Masami Nishishiba is a Professor in the Department of Public Administration at the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government, Portland State University. Since September 2006, she has been serving as Associate Director of the Center for Public Service at the Hatfield School of Government. She also serving as the Interim Director of the Nonprofit Institute. Dr. Nishishiba has taught graduate courses in organizational theory, organizational behavior, research methods, statistics, diversity in the workplace, and intercultural communication. Her research interests include issues of social diversity, civic capacity, government-citizen interface, and comparative local government. As a methodologist, her specialties include survey research, hierarchical linear modeling, structural equation modeling, multidimensional scaling, and cluster analysis.
Dr. Nishishiba has been engaged in wide range of community-based research such as:
- Evaluation of the 4-day work week pilot program for Clackamas County, Oregon.
- Employee and stakeholder survey for the Department of Administrative Services, State of Oregon.
- Diversity and cultural assessment for Portland Fire and Rescue, Clackamas County, Oregon and City of Longview, Washington.
- Multicultural outreach for City of Beaverton, Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District, and Portland Parks and Recreation.
- Program evaluation for Center for Equity and Inclusion
Dr. Nishishiba has scholarly publications such as Japanese/English bilingual book, “Project management toolkit: A strategic approach to new local governance” by Gyosei, “Research Methods and Statistics for Public and Nonprofit Administrators: A Practical Guide” by Sage and “Culturally mindful communication: Essential skills for public and nonprofit professionals by Routledge. Her journal articles appeared in State and Local Government Review, Journal of College and Character, Journal of Public Affairs Education and others.
Dr. Nishishiba is actively engaged in community and university-wide service activities. She is currently a board member of the Japan-America Society of Oregon, and the Festina Lente, America. She is a member of Portland State University’s Diversity Action Council. She is an associate member of the Institute for Asian Studies and works with the Center for Japanese Studies. She is trained as Japanese-English conference interpreter and has interpreted for President Jimmy Carter, Bill Gates (Microsoft), Phil Knight (Nike) and many others.
Dr. Nishishiba completed her doctorate in Public Administration and Policy at PSU in 2003. Her dissertation involved developing and evaluating a cultural competency plan for the Department of Community Justice, Multnomah County, Oregon. She completed her master's degree in Communication Studies at PSU in 1998, and her bachelor's degree in linguistics from Osaka University in 1983.