Dr. Matthew Wheeler joined the Sol Price School of Public Policy faculty at the University of Southern California (USC) in 2012. As a part-time member of the faculty, Dr. Wheeler instructs graduate level courses in all three modalities; the USC main campus in Los Angeles, the USC State Capital Center in Sacramento and online.
Professionally, Dr. Wheeler serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Wheeler Company, an organization management and public affairs firm headquartered in Sacramento. Over his career, Dr. Wheeler has served as legislative staff within the California State Senate, a professional advocate to nonprofit clients, and currently as a nonprofit and organizational administrator under the Wheeler Company. His political prowess is routinely sought by candidates, legislative staff and elected officials. Dr. Wheeler is also a featured political commentator routinely heard on KNX (Los Angeles) and KFBK (Sacramento).
Dr. Wheeler’s professional experience in governmental affairs and collaborative governance has contributed greatly to his academic expertise. Dr. Wheeler has developed courses in Advocacy in Public Administration (PPD 658), Public Policy Formulation & Implementation (PPD 555) and Administration of Local Government (PPD 651), in addition to instructing core public administration courses. He has designed multiple lecture series on contemporary issues in public policy and administration and delivered them to diverse audiences around the world. Most recently, Dr. Wheeler was invited to address an international audience representing 36 countries in the United Arab Emirates to showcase the nuances associated with a multigenerational workforce.
Dr. Wheeler holds masters and doctoral degrees in Public Administration from the University of Southern California, in addition to a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from the University of San Diego (USD). Dr. Wheeler is also an alumnus of the Senate Fellowship program with the State of California/California State University, Sacramento and the Hubert Fellows program housed at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.
Dr. Wheeler resides in Sacramento, California with his wife Katie and their two young children Elizabeth and Michael.