MELANIE M.

BOWERS
401 Cooper Street
Camden, NJ 08102
(720) 883-7441
melanie.bowers@rutgers.edu

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

Assistant Professor August 2015-Present

Department of Political Science, Department of Public Policy and Administration
Rutgers University, Camden

EDUCATION

Doctor of Philosophy: Political Science August 2015

Michigan State University, Lansing, MI
Comprehensive Exams: American Politics and Public Policy
Specialization: Global Urban Studies

Dissertation: Local Policymaking in an Age of Federalism: The Role of Federal Incentives in Municipal
Homelessness Policy
Dissertation Committee: Richard Hula (Chair), Laura Reese, Sarah Reckhow, Josh Sapotichne

Master of Arts: Political Science May 2011

Michigan State University, Lansing, MI
Focus Areas: American Politics and Public Policy

Bachelor of Arts: Political Science May 2007

University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO
Minor: Economics
Honors: Summa Cum Laude with Highest University Honors

ADDITIONAL ADVANCED TRAINING

Certificate in College Teaching, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI Spring 2015
Courses: PLS 993, Readings Course in Teaching and Learning

The Institute for Qualitative and Multimethods Research Summer Institute, Summer 2012
Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Modules: Process Tracing, Typology Theory, Designing and Conducting Fieldwork, Strategies of Causal
Inference, Content Analysis, Qualitative Comparative Analysis and Fuzzy Sets

Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research Summer Program, Summer 2011
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Courses: Applied Multilevel Modeling, Causal Inference

NVivo 9 Basic and Advanced Training Seminars, East Lansing, MI Spring 2011
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RESEARCH

Interests
Urban Politics and Policy Environmental Policy Intergovernmental Affairs
Housing and Homelessness Policy LGBTQ+ Politics and Policy Teaching and Learning

Publications

Bowers, Melanie and Robert R. Preuhs. 2009. Collateral Consequences of a Collateral Penalty:The Negative
Effect of Felon Disenfranchisement Laws on the Political Participation of Non-Felons. Social Science Quarterly
90(3), 722-743.

Hula, Richard.C., Melanie Bowers, Cameron Whitley. and William Issac. 2017. Science, Politics and Policy: How
Michiganders think about the Risks Facing the Great Lakes. Human Ecology, 45(6), pp.833-844.

Bowers, Melanie and Cameron Whitley. Forthcoming. Voting While Trans: Assessing US Voter Registration
Among Transgender Individuals. Political Behavior.

Melanie Bowers. Forthcoming. Using Student-Generated Photography to Flip the Political Science Classroom.
Journal of Political Science Education.

Articles Under Review

Bowers, Melanie and Cameron Whitley. Is it Biology?: Assessing the Effects of Biological Attribution on Public
Opinion of Transgender Rights (Under Review)

Bowers, Melanie. Rights but Not Marriage?: Understanding how Community Context Influences Those who
Support Civil Unions but Oppose Same-Sex Marriage. ( Under Review)

Book Manuscript in Process

Melanie Bowers. Need Money, Will Work: How Cities have Redefined Homelessness in an Age of Federalism.

Working Papers
To be Submitted Fall 2018

Melanie Bowers. The Power of Federal Incentives: Evaluating Local Government Adoptions of 10 Year Plans to
End Homelessness

Melanie Bowers. Consolidation in Homeless Services: A Natural Experiment in New Jersey

Melanie Bowers, Susan Cavanaugh, David O’Kerke and Anetha Perry. When Economic Development Works:
The Case of Collingswood, NJ.

Melanie Bowers and Galadrial Thoman. What Does Science have to do with It ?: An Examination of Public
Opinion on Social Scientists’ Role in Poverty Policy

Cameron Whitley and Melanie Bowers. Understanding the Roll of Core Values in Opinions on Transgender
Rights.

To be Submitted Spring/Summer 2019

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Melanie Bowers. Do Homeless Set-Asides Work? Evaluating the Effects of Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Set
Asides

Melanie Bowers. Does Mandating Collaboration Work?: Evaluating Networks in a New Jersey Continuum of
Care

Melanie Bowers and Stephen Danley. Learning through Doing: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Engaged
Research in the Graduate Classroom.

