Frank V. Zerunyan

Biography

Frank Vram Zerunyan is a recognized governance scholar, public servant, and educator who bridges academic excellence with decades of executive leadership in government. As Professor of the Practice of Governance at the University of Southern California (USC) Sol Price School of Public Policy, Director of Executive Education, and founding Director of the USC Price Center on National Defense and Public Safety, he prepares current and future leaders to navigate the complex challenges of democratic governance, ethical leadership, and institutional innovation.

Professor Zerunyan also serves as USC’s Director and University Liaison for the U.S. Air Force, Army, and Naval ROTC, as well as the Nautical Science programs. A five-term Mayor and Councilmember of the City of Rolling Hills Estates, California, Professor Zerunyan brings practical governing experience to the classroom, executive education, and international advisory work.

An internationally recognized expert in governance, public-private partnerships, civic and ethical leadership, negotiation, land use, medical regulation, and executive education, Professor Zerunyan has advised governments, public institutions, and senior executives worldwide. Through his teaching and executive education programs, he has helped build leadership capacity for public officials across the United States and internationally.

Professor Zerunyan is a prolific author whose work includes books, book chapters, scholarly publications, and articles published nationally and internationally. Frequently quoted by the media, he serves as a USC expert source on governance, leadership, and public administration. He is also an expert with the United Nations Digital Government Branch (DGB) Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government (DPIDG), where he contributes to global public administration and governance initiatives.

In recognition of his contributions to governance and public sector reform in the Republic of Armenia, Professor Zerunyan was awarded the honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) by the Public Administration Academy of the Republic of Armenia. He has designed curricula and taught at the American University of Armenia, Yerevan State University, and the Vazgen Sargsyan Military University, where he holds the honorary rank of colonel. He also teaches for the U.S. Navy through the Naval Service Training Command and Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.

Professor Zerunyan served on the editorial boards of the Public Administration Scientific Journal of the Republic of Armenia and the Ukrainian Law Review. He is also a member of the Board of Councilors of Anahuac University Law School in Xalapa, Mexico.

A trained attorney, Professor Zerunyan has devoted decades to public service. He is a five-term Mayor and Councilmember for the City of Rolling Hills Estates, California, serves on numerous city, county, and regional policy boards, and previously served as a gubernatorial appointee to the Medical Board of California under Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, helping oversee the protection of California’s 38 million medical consumers.

Professor Zerunyan earned his Juris Doctor (Doctor of Law) from Western State University College of Law, a Bachelor of Arts from California State University, Long Beach, and completed advanced legal studies in Corporate Taxation at the USC Gould School of Law. He is also a graduate of the California League of Cities’ Civic Leadership Institute.

His career bridges scholarship and public service, connecting universities, governments, and civil and civic institutions to strengthen democratic governance and homeland defense to develop the next generation of public leaders.

Selected Publications

• Zerunyan, F. V. (2022). State Public-Private Partnership Laws: Why Are They Needed?. In S. Hakim, R. M. Clark & E. A. Blackstone (Eds.) Handbook on Public Private Partnerships in Transportation, Vol II. Competitive Government: Public Private Partnerships. Springer, Cham.
• Zerunyan, F. V. (2020). Techno Innovations: The Role of Ethical Standards, Law and Regulation, and the Public Interest. In A. Abbas (Ed.) Next Generation Ethics, Engineering a Better Society. Cambridge Univ. Press.
• Duzert Y., & Zerunyan. F. V. (2019). Newgotiation: for public administration professionals. Lake Mary, FL: Vandeplas Publishing, LLC.

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