Dr. Wandling (Ph.D., Miami University) teaches primarily in the areas of state government and politics; cities and urban politics/policy; and public administration, particularly government budgeting and finance. His research agenda focuses on energy and environmental policymaking at state and local levels, and his publication activities include  a chapter on Organizational Environments for the Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration and Public Policy (Springer); a chapter on Rationality and Rational Choice for a Sage Publications handbook on 21st Century Political Science and an entry on Tax Expenditures in the second edition of Sage’s Encyclopedia of Housing.

In the classroom, Dr. Wandling's primary classes  have included:

• PLS 4600 (Political Science Senior Capstone)
• PLS 4893 (Budgeting in Government and Nonprofit Organizations)
• PLS 5153 (Cities and Urban Policy in the U.S. Federal System)
• PLS 5163 (State Governments and Policy in the U.S. Federal System)
• PLS 5843 (Proseminar in Public Policy Research and Analysis)

He has served as the faculty advisor for the Political Science Association—an EIU registered student organization (RSO) for undergraduate and graduate students interested in discussing and debating politics, government and public policy. Dr. Wandling also continues to be involved as a contributor to he Executive Committee of the Illinois Political Science Association, for which he also is one of its past presidents.  On campus, Dr. Wandling has been actively involved in various university/college level service activities. For example, he was the Chair of the Eastern Illinois University Council of Chairs (AY14-15), and has been a member of bodies such as the Sciencefest Planning Committee and the Edgar Speaker Series Committee.

Professor Wandling has been involved in community service activities, such as the Charleston Rotary Club (Vice President, 2015-16; President Elect, 2016-17; and President, 2017-18), the Board of the Charleston Food Pantry and Citizenship Merit Badge Counselor for the Boy Scouts of America. His community service includes previous leadership positions on the boards of non-profit organizations (the Charleston Community Day Care Center and Coles County Habitat for Humanity), and he presently is President of the Board for the Wesley Foundation at Eastern Illinois University. He also has been involved in applied political science such as a summer leadership institute held by the American Federation of Teachers, precinct committeeman for a political party along with a county-level party office, and a city government ad hoc committee to explore issues and opportunities associated with municipal home rule.