Policy Reports
Melanie Bowers. Can They Sleep Here?: Assessing the Availability of Population-Appropriate Housing for the
Homeless in Southern New Jersey. Prepared for the Community Planning and Advocacy Council and the
Southern New Jersey Continuum of Care. (In Progress)

Conference Presentations

Bowers, Melanie. Is it Biology?: Assessing the Effects of Biological Attribution on Public Opinion of
Transgender Rights. Paper presented at the 76th Annual Conference of the Midwestern Political Science
Association. April 5-8, 2018; Chicaogo, IL.

Bowers, Melanie. Compassion and Punishment: NIMBYism and Federal Goals in Local Homelessness Policy.
Paper presented at the 47th Urban Affairs Conference; April 19-22, 2017; Minneapolis, MN.

Bowers, Melanie. Compassion and Punishment: NIMBYism and Federal Goals in Local Homelessness Policy.
Paper presented at the 75th Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association; April 6-9, 2017;
Chicago, IL.

Bowers, Melanie. Keeping Problems at Bay?: Understanding Municipal Responsivenessin the Post-Reagan Era.
Poster session presented at the 110th Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association; August 28-
31, 2014; Washington, DC.

Bowers, Melanie. Responding to Change: Examining the Characteristics of Adaptive Cities. Paper presented at
the 109th Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association; August 29-31, 2013; Chicago, IL.

Bowers, Melanie. Municipal Adaptability: Responding to an Ever-Changing Federal Funding Structure. Paper
presented at the 71st Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association; April 11-14, 2013; Chicago,
IL.

Hula, Richard, Melanie Bowers and William Issac. Determinants Of Complex Policy: Understanding The Role of
Science In Public Policy.” Paper presented at the 71st Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science
Association; April 11-14, 2013; Chicago, IL.

Hula, Richard and Melanie Bowers. Determinants of Complex Policy: Understanding the Role of Science in
Public Policy. Paper accepted at the 108th Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association; August
30- September 2, 2012; New Orleans, LA (meeting canceled).

Bowers, Melanie. Place Matters: The Role of State and Local Context in Predicting Public Opinino on Same-Sex
Relationship Recognition. Paper presented at the 70th Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science
Association; April 12-15, 2012; Chicago, IL.

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Bowers, Melanie. State Context as a Determinant of Opinion on Same-Sex Relationship Recognition. Paper
presented at the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association; September 1-4, 2011;
Seattle, WA.

TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching Interests
American Politics Public Policy Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations
State and Local Politics Immigration Policy Minority Politics (Race, Ethnicity and LGBTQ+)
Housing and Homelessness Economic Development Community Development

Undergraduate Courses Taught: Introduction to American Politics; The Study of Political Science; Public Policy
Analysis; ; State and Local Politics; Urban Political Systems; Basic Urban Issues; Urban Economic Development;
Immigrants and Community Development

Graduate Level Courses Taught: Regional Economic Development (MPA and PhD); Immigrants and Community
Development (MPA); Research Design (PhD)

Teaching Enhancement and Professional Development

Participant, Humanities in Prison Education Workshop 2017-2018

Participant, Faculty Workshop on Difficult Classroom Dialogues 2017-2018

Participant, Pizza and Pedagogy Discussion Series 2017-2018

Fellow, Digital Teaching Fellows, Rutgers University, Camden 2016-2017

Fellow, Engaged Civic Learning Fellowship Program, Rutgers University, Camden 2015-2016

Fellow, Residential College of the Arts and Humanities Teaching Fellowship Program 2014-2015
Michigan State University

Fellow, Preparing Future Faculty for the Assessment of Student Learning 2013-2015
Michigan State University

Participant, Workshop Series on Teaching, Learning and Assessment 2012-2015

Michigan State University

Graduate Student Group Leader, Department of Political Science Online Teaching Preparation 2013-2014
Michigan State University

Student Representative, Department of Political Science’s Committee on Undergraduate Education 2011-2012

Michigan State University

Dissertation and Thesis Committees

Saul Moralis, Honors Thesis Advisor 2017-Present
Matthew Closter. Dissertaton Committee Member 2016-Present
Daniel Wallsten. Senior Thesis Advisor 2016-2017

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Mentored Students and Letters of Recommendation

