SPSA Staff
Robert Howard
Executive Director
Dr. Robert Howard is currently a Professor of political science at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Howard received his bachelor’s degree from Union College in Schenectady, New York, earned a law degree from Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts, and a Masters and a PhD in American Politics and Public Law from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. His main research interests are the impact of courts and litigation on social and public policy, and judicial decision making by the Federal Courts. He is the author of numerous articles and books, including Judging Law and Policy: Courts and Policymaking in the American Political System and Getting a Poor Return: Courts, Justice and Taxes.
Dr. Howard has been the Editor of Justice System Journal as well as the Editor of the book series Law, Courts, and Politics.
Rich Engstrom
Deputy Director
Rich Engstrom is an Associate Research Professor in the Government and Politics department at the University of Maryland, College Park. He earned his PhD in Political Science at Rice University, and has been a political science faculty member at Georgia State University, Kennesaw State University, Nazarbayev University, and the University of Wyoming. During his career Rich has served as a Department Head and Vice Dean, directed internship programs, led policy research institutes, and held positions on state and regional political science associations’ Boards of Directors. In addition to publishing work in journals such as Political Research Quarterly and Electoral Studies, he has also published research on pedagogy in political science and has been a recipient of the American Political Science Association’s Pi Sigma Alpha Excellence in Teaching Award.
Patricia Brown
Director of Finance
Patricia Brown is currently the Director of Finance for the SPSA. She received her bachelor’s degree from Castleton University in Castleton, Vermont in 1990. Pat’s major was Business Administration/Accounting with a minor in English. Pat became a full-time SPSA staff member in June 2012. She performs the day-to-day accounting functions, membership management and SPSA historian. Pat is the first voice that you hear when you call the office.
