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Portrait of Dana Michael Harsell

Dana Michael Harsell

  • Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Administration, MPA Director, Political Science & Public Adm
    • Public Administration and Public Management, Government Performance, Public Service Provision, Public Arts, State and Local Government

Contact Info

Office Address

Gamble Hall Room 265J
293 Centennial Drive Stop 8379
Grand Forks, ND 58202-8379

Curriculum Vitae

Websites

Biography

Dana Michael Harsell is Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Administration at the University of North Dakota, where he teaches courses in state and local government, public administration, the intersection of business and government, and the presidency. During his recent tenure as Master of Public Administration Program Director, he led the program through a successful reaccreditation cycle; the exemplar self-study report can be found as a best practice on the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration’s (NASPAA) website. Harsell holds a BA in political science and psychology and an MA in political science, both from the University of Montana, and a PhD in political science from Syracuse University.

Dana’s research interests include public sector strategic planning, performance and accountability, public service provision, and arts and culture policy. Harsell is a contributing editor for Governing North Dakota and was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts, Artworks: Research grant to study how changes in levels of state legislative appropriations for state arts agencies influence appropriation levels in bordering states. A recent publication, “Assessing the Impacts of Transaction Costs and Rapid Growth on Local Government Service Provision and Delivery Choices in North Dakota” appears in Journal of Rural Studies (53)1.

Harsell has accrued an extensive list of service experience, holding positions of Director of Government for the North Dakota Girls State program, board of executive directors (three years as president) for the North Valley Arts Council (NoVAC), and University Senate chair.  He served on the College of Business and Public Administration Strategic Planning Taskforce and Co-Chaired the UND strategic planning committee, which culminated in the OneUND 2017-2022 Strategic Plan. Harsell has conducted MPA site visits for NASPAA and currently serves on the Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation.

Harsell received the UND Foundation/Thomas J. Clifford Faculty Award for Graduate Teaching Excellence in 2016 and the UND President’s Service Medal in 2017.

Juried/Refereed Publications

Romsdahl, Rebecca, Robert Wood, Dana Michael Harsell & Andy Hultquist. (Forthcoming; in preproduction). “Framing Local Climate Change Policies in the US Great Plains” Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning.

Hultquist, Andy, Dana Michael Harsell, Robert S. Wood, and David T Flynn. “Assessing the Impacts of Rapid Growth on Local Government Service Provision and Delivery Arrangement Choices in North Dakota” Journal of Rural Studies, 53(July):14-25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2017.05.003

Butz, Nicholas. T., Stupnisky, Robert. H., Pekrun, R., Jensen, Jason. L., & Harsell, Dana. M. (2016). The impact of emotions on student achievement in synchronous hybrid business and public administration programs: A longitudinal test of control-value theory. Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education, 14(4), 441-474.

Harsell, Dana Michael, 2013. “My Taxes Paid for That?! Or Why the Past is Prologue in Public Arts Funding.” PS: Political Science & Politics, 46(1): 1-7. http://journals.cambridge.org/repo_A88kYN65

Harsell, Dana Michael & Mark Jendrysik. 2013. “Egalitarian Populism on the High Plains. Or, Why Are There No Parking Meters in North Dakota?.” The Journal of Popular Culture, 46(2)

Harsell, Dana Michael, Christine C Harsell and Robert Wood. (2011) “Expanding Rural Healthcare Services in the Great Plains States through Secure Video Links: A Case Study of Rural Service Delivery.” American Journal of Health Sciences, 2(2): 13-21.

Harsell, Dana Michael and Patrick O’Neill. 2010. “Experiential Learning: Lessons Learned from the UND Business and Government Symposium.” American Journal of Business Education, 3(8):27-33

Harsell, Dana Michael. 2010. “Wikis in the Classroom: Faculty and Student Perspective.” Journal of Political Science Education, 6(3):310-314

Jones, Dale and Dana Michael Harsell. 2007. "Learning to Build Capacity: Applying the GPP Model to Other Governments." In Pursuit of Performance: Management Systems in State and Local Government, edited by Patricia Ingraham. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. 195-211

Andersen, Kristi and Dana Michael Harsell. 2005. "Assessing the Impact of a Quantitative Skills Course for Undergraduates." Journal of Political Science Education 1(1):17-27.

Textbooks

Howe, Neil, and Dana Michael Harsell (eds.). 2013. Governing North Dakota: 2013-2015. Grand Forks: The Bureau of Government Affairs. ISBN 978-0-9796796-9-8

Howe, Neil, Dana Michael Harsell and Robert Wood (eds.). 2011. Governing North Dakota: 2011-2013. Grand Forks: The Bureau of Government Affairs. ISBN 978-0-9796796-8-1

Wood, Robert, Neil Howe and Dana Michael Harsell (eds.). 2009. Governing North Dakota: 2009-2011. Grand Forks: The Bureau of Government Affairs. ISBN 978-0-9796796-6-7         

Invited

Harsell, Dana Michael. (2020). “North Dakota Senate Race: A Right Turn,” in The Roads to Congress 2018: American Elections in the Trump Era. Edited by Sean D. Foreman, Marcia L. Godwin & Walter Clark Wilson. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave MacMillan (Springer International). ISBN 9783030198183

Harsell, Dana Michael. 2009. “North Dakota”. In Political Encyclopedia of U.S. States and Regions, Vol. II., edited by Donald P. Haider-Markel. Washington D.C., CQ Press. pp. 601-611.                                                                

Other Publications

Harsell, Dana Michael and Robert Wood. 2007. North Dakota Directory of Public Service Provision. Grand Forks: UND Bureau of Governmental Affairs.

Harsell, Dana Michael. 2005. "Working with Career Executives to Manage for Results," in Learning the Ropes: Insights for Political Appointees. Edited by Mark A. Abramson and Paul R. Lawrence. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Pp. 115-133. Also in, Becoming an Effective Political Executive, 2nd ed., by Judith E. Michaels. 2005. Washington D.C.: The IBM Center for the Business of Government. pp. 34-44.

Jones, Dale and Dana Michael Harsell. 2003. Applying the Government Performance Project Model to Other Governments. In Paths to Performance in State and Local Government: A final Assessment from The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Syracuse University. pp. 187-212.

Harsell, Dana Michael and Dale Jones. 2002. "Managing for Results." In The New Jersey Initiative: Building Management Capacity in New Jersey Municipalities, New Jersey Initiative Final Report. Syracuse University. ISBN 0-9723595-0-8. Report. pp. 131-149.

Harsell, Dana Michael and Dale Jones. 2002. "Managing for Results." In Summary of the New Jersey Initiative: Building Management Capacity in New Jersey Municipalities, New Jersey Initiative Final Report Summary. Syracuse University. ISBN 0-9723595-1-6. Report. pp. 32-36.

Ph.D. Political Science, Syracuse University

M.A. Political Science, University of Montana

B.A. Political Science and Psychology, University of Montana

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