Galadriel Thoman, Fall 2017- Spring 2018 Shikuin Sun, Spring 2016
Edward Frankiewicz, Fall 2017 Vesile Ekiz, Spring 2016
Raymond Romo, Fall 2017 Anetha Perry, Spring 2016
Piers Duffle, Fall 2017 Efrem Ball, Fall 2015
Brian McKenna, Spring 2017 Hanah Miller, Spring 2014
David O’Kereke, Fall 2016- Spring 2018 Emily Meyer, Spring 2014
Daniel Wallsten, 2015-2017 Hailey Lobb, Spring 2014
Straso Jovanovski, 2015-2016 Jacob Garriston , Fall 2014

FELLOWSHIPS AND GRANTS

Rand Institute Faculty Fellows Fall 2017- Spring 2018

Senator Walter Rand Institute for Public Affiars
Rutgers University, Camden
Total Value: $4,000

University Distinguished Fellowship Fall 2009 – Spring 2015

Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Total Value: $71,000

Residential College of the Arts and Humanities Teaching Fellowship Fall 2014- Spring 2015
Michigan State University, East Lansing MI
Total Value: $7,500

Graduate Research Fellowship Fall 2010 - Spring 2013

National Science Foundation, Washington DC
Total Value: $124,500

Summer Enrichment Fellowship

Department of Political Science, Michigan State University Summer 2011, 2012
Total Value: $10,000

SERVICE

Department Service

Member, PhD Committee 2018-Present

Member, Comprehensive Exam Committee 2018-Present
Member, Urban Studies Committee 2016-Present
Member, Rutgers Day Subcomittee Spring 2017
Member, Course Requirement Subcomittee Spring 2017
Member, Non-Tenure Track Merit Pay Subcommittee Spring 2017
Member, Department of Political Science Student Awards Subcomittee Spring 2017
Member, Junior Search Committee, Rutgers Unviersity, Camden Spring 2016
Member, Course Committee Spring 2016
Discussant, CURE Symposium on Housing, Segregation and Poverty Discussant Fall 2015
President, Political Science Graduate Student Governing Board 2012-2013
Student Representative, Department of Political Science’s Graduate Studies Committee 2011-2012
Chair: Department of Political Science’s Graduate Student Advisory Committee 2011-2012
Admissions and Academic Standards Committee Representative, Political Science 2011-2012
Graduate Student Governing Board

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Coordinator, Workshop Series on Qualitative Research Methodology 2011-2012

Member, Department of Political Science’s Graduate Student Advisory Committee 2010-2011
Community Chair, Political Science Graduate Student Governing Board 2010-2011

University Service
Faculty Senator, Rutgers University, Camden 2016-Present
Member, Committee on LGBTQIA+ Awareness 2017-Present
Judge, Ethics Bowl Spring 2018
Guest Speaker, The Prison Industry and Mass Incarceration Fall 2017
Member, General Education Experiential Learning Subcommittee 2016-2017
Volunteer, Pastured Swine Production Project Volunteer, Michigan State University 2010-2014
Judge, Undergraduate Research Conference, UURAF 2010-2011

Professional Service
Awards Committee Member, Journal of Urban Affairs Best Paper Award Spring 2018
Panel Moderator, Urban Affairs Association’s Annual Conference Spring 2017
Chair and Discussant, Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association Fall 2016

Adhoc Reviewer
P.S.Political Sciene and Politics
Journal of Urban Affairs
Political Research Quarterly
Journal of Politics
Social Problems
American Review of Politics

Community Service

Community Researcher Camden County Homeless Network Planning Committee, Camden County NJ 2017/2018
Volunteer, Lifting Up Camden Youth (LUCY), Camden, NJ 2015-Present
Volunteer, Hope Works, Camden, NJ 2016
Volunteer, Capital Area Humane Society, Lansing, MI 2012-2015
Volunteer, Habitat for Humanity, Lansing, MI 2012-2015
Volunteer, Aqua Clara Water System Installation Managua, Nicaragua Summer 2010
Volunteer, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, New York, NY 2008-2009.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
American Political Science Association
Urban Politics Section
Public Policy Section
Midwest Political Science Association
Urban Politics Section
Public Policy Section
Urban Affairs Association
Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management