Political Science & Public Administration at UTEP

Howdy and bienvenidos! Our growing, diverse department is friendly, student-centered, and committed to excellence in teaching, research, and service.

Our talented faculty and staff have much to offer our majors, minors, and graduate students. We also take enormous pride in teaching many students from other disciplines and in our active involvement with the university community and the broader El Paso del Norte region. Many of our alumni have gone on to distinguished careers in El Paso, elsewhere in Texas and the United States, in Juárez and Méx

05/26/2026

For those interested, Dr. Joseph Zhou will be offering a dynamic undergraduate course on developing countries this coming Fall 2026 semester – see flyer attached!

05/14/2026

Congratulations to Claudia Lara on completing her honors paper, “Determinants of Trust in the City of El Paso Government”! Dr. Gaspare Genna served as her advisor for her project that turned classroom knowledge into meaningful research with real-world relevance.

05/07/2026

Congratulations to Drs. Eric Boyer and Carlos Olmedo whose article on centralized procurement programs has been accepted for publication in The American Review of Public Administration! Their forthcoming article is coauthored with Drs. Niccolò Cusumano and Veronica Vecchi at Bocconi University in Milan, Italy. The article examines how centralized procurement programs can meet the needs of agencies and sub-units. As governments around the world pursue centralization initiatives to reduce costs, important questions remain regarding how effectively these programs serve decentralized purchasing units.

05/07/2026

Congratulations to MA in Political Science graduating student Jessica Baidoe-Ansah for obtaining both the Outstanding MA POLS Graduate Student and the Thomas Ira Cook Award! These prestigious awards reflect the academic excellence and impactful contributions Jessica has demonstrated throughout her graduate career.

05/07/2026

Congratulations to MA in Political Science graduating student Marian Reyes for obtaining the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award! This award highlights Marian’s impactful role in classroom instruction and facilitating UTEP’s educational mission.

05/07/2026

Congratulations to Nancy Silerio Villagrana for successfully defending her MA in Political Science final paper entitled “The Impact of Presidential Power on Political Rights."