department of criminal justice
department Chair
Nurgul R. Aitalieva
MEET Nurgul R. Aitalieva
Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice and
Associate Professor of Public Administration
Dr. Aitalieva served as director of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) Program from 2020 to 2022. Prior to joining the faculty at what was then IPFW, she taught at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and the American University in Central Asia. She also worked as a consultant on projects supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the European Commission’s Technical Assistance to the Commonwealth of Independent States (TACIS) program.
Her research examines citizen perceptions of the public sector, with a focus on trust in government, public performance, income inequality, and attitudes toward government spending and policy outcomes. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and reference volumes, including the International Journal of Public Administration, Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs, Business and Politics, SAGE Knowledge Video, and The Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance. Her scholarship has been recognized with multiple conference awards, including Best Paper Awards from the Midwest Public Affairs Conference and the Southern Conference for Public Administration. She is a native Russian speaker and brings a global perspective to her teaching and research, informed by her international academic and consulting experience. She is particularly committed to mentoring students and preparing them for careers in public service.
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Political Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
M.P.A., Appalachian State University, Boone, NC
M.S., Nonprofit Management, The New School, New York, NY
M.B.A., Academy of Management under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Diploma: English Teaching, Kyrgyz Institute of Education, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan Diploma: Chemistry, Kyrgyz National University, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
COURSES TAUGHT AT PURDUE FORT WAYNE