Faculty Profile for Dr. Nandhini Rangarajan

Biography Section

Biography and Education

Nandhini Rangarajan is a professor of public administration in the department of political Science at Texas State University, San Marcos. She was the Director of the Master of Public Administration Program from 2017-2024. Dr. Rangarajan has taught at Texas State University since 2005 after earning a Ph.D. in Public Administration from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, University at Albany. She received a Bachelor of Arts (B.A) in English Literature and a Master of Arts degree (M.A) in Public Administration from the Meenakshi College for Women affiliated with the University of Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

Dr. Rangarajan teaches both in the Bachelor of Public Administration (BPA) and the Master of Public Administration Program (MPA) at Texas State University. At the undergraduate level, she has taught courses such as Functions of American Government, International and Comparative Public Administration, Public Personnel Administration, Introduction to Public Administration, and Analytical Techniques. Graduate level courses taught by her include Introduction to Public Administration, Public Personnel Administration, and the three-course sequence that helps students develop and complete an applied research project. She has supervised more than 90 applied research projects and has served on 50 other applied research and comprehensive exam committees. She has mentored students to present their work at national conferences and publish in prominent academic journals. Dr. Rangarajan has been recognized for teaching excellence by the College of Liberal Arts at Texas State University, the Central Texas Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration and by the Alpha Chi National College Honor Society.

Dr. Rangarajan’s primary research interests are public management, human resources, and public affairs education. She has presented her work at national conferences organized by the American Society for Public Administration, Academy of Management, APPAM and NASPAA. Her articles have appeared in prominent journals such as the Administration and Society, Review of Public Personnel Administration, Quality and Quantity, Public Policy and Administration, Public Productivity and Management Review, Administrative Theory and Praxis, and the Journal of Public Affairs Education. Her co-authored book, A Playbook for Research Methods: Integrating Conceptual Frameworks and Project Management, provides useful tools for graduate students to manage the research process.

Teaching Interests

T E A C H I N G I N T E R E S T S

Public administration, public management, public personnel administration, research methods, analytical techniques, public policy, innovation, and creativity

Research Interests

Public Management, Public Personnel Administration, Research Methods, Public Affairs Education, Public Sector Creativity and Innovation