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CSWE accredits the MSW
program.

Our MPA degree is the only NASPAA-accredited program in Middle Tennessee.

Pi Alpha Alpha is the national Honor Society for graduates who excel in public administration studies.

The College of Public Service is proud to have had an ICMA Student Chapter since 2017.

The College is one of 24 partners nationwide with the Harvard Institute of Politics' National Campaign for Political and Civic Engagement.

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The College is a member of the Vote Everywhere Project - one of only 23 higher education members nationwide.

Meet Our Faculty and Staff

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Public Administration | Social Work | Urban Studies | Administrative staff

Kenneth Chilton, Ph.D. | cv
Professor
Department of Public Administration
kchilton@tnstate.edu
phone 615.963.7017

Ruth Kessa, Ph.D.
Adjunct Faculty Member, Fall 2025
Department of Public Administration
rkessa@tnstate.edu

Cheong Kim, Ph.D. | cv
Assistant Professor
Department of Public Administration
ckim1 @tnstate.edu
phone 615.963.7305

Cliff Lippard, Ph.D. | cv
Adjunct Faculty Member
Department of Public Administration
Executive Director, Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR)
professorlippard@gmail.com

Kenyatta Lovett, Ph.D. | detail | cv
Adjunct Faculty Member
Department of Public Administration
Principal, Education Strategy Group
kenyatta.lovett@gmail.com

Robert Marioni, Ph.D. | cv
Adjunct Faculty Member
Department of Public Administration
LTSS Assistant Deputy of Data Governance and Reporting, Long-term Services & Supports, Division of TennCare
State of Tennessee
robmarioni@hotmail.com

Angela M. Paez, Ph.D. | detail | cv
Associate Professor and Graduate Programs Coordinator
Department of Public Administration
anicho10@tnstate.edu
office Avon Williams Instructional Site, Suite B-400 | phone 615.963.7251

Janice Snow Rodriguez, Ph.D. | cv
Adjunct Faculty Member
Department of Public Administration
Executive Director, Tennessee Language Center
jsnowrod16@gmail.com

Regina Russell, Ph.D. | cv
Adjunct Faculty Member
Department of Public Administration
Director for Assessment and Evaluation, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing and Associate Professor in the Health Promotion, Populations and Health Systems faculty community, VU School of Nursing

Alex Sekwat, Ph.D. | cv
Professor of Public Administration
asekwat@tnstate.edu
office Avon Williams Instructional Site, Suite B-400 | phone 615.963.7371

Rodney Stanley, Ph.D. | detail | cv
Dean, College of Public Service and Professor
Department of Public Administration
rstanley1@tnstate.edu
office Avon Williams Instructional Site, Suite B-400 | phone 615.963.7249

Andy Spears, Ph.D. | cv
Adjunct Faculty Member
Department of Public Administration
President, Spears Strategy (public affairs)
ASPEARS35@GMAIL.COM

Meg Streams, Ph.D. | detail | cv
Department Chair and Associate Professor
Department of Public Administration
office Avon Williams Instructional Site, Suite B-400
mstreams@tnstate.edu
phone 615.963.7112

Steve Thompson, Ph.D. | cv
Adjunct Faculty Member
Department of Public Administration
sthomp48@tnstate.edu

SOCIAL WORK

Public Administration | Social Work | Urban Studies | Administrative staff | top of page

Donna

Donna Dopwell, PhD, MSSW
Director and Assistant Professor, Social Work Program
Department of Social Work and Urban Studies
ddopwell@tnstate.edu
office Avon Williams Instructional Site, Suite C400| phone 615.963.7641

Delores Butler, MSW, LAPSW
Assistant Professor, Social Work Program
Department of Social Work and Urban Studies
dbutler@tnstate.edu
office Avon Williams Instructional Site, Suite F400 | phone 615.963.7666

Cynthia George, Ph.D., MSSW
Associate Professor, Social Work Program
Department of Social Work and Urban Studies
cgeorge9@tnstate.edu
office Avon Williams Instructional Site, Suite F400 | phone 615.963.1850

Shone Hughes, DPA, MSW
Assistant Professor, Social Work Program
Department of Social Work and Urban Studies
shughe10@tnstate.edu
office Avon Williams Instructional Site, Suite F400 | phone 615.963.7641

Gary Jones, MSW, Ph.D. | cv
Interim MSW Coordinator and Assistant Professor, Social Work Program
Department of Social Work and Urban Studies
gjonesjr@tnstate.edu
phone 615.963.7665 office Avon Williams Instructional Site, Suite C400

Janet Otachi, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Social Work Program
Department of Social Work and Urban Studies
jotachi@tnstate.edu
office Avon Williams Instructional Site, Suite F400 |phone 615.963.7267

Wonjen Bagley, DSW, LMSW
Assistant Professor, Social Work Program
Department of Social Work and Urban Studies
wbagley@tnstate.edu
office Avon Williams Instructional Site, Suite F400 |phone 615.963.7302

Paigean Jones, Ph.D
Assistant Professor, Social Work Program
Department of Social Work and Urban Studies
pjones54@tnstate.edu
office Avon Williams Instructional Site, Suite E400

Zadonna Slay, Ph.D
Assistant Professor, Social Work Program
Department of Social Work and Urban Studies
zslay@tnstate.edu
office Avon Williams Instructional Site, Suite F400 | phone 615.963.7246

URBAN STUDIES

Public Administration | Social Work | Urban Studies | Administrative staff | top of page

Cara Robinson, Ph.D. | detail | cv
Department Chair and Associate Professor, Urban Studies
Department of Social Work and Urban Studies
crobin22@tnstate.edu
office Avon Williams Instructional Site, Suite C400 | phone 615.963.7243

Kimberly Triplett, Ph.D. | detail | cv
Associate Professor, Urban Studies
Department of Social Work and Urban Studies
ktriplet@tnstate.edu
office Avon Williams Instructional Site, Suite E | phone 615.963.7025

Rafael Harun, Ph.D. | cv
Assistant Professor, Urban Studies
Department of Social Work and Urban Studies
sharun@tnstate.edu
office Avon Williams Instructional Site, F414 | phone 615.963.7255

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

Public Administration | Social Work | Urban Studies | Administrative staff |top of page

Latonia Jackson
Administrative Assistant
Department of Public Administration
ljacks77@tnstate.edu
office Avon Williams Instructional Site, Suite B-400 | phone 615.963.7241