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Faculty Spotlight


Art Gaffrey, DPA

Core Faculty

Public administrator and educator

“I have one piece of advice: Every day, make a point to learn something new.”

Dr. Art Gaffrey has been an adjunct professor for Capella since 2008. With more than 30 years experience in public administration, including his service as a senior staff member for a U.S. senator, Dr. Gaffrey turned to higher education to share his expertise. Through his teaching, he shares his firsthand accounts of working for such organizations as the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Forest Service.

Educational Background
  • BS in Natural Resource Management, California Polytechnic University
  • MS in Forest Management and Policy Analysis, Oregon State University
  • Doctor of Public Administration, University of La Verne, California
Career Highlights
  • More than 30 years management experience with the U.S. Forest Services
  • Drafted numerous legislative proposals, many of which are current law
  • Served as the agriculture program manager for the U.S. Department of State on the Al Anbar Provincial Reconstruction Team in Iraq
Teaching Philosophy

"As a professor, my primary goal is to help my students learn to think and to help them break down the complex world around them in order to understand how to be successful. As the students develop these skills they gain a greater appreciation of the diversity of our political, social, cultural, and governance systems. I consider it a measure of success if at the end of a course my students can read a news report found on the internet and begin to understand how the story relates to their view of the world and how the story fits into the broader puzzle of today’s global society. I challenge my students to learn how to learn and to develop critical thinking skills."


Areas of Expertise
  • Public Administration
  • Emergency Incident Management
  • Research Methods
Research Interests
  • Administrative behavior, specifically why managers make decisions

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Harold Abel School of Social and Behavioral Sciences

School of Education

School of Public Service Leadership

 

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