Faculty and curriculum committee

SMU is proud to have faculty and a curriculum committee that are deeply committed to student success and focused on creating strong policy leaders through continually updated curriculum and hands-on coursework.

Our faculty and curriculum committee members bring a diverse range of expertise to the program. They have extensive backgrounds in different areas of policy including education, literacy, veteran services, economics and immigration. Many hold leadership positions in the industry.

Connecting with our faculty members

In most cases, course instructors will respond to emails and messages within 48 business hours.

Faculty directory

Mea Ahlberg, Ph.D.
Mea Ahlberg, Ph.D.

M.P.P. Curriculum Committee Member

M.P.P. Faculty and Senior Lecturer of Economics
Eva Chiang, Ph.D.
Eva Chiang, Ph.D.

M.P.P. Faculty Lead and Academic Coordinator
Molly K. Ellis, Ph.D.
Molly K. Ellis, Ph.D.

M.P.P. Faculty

Director of Strategic Initiatives
Novin Ghaffari, Ph.D.
Novin Ghaffari, Ph.D.

M.P.P Faculty

Statistician, Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Thomas Osang, Ph.D.
Thomas Osang, Ph.D.

M.P.P. Curriculum Committee Member

Associate Professor of Economics
Kim Nelson Pryor, Ph.D.
Kim Nelson Pryor, Ph.D.

M.P.P Faculty

Director of Student Affairs Assessment and Analytics, SMU Office of the Senior Vice President
Meredith Richards, Ph.D.
Meredith Richards, Ph.D.

M.P.P. Curriculum Committee Member

Associate Professor of Education Policy
Martin Stegemoeller, Ph.D.
Martin Stegemoeller, Ph.D.

M.P.P Faculty

Master Teaching Chair, St. Mark’s School of Texas
Anne Wicks, MBA
Anne Wicks, MBA

M.P.P. Curriculum Committee Member

The Don Evans Family Managing Director, Opportunity and Democracy at the George W. Bush Institute
Matthew Wilson, Ph.D.
Matthew Wilson, Ph.D.

M.P.P. Curriculum Committee Member

Kairo Endowed Director of the Center for Faith and Learning and Associate Professor of political science