Stephen Northam, DPA
Area(s) of Expertise: Public Administration, Complexity/Network Theory, Organizational/Group Behavior
Overview
Academic background is an M.A. from Claremont Graduate, M.S. in Psychology and a Doctorate in Public Administration from Valdosta State University. Professionally, Dr. Northam retired from Hewlett Packard in 2001 after 24 years and has been involved in academia since then. At HP his positions ranged from Cost Account - Controller, Software Engineer, World Wide Administrative Program Manager for Support Business Unit, Americas Information Systems Technology Mgr. He has been a Lecturer at University North Georgia since 2015.
Courses Taught
- POLS 1101 American Government
- POLS 4104 Public Administration
Education
- D.P.A., Public Administration, Valdosta State University, 2013
- M.S., Psychology, University of Phoenix, 2010
- M.A., Government – Political Theory, Legal Theory, Claremont Graduate University, 1975
Research/Special Interests
Dr. Northam's research areas of interest are public policy implementation, group dynamics, organizational/public management theory, and complex systems research models. Current research is in food sustainability/pollinator policy coalition creation and dynamics.
Publications
The Use of Complex Adaptive Systems Theory as a Research Model in the Study of a Complex Policy Implementations
Exhibitions
- Rational/People Soft Implementation Methodology, Internal paper and program speaker at the Agilent Technology/Passage Program, Carmel, CA. 2000
- “Level 7 Program Management Methods” Presentation at Agilent Technology/Passage Program, Paris, France, 2000.
- “Education and Technology” Program Speaker at TAG Georgia Technology Summit, Marietta, GA., 2011
- The Birth of a University Center at the University of North Georgia: The Use of Complex Adaptive Systems Theory as a Research Model in the Study of a Complex Policy Implementation. Doctoral Dissertation, Valdosta State University, 2013.
- Paper, Complexity Systems Theory as a Model for Public Policy Analysis, Midwest Political Science Association Conference Proceedings, April 2014.
- Presentation, Complexity Systems Theory as a Model for Public Policy Analysis, Midwest Political Science Association Conference, April 2014.
- Paper and Presentation, Complexity Adaptive Behavior Systems Theory as an Analytical Model for Policy Implementation Analysis, Georgia American Society for Public Administration Chapter Academic Conference and Annual Meeting, March 2014
- Roundtable Participant 2014, Applications of Complexity Science & Tools for Modeling Policy: Is a Complexity Approach Better?” American Political Science Association Annual Conference, Washington D.C. August 2014
- Paper and Presentation, Complex Systems Modeling of Information Technology Projects at the Georgia Board of Education, 2014 Annual Conference of The Southeastern Conference on Public Administration, Atlanta, GA. October 2014.
- Presentation, Considerations in the use of Complex Systems Theory in the Creation of a New Policy Implementation Methodology: How to Build an Ant Hill? Georgia Political Science Association 2014 Annual Conference, Savanah, Georgia, GA. November 2014.
- Panel Discussant, Conceptualizing Governance through Complexity, American Society for Public Administration 2015 Annual Conference, Chicago, IL.
- Presentation, A Complexity Management Heuristic: The Complexity - Complicated Paradox in Public Policy Implementation Research and Application, Georgia Chapter American Society for Public Administration 2015 Annual Conference, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA. November 2015
- Peer Reviewer, Questions in Politics, The Journal of the Georgia Political Science Association.
- Presentation, A Complexity Management Heuristic: The Complexity - Complicated Paradox in Public Policy Implementation Research and Application, Georgia American Society for Public Administration Chapter Academic 2015 Conference and Annual Meeting, March 2015.
- Presentation, The Stacey Matrix Model of the Complicated and the Complex for the Policy Implementation Practitioner. 2015 Annual Meeting of the Southeast Conference of Public Administration, October 2015
- Paper/Presentation, The Applied Science of Incrementalism Dependence on the Natural Theory of Complex Systems: Evolutionary Pragmatics in Policy and Implementation Decision-Making, 2015 Annual Meeting of the Georgia Political Science Association, November 2015
- Panel Moderator, Complex Partnerships and Opposing Interests: Managing Complicated Relationships, American Society for Public Administration 2016 Annual Conference, Seattle, WA. March 2016.
- Paper/Presentation, When not to use the left-handed sky hook: Comparative Analysis of Implementation Tools Used in Complicated and Complex Environments. American Society for Public Administration 2016 Annual Conference, Seattle, WA. March 2016.
- Discussant, Alternative Approaches to Public Administration: Privatization, Collaboration, and Contracting Out, Georgia Chapter American Society for Public Administration Academic 2016 Conference and Annual Meeting, March 2016.
- Paper Presentation, Heuristic Pragmatics in Policy and Implementation Decision-Making: Complex Systems Theory a Postscript to Bounded Rationality and Incrementalism in Public Administration. 2016 Annual Meeting of the Southeast Conference of Public Administration, October 2016
- Paper Presentation, A Sustainable Food Policy: Understanding the Iron Triangle of a Common Resource Pool, Southern Political Science Association, January 2017
- Paper Presentation, Legitimacy of Pollinator Policy Making: The True Advocates?, American Society for Public Administration 2017 Annual Conference, Atlanta, Georgia. March 2017
- Paper Presentation, Pollinator Politics and Policy Making: The Evolution of an Advocacy Coalition Framework of Representation within a Sustainable Food Policy, 2017 Annual Meeting of the Southeast Conference of Public Administration. October 2017.
Work Experience
Aug 2001 – Dec. 2002 - AND Solutions Group, Inc
- CEO of information systems consulting organization that specialized in project management of application development and integration plus data management, transition and conversion
- Managed IT internal software development labs and divisional
- IT organizations
- Project Management
- System Analysis
- Web Design – User Interface and Usability
- Software Development – Transactional
- Database Development – Data Engineering
- Systems Support – Help Desk, System Maintenance
- Managed WW Program in Finance, Customer Support Delivery and Call
- Centers– including process re-engineering and software development/integration across three continents.
- Managed WW Re-engineering Administrative Programs for support materials logistics.
- Cost Accounting Manager/Controller of Divisional finance and accounting functions
- Managed criminal courts, superior and juvenile, systems research project
- Conducted Dept of Justice Program Evaluation of state-funded criminal justice programs
Education Experience
2015 to Present - University of North Georgia
- Lecturer, American Government
2014 to 2017 - St. Leo University, St. Leo, Florida
- Adjunct Faculty, Political Science, Political Theory
2014 to 2015, Georgia Perimeter College, Atlanta, Georgia
- Adjunct Faculty, American Government
1994 to Present, University of Phoenix, Phoenix, Arizona
- Associate Faculty, Online, Classroom, Blended
Personal Information
Dr. Northam lives in Cumming, Georgia, north of Atlanta, and has 5 grown children and 15 grandchildren; all in Oregon, Idaho, and California.