Marcia L. Godwin, PhD, is Professor of Public Administration at the University of La Verne. Professor Godwin has published in the areas of local government, public engagement, participatory budgeting, elections, emotional labor, and public affairs education. She is a longtime coeditor and contributor for the biennial Roads to Congress book series. Her research has been published in Administrative Theory and Praxis; Journal of Public Affairs Education; Policy Studies Journal; Politics, Groups, and Identities; State and Local Government Review; Teaching Public Administration; and other publications. She also was coeditor, with Sean D. Foreman, of Local Government and Mayoral Elections in 21st Century America. Godwin is the most quoted faculty member at the University of La Verne, providing expert commentary on California and local government issues to local and national media. She was inducted into the La Verne Academy in 2020.
Professor Godwin also is a practitioner, specializing in developing programs and processes in both local government and university settings. She was the half-time director/chair of the University’s Institutional Review Board (2011-2014) and served as Master of Public Administration Director (2015-2022), guiding the program through reaccreditation during the pandemic. She also has been a leader in faculty governance (Faculty Assembly Chair, Faculty Senator, Budget and Compensation Committee Cochair, Graduate Council Chair, Faculty Handbook Committee). She has extensive local government experience in Southern California and continues to be active with a number of nonprofit and professional organizations. She is a founding member of Women Leading Government and serves on the board of directors of a preeminent local government property tax consulting firm.
Professor Godwin received her PhD in Political Science from Claremont Graduate University, MA in Public Policy from Claremont Graduate University, Master of Public Administration from CSU Northridge, and BA in Political Science from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (summa cum laude).