Watts College welcomes 16 new faculty members in fall 2025

The Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions is welcoming 16 new faculty members this fall, Dean and President’s Professor Cynthia Lietz announced.

“Each one of these newest members brings an impressive array of talents and abilities to our respected and renowned faculty,” Lietz said. “They have achieved high recognition in scholarship, teaching and service. Each will play a vital role in realizing the important aims of ASU’s charter to help students succeed, build healthier and more vibrant communities and advance research of public value.”

The School of Community Resources and Development has four; the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and the School of Public Affairs each has five; and the School of Social Work welcomes two new faculty members.

Four of the 16 are based in the Chinese city of Haikou in the Hainan province, home of the Hainan University-Arizona State University International College, known as HAIC.

School of Community Resources and Development

Seunghoon Lee, HAIC assistant teaching professor, comes to ASU from Texas A&M University, where he was a postdoctoral research associate in the department of hospitality, hotel management and tourism. He earned his PhD in hospitality, hotel management and tourism from Texas A&M, his MA in geography from Seoul National University in South Korea and a BA in English interpretation and translation and a BA in economics, from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul. 

Alicia Pola, assistant clinical professor, comes to ASU from Regis College in Weston, Pennsylvania. She earned her PhD in parks, recreation and tourism management from Clemson (S.C.) University, her MS in recreation therapy from Temple University in Philadelphia and her BS in recreation, parks and tourism administration from San Francisco State University. Among the courses Pola will teach this fall are foundations in recreation therapy and therapeutic recreation and community health.

Jessica Quinton, assistant professor, joins ASU from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where she was a postdoctoral fellow. She earned her PhD in forestry from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Both her master’s degree in environmental studies and her BS in biology are from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. One of the courses Quinton will teach this fall is assessment and evaluation of community services.

Ranyue Xiao, HAIC assistant teaching professor, earned her PhD in recreation, park and tourism services and her master’s degree in international affairs in international development and economic policy from Texas A&M University. She earned her BA in English from China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing.

School of Criminology and Criminal Justice

Rebecca Loftus, associate teaching professor, has been with the school since 2015, serving as academic program manager. She earned her PhD in public administration, her MS in public administration and her BS in justice studies all from ASU. This fall, she will teach courses about crime control practices and sex crimes.

Kaelyn Sanders, assistant professor, joins ASU from Michigan State University, where she served as a research assistant, principal investigator and project manager. She received her PhD from Michigan State and her BA in criminal justice studies, criminology and sociology from Ohio State University. Her research interests include corrections, community supervision and inequality.

Irene Singh, instructor, comes to ASU after serving as a senior crime analyst for the Sunnyvale (Calif.) Department of Public Safety. She earned her MA in intelligence studies with an emphasis on criminal intelligence from American Public University System, Charles Town, West Virginia. Her BS in justice studies is from San Jose (Calif.) State University. Among the courses she will teach this fall are introduction to criminal justice and crime control policies.

Kay Varela, an assistant professor who started Jan. 6, 2025, was a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Southern California and a presidential postdoctoral scholar at ASU. She earned her PhD in sociology from Texas A&M University, where she also earned an MS in sociology. She earned two BAs, one in sociology and one in political science, from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This fall, she will teach a course about race, ethnicity and crime.

Marina Zaloznaya, associate professor, joins ASU from the University of Iowa, where she was director of the European Studies Group in international programs. She earned her PhD in sociology from Northwestern University, her MS in sociology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and her BS in sociology and Italian from Middlebury (Vt.) College. Among the courses she will teach this fall is one about white collar crime.  

School of Public Affairs

Paul Jo, HAIC assistant teaching professor, received his doctoral degree in public administration and policy with a concentration in public policy from the University at Albany, State University of New York. He received an MA in sociology, a BA in sociology and a BA in public administration from Korea University in Seoul.

Lanjun Peng, assistant professor, received her PhD in public affairs from Indiana University, Bloomington. She earned an MPA and an MA in international relations at Syracuse (N.Y.) University and a BA in public administration from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China.

Scott Robinson, professor, comes to ASU from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois, where he served as chair of the department of public administration. He earned his PhD in political science from Texas A&M University, where he also received his MA in political science. His BA in government and politics is from the University of Texas, Dallas.

Jennifer Ross, assistant teaching professor, joins ASU from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois, where she served an instructor in the department of health sciences. She earned her doctorate in public health, environmental health and epidemiology from Texas A&M University, where she earned her MS in biochemistry. Her BS in biology is from the University of Texas, Dallas.

Kiana Sears, professor of practice, has been director of community connections at Access ASU Outreach since 2018. She earned her MPA in human resources and management from ASU. Her BA in intercultural communications is from Michigan State University. She is a former member of the Mesa Public Schools governing board. Among the courses she will teach this fall is one in public service and American democracy.

School of Social Work

Linnea Linde-Krieger, assistant professor, joins ASU from the University of Arizona, where she served as an assistant professor in the department of family and community medicine. She earned her PhD in developmental psychology from the University of California, Riverside, where she also earned her MA in developmental psychology. She earned her MSW from the University of Maryland and a BA in women’s studies and sociology from Mills College.

Eun Young Choi, assistant professor, comes to ASU from the University of Southern California’s School of Gerontology, serving as a postdoctoral associate there. Choi earned a PhD in gerontology from USC, a Master of Gerontology degree from Kyung Hee University in South Korea, and a BA in psychology from Yonsei University in South Korea.