Department of Government and Justice Studies

Dr. Christina May joined the Department of Government and Justice Studies in 2018 and is currently the Internship Coordinator. Dr. May has over 25 years of professional and volunteer leadership experience working with senior executives, military, contractors, and Congressional leaders. She is a retired Naval officer and during her career developed expertise in human resources, policy analysis, project and program management, and organizational development.

Since leaving the military, Dr. May has concentrated on nonprofit work. She was founding vice president of FARM Café in Boone, NC, which was recently cited by the Wall Street Journal as a must-stop on a culinary tour through Appalachia. She was a board member of One World Everybody Eats, the umbrella/parent organization over the more than 60 pay-what-you-can community cafes now operating in America and being developed in eight countries. One World Everybody Eats was selected to receive the 2017 James Beard Humanitarian of the Year Award. Christina serves as chair of the board of Hospitality House of Boone, an 85-bed transitional facility serving the homeless population in a seven-county region of western NC, managing a 17-member staff and a $4.3M budget.

Dr. May holds a Ph.D. in Human Services with a concentration in nonprofit management. Her dissertation, The Pay-What-You-Can Nonprofit Restaurant Model: A Case Study, was the first known scholarly publication that describes the experience of operating a community cafe. As well, she has earned a Master of Interfaith Divinity degree, a Master of Public Administration degree, and a Graduate Certificate in Executive Leadership. In addition, she holds a certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and as a Certified Manager (CM).

She has taught several courses at AppState over the last few years for First-Year Seminar, the Department of Communications, the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies and the Department of Government and Justice Studies.

Education:

•  Ph.D. in Human Services/Nonprofit Management, Capella University
• Graduate Certificate, Executive Leadership, Cornell University
• M.P.A. in Public Management, Troy University
• M.Div in Interfaith Theology, All Paths Divinity School
• B.G.S., Political Science, Indiana University

Affiliations:

• Board Member, Hospitality House of Boone
• Founding Vice President, F.A.R.M. Cafe
• Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy, Retired