Timothy J. Shaffer, director of Wagner College’s Center for Leadership and Engagement, was named today as associate editor and book review editor of the Journal of Public Deliberation, a peer-reviewed, open-access electronic publication. Other new members of the journal’s editorial team are editor Laura Black of Ohio University and associate editor Nancy Thomas of Tufts University.
According to its website, JPD’s purpose is to “[synthesize] the research, opinion, projects, experiments and experiences of academics and practitioners in the emerging multi-disciplinary field and political movement called ‘deliberative democracy.’ ” The journal, which is published twice a year, can be accessed online at no charge.
Since its inception in 2004, articles from JPD have been downloaded over 82,000 times. The journal occupies a preeminent role in a growing, global, cross-disciplinary field. The new editors plan to expand the types of articles published, create a new section for shorter articles that focus on innovative ideas and best practice examples, continue the journal’s success with special issues and symposia, incorporate book reviews, and explore new possibilities for interactivity and social media. The new team will soon be issuing its first call for proposals.
Tim Shaffer’s research interests include historical and contemporary forms of civic engagement and the public philosophies that animate citizens. He has published on topics such as environmental leadership and deliberative democracy as well as higher education’s role in cultivating and supporting civic life. He earned a bachelor’s degree in theology from St. Bonaventure University, master’s degrees in public administration and theological studies from the University of Dayton, and a Ph.D. in education from Cornell University.