Amy Nantkes, PhD

Amy Nantkes teaches courses on public policy, state and local government, race, ethnicity, and politics, and group and organizational behavior. Her research interests include immigration policy and social welfare policy and inequality, with an emphasis in efficacy-developing policies and sustainable reduction of poverty in the United States. Amy's recent work includes a qualitative study on the effects of gentrification in a San Diego neighborhood and a Native American voting rights study included in the Sanchez v. Cegavske (2016) case. 

As a leader in the nonprofit sector for 20 years, Dr. Nantkes is responsible for training and leading hundreds of volunteers that desire to positively change their communities through direct action. With professional experience in coordinating large-scale community events for over 15,000 participants and developing curriculum for international NGOs, she understands the power of vision-infused education in organizing groups of people around a common purpose.