The field of Public Service involves developing, establishing, and implementing initiatives and programs that have profound impact on the agencies, organizations, and communities that are served. Public Service includes most areas of government as well as private organizations and the nonprofit sector. National University offers several Law and Public Service programs that prepare students with the skills needed to succeed in the ever-changing landscape of public service.
Lisa S. Hutton, JD
Lisa Hutton has dedicated her knowledge and passion for education to the School of Law within the College of Law and Public Service since 2000. In 2005, she became Legal Studies Program Chair of the John F. Kennedy University College of Law and led the Bachelor Degree in Legal Studies and Paralegal Certificate Programs, earning American Bar Association (ABA) approval for the Bachelor degree not long after in 2009. She continued to lead the program and taught at both the paralegal and JD levels, including courses such as Legal Methods, Introduction to Law, Legal Research and Writing, and Capstone. In 2019, Lisa was named Dean of the John F. Kennedy University College of Law, (merged into Northcentral University in 2020 and later with National University in 2022 to become the School of Law within the College of Law and Public Service). Lisa had served as Associate Dean the year prior.
In 2021-2022, she proudly served as Interim Co-Provost of Northcentral University during the time of transition as Northcentral merged into National University. Most recently, she is leading the College of the Law and Public Service as Dean.
Additionally, Dean Hutton served as the JFK University Faculty Senate President (2009-2018), as Legal Studies Advisory Board Chair (2005-2019), and as a member of the Executive Board of the American Association for Paralegal and Legal Education (AAfPE) since 2018. Dean Hutton has presented on legal ethics, assessment in legal education, and paralegal education, and has published on paralegals in education.
Before transitioning to academia, Dean Hutton was with Rankin, Sproat, Mires, Beaty & Reynolds in Oakland, CA, practicing insurance defense litigation.
Dr. Adia J. Garrett, PhD
Dr. Adia J. Garrett earned a PhD in Applied Developmental Psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She began teaching in 2003 and has devoted her career to inclusive excellence in education while teaching courses in the fields of educational and developmental psychology. Her interests include program evaluation, curriculum development, learning outcomes assessment, metacognitive awareness, and student engagement. Dr. Garrett has a range of higher education experience from community colleges to supporting students through the IRB process as they pursue doctoral work. She currently serves as the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs of the School of Public Service, where she is committed to supporting whole human education and ensuring equitable access to resources that meet learners' unique needs. When she’s not serving the NU community, Dr. Garrett enjoys traveling, weightlifting, and practicing yoga.
Theresa Ennis, PhD
Dr. Theresa Ennis is a Graduate of Tennessee Tech University (TTU), with a PhD in Exceptional Learning: Program Planning and Evaluation, a MA in Exercise Science, and a BS in Multidisciplinary Studies. Ennis served at Tennessee Tech for 15 years as the Director of University Assessment and Effectiveness and as an administrative Instructor in the Department of Exercise Science, Fitness, and Wellness teaching research design as a student capstone experience. Ennis has an extensive research background in Planning, Evaluation and Assessment, Critical Thinking, and Problem-Solving, and has been involved in Service to the community and Civic Engagement with students on and off campus for over 20 years. Ennis is passionate about research in higher education and working with colleagues on assessments to improve teaching and learning.
Stephanie Johnson, MA
Stephanie brings a strong background in leadership, project management, student support, and student engagement. With a master's degree in psychology and a post-baccalaureate certificate in I/O Psychology from Northcentral University, as well as a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Colorado, Stephanie has a solid foundation in understanding and addressing the diverse needs of students. Stephanie will finish her Master of Business Administration in Project Management in October 2024, which has further enhanced her strategic planning and organizational skills.
In her recent role as Project Manager for COLPS, Stephanie successfully led several initiatives to increase student engagement and success and has supported the Dean’s Office in numerous endeavors. Prior to this, she served as Associate Director of Admissions for the COLPS enrollment team, equipping her with a deep understanding of the importance of a positive and supportive student experience.
Stephanie is deeply committed to collaborating with faculty to support our students in achieving their academic and personal goals, and fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment where every student can thrive.
Tina Stallone
Tina Stallone has been focused on education in one form or another since having graduated from the University of San Francisco as an undergrad, where her goal with a degree in Political Science was to serve public interests. Education, as it is key to improving individuals and society at large, has been her focus ever since. From teaching abroad, to training teachers, to managing the offices of leaders in education (university deans, provosts and presidents), she enjoys working for education-focused, mission-driven institutions. She has lived and worked abroad in both Germany and Mexico, but San Diego has been home for the majority of her career, where the SD alphabet soup of education-related work had been her background (USD, UCSD and SDUSD) before joining NU. She enjoys her role as an “air traffic controller” of sorts, supporting leadership, staff, faculty and students alike to provide the best experience for all stakeholders.
Jennifer Leathers
Jennifer is an experienced Academic Operations Manager within the School of Public Service with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry. She joined National University in 2015 as an Administrative Assistant within the School of Professional Studies and has since grown in her career. Skilled in Leadership, Payroll Analysis, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Outlook, invoice processing, and Staffing Coordination, she is a strong administrative professional with a Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) focused in Social Sciences from San Diego State University-California State University. In her spare time, she loves going outside and exploring with her husband and children.
Betsy Santana, MA
Betsy holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Arizona and has earned two Master’s degrees: one in Forensic Psychology from Argosy University and another in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from National University. With over eight years of experience in higher education, she has been with National University since 2019.
In her previous role, Betsy served as the Subject Matter Expert for the Paralegal Certificate programs and the JD program at the JFK School of Law, initially at Northcentral University and later at National University. This position allowed her to collaborate closely with a diverse team of enrollment advisors, faculty, and staff, and develop a comprehensive approach to championing student success. She took pride in managing various responsibilities independently and contributing to project proposal development. Additionally, Betsy acted as a communication liaison, bridging connections between her team and relevant departments while engaging with external organizations such as the California Bar Association.
