Sheldon Gen, P.E., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor


sgen

 

Office Location: Downtown campus, suite 515

Fall 2009 Office Hours:
Mondays & Tuesdays & Wednesdays 4:50 – 5:50 PM, and by appointment

 

Telephone: 415-817-4458
Email: sgen@sfsu.edu

Mailing address:

     Department of Public Administration

     San Francisco State University

     835 Market Street

     San Francisco, CA 94103

Recent courses

Graduate
PA 705/PA 706: Research Methods and Data Analysis I and II

PA 715: Politics of Policy Making & Implementation

PA 770: Policy Analysis

PA 775: Program Evaluation

PA/GEOG 776: Environmental Policy

 

Doctoral

EDDL 940: Policy, Law, and the Political Economy of Education

EDDL 941: Organizational Accountability and Strategic Planning

 

About the Professor
Experience 
Education
Research

Associations

Honors

Food for Thought

Departments
Public Administration  

 

Associated Departments

Environmental Studies

Public Research Institute

SFState_Logo_H_cmyk_1in

 


 

Experience
Professional experiences in the public and non-profit sectors include employment and consultancies with several local, state, national, and international organizations, including the following:

 

Public sector

Private non-profit sector

International

·         International Boundary and Water Commission, U.S. Section (environmental engineering)

·         U.S. Peace Corps (civil and environmental engineering)

 

·         Plan International (civil and environmental engineering)

National

·         U.S. Air Force, Los Angeles Air Force Base (civil engineering)

·         U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (environmental engineering)

·         Army Environmental Policy Institute (research, program evaluation)

 

State

·         California Department of Transportation (civil engineering)

·         Georgia Department of Transportation (research, program evaluation)

 

Local

·         Los Angeles Unified School District  (teacher)

·         Turlock Irrigation District (land surveying)

·         San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (research, public opinion surveying)

·         San Francisco Zoo (program evaluation)

·         Hotline Incorporated, of San Luis Obispo County (crisis response)

·         San Francisco Education Fund (research, policy analysis)

·         Edgewood Center for Children and Families, San Mateo County (program evaluation)

·         Girls on the Run – San Francisco (program evaluation)

·         San Francisco Food Bank (research, program evaluation)

·         Our Second Home, Daly City (program evaluation)

·         Camp Kesem National (program evaluation)

·         Asian Inc. (policy analysis)

·         San Francisco Zoo (program evaluation)

·         Rebuilding Together Peninsula (program evaluation)

·         Swords to Plowshares

 

 

Education

 

Research

Interests

  • Environmental policy, environmental valuation, environmental justice, water resources policy
  • Policy analysis, program evaluation
  • Public participation in government decision making
  • Educational funding
  • Government contracting and privatization

 

Select Publications, Presentations, and Reports

  • Gen, S. (under review; submitted July 2009). Values conflict in American environmental federalism, with implications for China. In Guo, S. (editor). Environmental Protection Policy in Western Regions: The U.S. and China Experience. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
  • Bae, S., Gen, S., & Moon, S.G. (under review; submitted June 2009). Geographic, institutional, and facility factors affecting differences in prices for wastewater services. Review of Development Economics.
  • Gen, S., Shafer, H., & Nakagawa, M. (under review; submitted September 2008). False perceptions of environmental injustice: the case of an U.S. urban wastewater system. Sustainable Development.
  • Paarlberg, L. & Gen, S. (2009). Exploring the determinants of nonprofit coproduction of public service delivery: the case of k-12 public education. American Review of Public Administration.
  • Pendola, R. & Gen, S. (2008). Does “main street” promote sense of community?  A comparison of San Francisco neighborhoods.  Environment & Behavior, 40(4): 545-574.
  • Gen, S. & Kingsley, G. (2007). Effects of contracting out engineering services over time in a state department of transportation. Public Works Management and Policy, 12(1): 331-343.
  • Pendola, R. & Gen, S. (2007). BMI, auto use, and the urban environment in San Francisco. Health and Place, 13(2): 551-556.
  • Gen, S., and Paarlberg, L. (2006). Budget constraints, philanthropic response, and public value failure in San Francisco Bay Area K-12 education. Annual Conference of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, Madison, WI.
  • Nakagawa, M., & Gen, S. (2006). Perceptions of households and incidents of wastewater problems in San Francisco. Public Research Institute, San Francisco. 22 pages.
  • Gen, S., Shafer, H., Nakagawa, M. & Duvanced, J. (2005).  Baseline Perceptions and Preferences of Households in Support of the SFPUC Wastewater Master Plan.  Public Research Institute.  San Francisco, CA.  302 pages.
  • O’Neil, D., Gen, S., & Kingsley, G. (2004). Understanding public managers’ perceptions of privatization and its implications for public management. Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management Annual Research Conference. Atlanta, GA.
  • Gen, S. (2004). Meta Analysis of Environmental Valuation Studies.  Dissertation completed at the School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology.
  • Kingsley et al. (2003). Strategies to Strengthen Consultant Management in the Georgia Department of Transportation.  Reports to the Georgia Department of Transportation.
  • Gen, S. (2002). Limits of monetary valuation of environmental goods.  Association of Public Policy Analysis and Management Annual Research Conference, Dallas, TX.
  • Gen, S. (2002).  Cost benefit analysis and the environment.  Award acceptance speech at the annual meeting of the Air and Waste Management Association, Georgia Chapter, Atlanta, Georgia.
  • Gen, S. (2001).  Pilot meta-analysis of environmental valuation: the value of clean water.  Seminar Series of the National Center for Environmental Economics, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  Washington, DC.
  • Gen, S. (2001). Progress and challenges of adaptive ecosystem management at military installations: a case study of Fort Huachuca, Arizona.  Environmental Practice.  3(3) 153-162.
  • Paskaleva, K., Barke, R., Bostrom, A., Gen, S., Roukova, P., Kapplin, S., & Abayomi, K. (2000).  Sustainability and transformation at the local level in post-socialist Bulgaria. Bulgarian Research Symposium and Network Meeting.  Atlanta, GA. 
  • Gen, S., Barke, R., Bostrom, A., Paskaleva, K., Roukova, P., Kapplin, S., & Abayomi, K. (1999).  Economic and environmental risk tradeoffs in a transitional society. Society for Risk Analysis Annual Meeting. Atlanta, GA.
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission. (1998). Long-term treatment options for the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant.  U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  Los Angeles, California.
  • Gen, S. (1996). Evaluation of career development programs.  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9.  San Francisco, CA.

