Joel Rast, Associate Professor of Political Science, has been named the new Urban Studies Programs director beginning Fall semester 2015. Rast earned his PhD from the University of Oregon and teaches courses and authors articles and books with an urban emphasis.

His teaching and research interests include Urban Development/Redevelopment since World War II,
Urban Politics, Environmental Politics, and Intergovernmental Relations.

His most recent article is “Urban Regime Theory and the Problem of Change,” for the academic journal Urban Affairs Review, 2015.