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Profile

Mary Ellen Balchunis is both a classroom teacher and active in practical politics. Before joining the faculty at La Salle she held a variety of positions in the non-profit sector and in the Philadelphia Mayor’s Office during the Wilson Goode Administration. She has served as a Delegate or Alternate Delegate to every Democratic National Convention since 1992 and serves on the Democratic State Committee in Pennsylvania.

She actively recruits political figures to visit her classrooms and to appear as speakers on campus. Over the years Hillary Clinton, PA State Treasurer Rob McCord, Mayor and later Governor Ed Rendell, along with members of the State Legislature and Philadelphia City Council have all appeared on campus. For the 2010 Senatorial election, candidates Joe Sestak (D) and Pat Toomey (R) conducted one of their publically televised debates from the La Salle Ballroom.

Areas of Expertise

• American Government
• Public Administration
• Mass Media and Politics
• Political Parties
• Women in Politics

Education

• Ph.D. Temple University 1992
• M.P.A. Temple University 1981
• B.A. University of Pennsylvania 1979

Teaching

• POL 151 American Federal Government
• POL 215 Managing Public & Non-Profit Organizations 
• POL 301 State and Local Government 
• POL 310 Political Parties and Elections
• POL 311 Women in Politics
• POL 314 Mass Media and American Politics
• POL 460 -461 Internship

Publications

• Member, Pennsylvania Democratic State Committee, 2010
• Member, Platform Committee, Democratic National Convention, Boston, MA, 2004
• Member, Board of Directors, American Society for Public Administration, Washington, D.C., 1996-1999 
• “The 1996 Presidential Election, “ The La Salle Magazine, Winter 1996.
• Fulbright Scholar, lecturing on Mass Media and American Politics at Vaxjo University, Sweden, 1994
• Book review of The Pursuit of Significance” by Robert B. Denhardt in The Journal of Management and Productivity, Fall 1993
• “The 1992 Presidential Election,” The La Salle Magazine, Winter 1992

Presentations

• “Increasing Political Efficacy in Children,” at American Political Science Association, Women’s Caucus and Women in Politics Research Section, Chicago, IL, 08/29/2007
• “What They Don’t Tell Women About Reporting Discrimination and Sexual Harassment,” American Political Science Association, Women’s Caucus, Washington D.C., 08/31/2005
• Chair and Discussant Public Policy and Public Administration panels, North East Political Science Association and International Studies Association, Philadelphia, PA, 11/08-10/2001
• “Patriarchy, Social Reform and Human Rights in 19th Century Philadelphia,” jointly authored Mary Ellen Balchunis, A. Card Rusaw, Elizabeth Roseleuricz and Michelle Saint-Germaine, at American Society for Public Administration, Philadelphia, PA, July 1997
• “Developing Fund Raising Skills for Public Administration,” at American Society for Public Administration, Philadelphia, PA, 07/27/1997
• “Making the Connection: Public Education and Public service Career Aspirations,” at American Society for Public Administration, Atlanta, GA, July 1996
• “The National Campaign for Public Service,” at National Conference of American Society for Public Administration, Chicago, IL, April 1992

For a full c.v. please email me at balchuni@lasalle.edu