Rate My Professor David Kanaan

Dr. David Kanaan is an Associate Professor of Public Administration in the School of Public Affairs and Chair of the Division of Professional Studies at San Diego State University Imperial Valley. He earned a Ph.D. in Public Affairs with a focus on Governance and Policy Research from the University of Central Florida in 2016, a Master of Public Administration from Eastern Michigan University in 2012, a Bachelor of Science in Arts Management from Eastern Michigan University in 1998, and certification as a Certified Nonprofit Professional from the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance in 2013. Prior to his academic career, Kanaan held positions as a Post-Doctoral Research Scholar at the University of Central Florida School of Public Administration, President and Co-Founder of Smart Dining, Inc., and Territorial Agent at Ashley Talent International, Inc. He joined San Diego State University as an Assistant Professor of Public Administration in 2017, advancing to Associate Professor in 2023.

Kanaan's research examines state and local government performance, public policy effectiveness, community engagement and public high school performance, municipal capacity, and economic development outcomes, employing methodologies such as structural equation modeling. He has published peer-reviewed articles in prominent journals including Public Administration Review, Public Performance & Management Review, Journal of Urban Affairs, Education and Urban Society, Public Integrity, Public Administration Quarterly, and Journal of Public & Nonprofit Affairs. Key publications include 'State Tax Policy, Municipal Choice, and Local Economic Development Outcomes: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach to Performance Assessment' (Public Administration Review, 2021, with J.L. Hall), 'All Is Not LOST in Texas? An Outcome-Oriented Analysis of Local Option Sales Tax Choices on Measures of Economic Growth' (Public Performance & Management Review, 2022, with J.L. Hall and H. Qin), 'Social Disorganization, Community Engagement, and Public High School Performance' (Education and Urban Society, 2022), and 'Corruption at the University: The Case of Susanne Boyle' (Public Integrity, 2021, with D. Jancsics). From 2017 to 2021, he served as Managing Editor of Public Administration Review. Kanaan has presented at conferences including the American Society for Public Administration, Urban Affairs Association, and Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. His awards include the Most Influential Public Administration Faculty recognition for 2018-19 and 2020-21 from the SDSU College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts, School of Public Affairs, and the SDSU Alumni Distinguished Faculty Award in 2025. As Chair, he spearheaded the launch of the Master of Science in Homeland Security program, Social Work minor, and other initiatives at SDSU Imperial Valley.