Dr. Joseph Melusky

Education

• B.A., West Chester University of Pennsylvania
• M.A., Ph.D., University of Delaware
• Post-Doctoral Work, University of Michigan, University of Delaware, and Carnegie Mellon University

Biography

Joseph A. Melusky serves as Professor of Political Science, Director of the Center for the Study of Government and Law, Coordinator of Public Administration/Government Service, and Director of the Pre-Law program at Saint Francis University. He has been a full-time member of the teaching faculty at Saint Francis since 1980. He has received a number of teaching awards including the Swatsworth Award, the Honor Society Outstanding Faculty Award, the Alumni Association's Distinguished Faculty Award, and the Dr. John F. Coleman Award for Outstanding Teaching and Research. He has served as Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs, Chair of the Department of History and Political Science, Chair of the Education Department, and Dean of General Education. He is a former president and vice-president of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association (PPSA), former Executive Director, President, and Vice-President of the Northeastern Political Science Association (NPSA), and former member of the Executive Council of the Pennsylvania Humanities Council (PHC). He is Director of Employment Services of the NPSA. He has served as a Judge of Elections in Blair County, Pennsylvania, since 1997.  He has published numerous papers and several books including, The Death Penalty: A Reference Handbook (2017), Death Penalty: Documents Decoded (2014), Capital Punishment (2011), Cruel and Unusual Punishments: Rights and Freedoms under the Law (2004) (all with Keith Pesto), The Contemporary Constitution: Modern Interpretations (2006),  The American Political System: An Owner's Manual (2000), The Bill of Rights:  Our Written Legacy (1993) (with Whitman Ridgway), To Preserve These Rights:  The Bill of Rights 1791-1991 (1991), and The Constitution:  Our Written Legacy (1991). He earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from the University of Delaware and has done post-graduate work at the Universities Delaware and Michigan and Carnegie-Mellon University.

Courses Taught

• PLSC 102 American National Government              
• PLSC 112Road to the White House
• PLSC 201 Introduction to Research Methods in Political Science
• PLSC 202 Political Roundtable: Preparing for the LSAT
• PLSC 301 Constitutional Law
• PLSC 303American Presidency
• PLSC 305 Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
• PLSC 313 Ethics and Public Policy
• PLSC 314 Public Administration
• PLSC 398/399 Internship Supervision
• PLSC 499 Seminar in Research Techniques
• Additional Courses: Introduction to Political Science, Organizational Theory (graduate course), Political Theory I and II, Legislative Process, State and Local Government, Political Behavior, Landmark Trials of Modern Ethics’ The Bill of Rights, Examining the U.S. Constitution, John Grisham and the Law