Director, International Programs

Andrew Stinson manages the day-to-day operations and planning for APSA's Africa and MENA Workshops programs. He also provides direct support to other projects and initiatives of the international programs department, including workshop alumni networks and small grants programs. Before joining APSA in 2011, Andrew was an English teacher in Kazakhstan through the US Peace Corps and worked for a non-profit organization in Washington DC that promotes American volunteerism in Muslim-majority countries. He has a MA in International Studies from Rhodes University in South Africa and a BA in Political Science and History from Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. Andrew currently lives in Boulder, Colorado where his partner is pursuing a PhD in Sociology. Email ››

Meetings & Events

Ashley Vande Bunte
Director, Meetings and Events

Ashley Vande Bunte is the Director of Meetings and Events. She works with publishers and education industry vendors to showcase their products and services to political science professionals through exhibit space, sponsorships, and advertising. In addition, she assists with meeting planning for the Annual Meeting and the Teaching & Learning Conference. Prior to joining APSA in 2013, Ashley managed exhibits and registration at the Retail Industry Leaders Association for four years and studied International Relations at Grand Valley State University. Ashley is originally from the Great Lakes State, so she likes getting outside to enjoy nature, whether it is hiking in Shenandoah National Park, kayaking or camping. Email ››

Teka K. Miller
Director of Member Services

Teka K. Miller is the Director, Member Services, responsible for managing the implementation of strategies, plans and programs that result in membership recruitment growth, retention, and superior member service. Teka joined the association in 2014, bringing with her over ten years of association experience that includes an emphasis on membership recruitment and retention, event and strategic planning. Teka received her BA from North Carolina Wesleyan College where she studied psychology and English. Teka is a native Washingtonian who loves to read and travel during her spare time. Email ››

Casey Harrigan
Program and Administrative Assistant for Member Services

Casey Harrigan is the Program and Administrative Assistant for Member Services. Prior to joining APSA in 2017, Casey received a BS in Political Science from Towson University and an MPA, with a focus in health policy, from Baruch College. Casey is originally from New York, in her spare time she enjoys traveling, cooking, and refinishing antique furniture. Email ››

Tanya Schwarz
Associate Director, Academic and Professional Development Programs

Tanya Schwarz is the associate director of academic and professional development. She manages APSA’s programs in teaching and learning, professional development, and departmental services. Before joining APSA in 2018, Schwarz was a Visiting Assistant Professor at Hollins University. From 2016-2017, she was a Visiting Research Fellow at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame. She has authored a book, Faith-Based Organizations in Transnational Peacebuilding and published journal articles on religion and international relations, critical interpretivism, and pedagogy. Schwarz received a PhD in political science from the University of California, Irvine and a BA and MA in political science from the University of California, Riverside. Email ››

Laura Leddy
Program Assistant, Academic Programs, Professional Development, and Congressional Fellowship Program
Laura Leddy provides administrative and logistical support to academic programs, professional development, and the congressional fellowship program. Prior to joining APSA in 2017, Laura received a BA in History from the University of Virginia and worked as a legal assistant in her home state of New York. In her spare time, Laura enjoys hiking, frequenting museums, and appreciating DC’s many dogs. Email ››

Abby Paulson
Program Coordinator, Government Relations and Public Engagement

Abby Paulson is coordinator for government relations and public engagement. Abby joined APSA in 2016 after completing her MSc in Politics and Communication at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Prior to her graduate studies, Abby worked with a coalition of organizations dedicated to government accountability and transparency. She earned a bachelor’s degree at Ithaca College, where she also found a love of rowing. Email ››

Jon Gurstelle
Director of Publishing

Jon Gurstelle has spent over a decade in academic publishing at Blackwell Publishing, Springer, and most recently, John Wiley & Sons. He spent many years as a book and journal editor in Political Science at Springer and was most recently an Executive Editor for Statistics at Wiley. He has been a regular attendee at the Annual Meeting since 2008 and was active in several publishing industry groups including the AAP’s Professional and Scholarly Publishing division. Jon is based at the APSA Headquarters and oversees the 21 APSA and affiliated journals as well as the other association publications including books and brochures. Email ››

Celina Szymanski
Managing Editor, PS: Political Science and Politics

Celina Szymanski is the managing editor of PS: Political Science and Politics. She has worked as journal assistant under interim editors Phillip Ardoin and Paul Gronke of Appalachian State University since August 2014. Formerly, she worked as journal assistant to New Political Science: A Journal of Politics and Culture. She graduated from Frostburg State University in 2013 where she served on the President’s Leadership Circle. She will graduate from Appalachian State University in May with a master’s degree in political science concentrating in environmental politics and policy. Celina enjoys travelling as well as kayaking and hiking in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Boone, North Carolina. Email ››

Nicholas Townsend
Publishing Associate

Nick Townsend is APSA’s Publishing Associate. Nick compiles and designs the "association" section for each issue of PS: Political Science & Politics. He coordinates and produces new books, brochures, and APSA publications. He also manages existing publications and order shipments. Prior to joining APSA in late 2017, he worked in Alexandria, VA for the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). Nick grew up in Rochester, NY and is a 2017 graduate from Syracuse University with a dual degree in Public Relations and International Relations. In college, Nick was an active member of SU’s athletic bands and participated in Model UN. In his free time he likes to sing, listen to music, hike, and travel. Email ››

Rory Jackson
Manager, Research

Rory Jackson manages the day-to-day implementation and application of APSA research initiatives and policies, coordinating the design of data collection instruments, analyzing data, and presenting the results. Rory previously served as the Program Assistant for Research and Development. Prior to joining APSA in 2017, he held positions with Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and American University’s Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies. Rory received his M.A. in Political Science from American University, his B.A. in Politics from the University of Warwick, and also spent time at the University of Konstanz and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A native of Derby in the United Kingdom, Rory enjoys watching soccer/football and supports Derby County F.C. Email ››

Megan Davis
Program Research Assistant

Megan Davis serves as the program assistant to the research and development team. She cleans and analyzes data for use in reports, online dashboards, and other outputs, as well as provides administrative support to the Deputy Director. Prior to joining APSA in 2018, Megan attended the College of William and Mary, where she majored in Public Policy, and minored in Economics. While at William and Mary, Megan was involved in undergraduate research at AidData and the Center for African Development and worked part-time at The Cedars Bed and Breakfast. In her free time, Megan loves to hike, camp, and travel.

Email ››