Faculty Advisor - Dr. Roman Hedges

Roman Hedges currently works on special projects for the New York State Assembly. He previously served as the Deputy Secretary of the Assembly Committee on Ways and Means for more than fifteen years. He is a member of the Legislative Advisory Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment and is a Board Member of the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, one of the largest issuers of municipal debt in the country on behalf of public and private universities and medical institutions and the State of New York.

As Deputy Secretary of Ways and Means, Hedges managed the legislative operations of the Committee, supervised the Committee staff, and participated in negotiations on behalf of the Assembly. The Committee staff analyzes the state budget, legislation involving fiscal matters of state and local government, and conducts research on a variety of issues regarding the budget, economy, and revenues.

Hedges was an Associate Professor of Political Science and Policy at the Rockefeller College, State University of New York at Albany, prior to joining the Assembly staff. He published numerous articles on topics ranging from political participation to the Voting Rights Act and public policy. He taught graduate and undergraduate courses in public policy, research methodology, and New York state and American government and politics.

Hedges has served as an expert witness in litigation in both state and federal courts and directed the redistricting process in the Assembly for the past twenty years. He received his PhD in political science from the University of Rochester.