 

Associations

 

Honors

  • Faculty Affiliate, Public Research Institute, San Francisco State University, 2006-08.
  • William H. Read Award, School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2003.
  • Air & Waste Management Association’s Research Scholarship, 2002.
  • Outstanding Doctoral Student, School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2001.
  • GTA Teaching Excellence Award, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2000.
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Network for Environmental Management Studies (NNEMS) Fellow, Georgia Institute of Technology, 1999.
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Water Division's Excellence Award, San Francisco, 1997.
  • U.S. Presidential Management Internship, 1995-1997.
  • Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society, University of Southern California, 1995.
  • Outstanding Graduate Student, School of Public Administration, University of Southern California, 1995.
  • Dean’s Merit Scholarship, School of Public Administration, University of Southern California, 1993-1995.
  • Chairperson, Peace Corps Volunteer Council, Kenya, 1991-1992.

 

Food for Thought

I grew up in the back of my parents’ restaurant in Turlock and I worked my way through college at restaurants in San Luis Obispo, having held every job from dishwasher to cook.  Two things have come from these experiences: I love good food, and I appreciate good restaurants.  San Francisco is the best place to live for someone like me because there is so much food to love and there are so many eclectic restaurants to experience!  Below are some of my current favorites.  Consider these next time you’re heading out.  All of these places I’ve listed have dishes that will fit a student’s budget. 

  • A-1 Bakery, 1727 Ocean Avenue: a no-frills Chinese bakery; the warmer cabinet behind the counter is where you’ll find pork buns and cocktail buns for $1 each.
  • Fresca, 24 West Portal Avenue: Peruvian seafood is their niche, but don’t overlook their generous steak salad or their shrimp BLT, each for under $12.
  • Memphis Minnie’s, 576 Haight Street, 415-864-PORK: one thing I learned from my 5 years in Georgia is an appreciation for southern BBQ.  Get the banana pudding to follow your BBQ platter.
  • Peasant Pies, 4108 24th Street, 415-731-1978: the name says it all.  They’ve got individual-serving sweet and savory pies, each for $2.55.  They claim to be healthy, but who cares, they’re pies!
  • Pagan Restaurant, 3199 Clement Street (at 33rd Ave.), 415-751-2598: The name refers to the Burmese city, but should refer to the hedonistic food found here or the polytheist homage to its two cuisines (Burmese and Thai).  Either way, this new gem is high on value and flavor.   There are about 100 items on their two menus, and about 88 of them are under $10.  Get the Kar Thong Tong appetizer (prawns on a fantastic chutney).  Afterwards, take a walk to the Palace of the Legion of Honor across the street.
  • Ti-Couz, 3108 16th St. (at Valencia), 415-251-7373: authentic crepes in the Brittany tradition, along with cider.  Get a savory crepe for your entrée and a sweet crepe for dessert and you’ve got yourself a perfect dinner
  • Toyo, 1559 A Sloat Boulevard (in Lakeshore shopping center), 415-664-6477: Who could guess that a strip-mall sushi joint could be so good?  They aslo feature tempura, udon, soba, and teriyaki.  Fresh, high quality, and reasonable prices.  Bento box lunches go for $7.95.  Check out the impressively artistic caterpillar roll for $9.95.