MPA Program Leadership
Dr. Martin-Howard served as the Criminal Justice Management Program Coordinator at John Jay. She holds a Ph.D. in Global Affairs from Rutgers University-Newark, a Master of Public Administration and a Master of Arts in International Relations from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from St. John’s University. While at the Maxwell School, Dr. Martin-Howard completed three Certificates of Advanced Graduate Study in Health Services Management and Policy; Conflict Resolution; and Security Studies. Simone's research focuses on the intersection of public health and criminal justice; maternal and child health; health and social equity; public administration and nonprofit service delivery; and correctional health.
David Shapiro is a Fraud Risk and Financial Crimes Specialist and an expert on financial investigations and law enforcement. His extensive background includes work as an FBI (public sector) special agent/assistant legal advisor, assistant (public) prosecutor, and corporate (private sector) investigator. David serves as a distinguished lecturer at John Jay College, instructing in the fields of fraud examination, financial forensics, managerial inspection, and oversight-related courses. He published articles in the areas of accounting, finance, and risk management. He recently wrote a special chapter for the book, "How They Got Away With It: While Collar Criminals and the Financial Meltdown." In December 2019, his book on Applications of Accounting Information Systems was published by Business Expert Press. It contains observations about AIS not often related by vendors and consultants. Presently, he is writing a book about organized crime.
Nicole M. Elias is an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Management at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY and Founding Co-Director of the Initiative for Gender Equity in the Public Sector at John Jay College. Her research focuses on equity in public administration and policy, with an emphasis on the ethics of administration, management of human resources in public organizations, and public policy impacts on SOGIE populations. Dr. Elias is the author of numerous journal articles, book chapters, government reports, and practitioner training modules aiming to foster greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in public service. She regularly collaborates with practitioners in government agencies and nonprofit organizations. Dr. Elias was a Research Partner with the New York City Commission on Gender Equity and held a Research Fellowship at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Office and U.S. Department of Defense’s Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI). She was named a PoliticsNY Power Player in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in 2023, and in 2022 she was included in City & State’s Higher Education Power 100: Driving diversity on campus, which recognizes college and university officials for making their schools more inclusive in 2022.
Adam Scott Wandt is a tenured Associate Professor of Public Policy and the Deputy Chair for Technology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where he teaches in both the Master of Public Administration and the Master of Digital Forensics and Cyber Security programs. He is also a practicing attorney admitted in New York and serves as Co-Chair of the New York City Bar Association’s Committee on Technology, Cyber, and Privacy Law. Professor Wandt’s work focuses on technology law, cybersecurity, digital forensics, investigative technology, and public sector innovation. He has more than 20 years of experience developing investigative, forensic, and data-driven solutions for federal, state, and local government agencies. He has partnered with the U.S. Department of Justice, FBI, Interpol, the United Nations, and numerous law enforcement and educational institutions globally. He has served as a co-principal investigator on several major federally funded projects, including over $6 million in grants to support law enforcement training in cybercrime and advanced digital investigations. In 2020, he co-led a $600,000 initiative from the National Institute of Justice to combat fentanyl trafficking on the dark web.Professor Wandt also designs and teaches national certification programs in digital evidence, social media investigations, mobile forensics, and cloud data analysis through the Association of Inspectors General. He earned his BA and MPA from John Jay and his JD from Hofstra Law School. Learn more at wandt.us
Elizabeth Nisbet is an Associate Professor of Public Policy at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY. Her research examines how public policy shapes inequality, particularly in public services and labor policy, and how it defines boundaries between the public and private sectors. She has studied city regulation of privately funded public services, labor policy in home care and agriculture, and the role of framing in policymaking. Her work appears in journals such as Urban Affairs Review, Public Management Review, and Policy Studies. Before academia, Dr. Nisbet held policy and research roles in nonprofits focused on education, economic security, and health, including Sesame Workshop and Helen Keller International. She holds a PhD in Planning and Policy from Rutgers University and an MA in Communication from the University of Pennsylvania.