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About Leonard Lira

Dr. Lira joined SJSU in 2017. Previously, he was the founding Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence at the Army University where he also taught Strategic and Operational Studies, Enterprise Leadership and Management for ArmyU's Army Command and General Staff College and the Army Management Staff College. His additional teaching experiences include teaching American Politics at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. He has over 28 years of public service with direct, organizational and enterprise management and leadership experience. He retired from the Army as a Colonel in 2017. Len's scholarly and teaching focus is on Organizational Theory and Public Management. His current research effort is on collaboration and its impact on performance and veteran studies and policy research. He received a Ph.D. in Public Administration from the University of Kansas in 2016. In 2003, he received an M.A. in International Relations, a Master of Public Administration, and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Conflict Resolution from the Maxwell School of Public Affairs and Administration, Syracuse University. He received a B.A. from Sam Houston State University in Criminal Justice and Police Administration in 1994. 

Positions

Present Assistant Professor, San Jose State University Public Administration
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Curriculum Vitae




Grants

2021 - 2022 USC-SJSU ICCAE Consortium's National Security & Intelligence Scholars Research Program
Office of the Director of National Intelligence - #PO00019321
Role: Principal Investigator
Colleague(s): Young Park
$25,000
2020 - 2021 USC-SJSU ICCAE Consortium's National Security Scholars Research Program
Office of the Director of National Intelligence - #PO10926375
Role: Principal Investigator
Colleague(s): Young Park; Karthika Sasikumar
$25,000
2019 - 2020 Faculty-In-Residence Impact on Student Success and Faculty Development
Project Succeed: Title III Strengthening Institutions Project & U.S. Department of Education - #P031A140081
Project Succeed
Role: Co-Investigator
Colleague(s): Patrica Baker (PI), Kyle Hambrook; Luis Arabit; Jennifer Johnston, Christing Ma-Kellem; Ravneet Tiwana; Lina Anastasovitou;
$12,500
2017 - 2018 Building a field of Veteran Studies Research
San Jose State University
College of Social Science Research Award
Role: Principal Investigator
Colleague(s): Janani Chandrasekar
$2,160
2003 - 2004 Transformation in Training: the Nation-Building Imperative
Foreign Military Studies Office, of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center,
Role: Co-Principal Investigator
Colleague(s): Sean Morgan, Christina Schweiss
$5,000
$
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Professional Service and Affiliations

2018 - Present Chair, SJSU, Political Science Department, MPA Committee, Assessment & Curriculum Sub-Committee
2018 - Present Faculty Advisor, San Jose State University Student Chapter of the International City Manager Association
2017 - Present Editorial Review Board Member, Public Integrity
2017 - Present Faculty Advisor, San Jose State University Veterans Student Organization
2017 - Present Co-Chair, San Jose State University, Veteran Advisory Committee, Academic Policy Subcommittee
2018 - 2020 Co-Chair, San Jose State University Veteran Advisory Committee
2018 - 2020 Faculty Fellow, San Jose State University Veterans Resource Center
2014 - 2017 Board Member, ASPA Section on Personal Administration and Labor Relations
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Honors and Awards

  • First Annual Dissertation Award, from the Section on Personnel Administration and Labor Relations of the American Society for Public Administration, 2014
  • Educator of the Year, Army University, Army Command and General Staff College, 2011
  • Award for Excellence in Joint Professional Military Education and Instruction, from the Military Officers Association of America, Army University, Army Command and General Staff College 2011
  • 1st place Award, Faculty research & writing competition from the Colonel Arthur D. Simons Interagency Center, Army University, Army Command and General Staff College, 2010
  • 7 x Silver Pen Faculty Publication Awards – Command and General Staff College, 2010
  • Bronze Pen Faculty Publication Award – Command and General Staff College, 2010
  • Master Teacher Certificate, Center for Teaching Excellence, USMA, West Point NY. 2003


Education

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2011 - 2016 Doctorate, Public Administration, University of Kansas ‐ School of Public Affairs and Administration
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2001 - 2003 MPA, Syracuse University ‐ Maxwell School of Public Affairs and Administration
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2001 - 2003 Master of Arts - International Relations, Syracuse University
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1990 - 1994 Bachelor of Arts, Sam Houston State University
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Research Works (25)