People
Joseph P. McLaughlin, Jr., PhD
Joseph P. McLaughlin, Jr., PhD, is director of the Institute for Public Affairs and assistant dean for external affairs for the College of Liberal Arts. He teaches American politics and public policy in the political science department and is director of the Pennsylvania Policy Database Project, a six-university effort to build a comprehensive policy database for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. McLaughlin joined Temple after a long career as a government official and urban lobbyist, working on major policy issues in Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and Washington DC. He earned his bachelor’s degree in English literature from Middlebury (VT) College and masters and doctoral degrees in political science from Temple University. [Full Profile] [CV]
Michelle J. Atherton
Michelle J. Atherton is associate director of the Institute for Public Affairs, staff advisor for the Pennsylvania Policy Database Project, and director of the Pennsylvania Capital Semester, an internship program in Harrisburg for students at Temple and all Pennsylvania colleges and universities. Atherton graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh with a dual B.A. in English literature and philosophy of science. She holds a master’s degree in political science from Temple, where she was a University Fellow. She also served as a legislative intern to Philadelphia City Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, and taught American politics, the politics of race and political philosophy as a teaching assistant and adjunct instructor before joining the Institute for Public Affairs in 2008.
Langston Swygert-Huzzy
Langston Swygert-Huzzy joined the Center for Regional Politics and the Institute for Public Affairs as senior administrative specialist in March 2012. Prior to joining the staff of the institute, he served as financial coordinator for the School of Social Work with general fiscal administrative responsibility. In his current role, he is charged with providing executive support to the Center’s Director and the members of the Center for Regional Politics, the Pennsylvania Policy Database Project, and the Pennsylvania Capital Semester Program. He is but one semester away from earning his undergraduate degree from Cairn University in organizational management.