Due to the high number of graduates this spring, the College of Criminal Justice hosted its own Commencement Ceremony on May 12, with more than 450 students crossing the stage to receive bachelor, master and Ph.D. degrees.
Five new Ph.D. students earned their doctoral degrees in criminal justice, including Ashley Boillot Fansher, Patrick Brady, Jessica Wells, Susan Wynne and Sara Briana Zedaker, and 53 received master’s degrees.
Among these were four Master of Arts in Criminal Justice and Criminology, one Master of Science in Criminal Justice, 11 Master of Science in Leadership and Management, 17 in Master of Science in Homeland Security Studies and nine Master of Science in Victim Services Management. This was topped off with an estimated 407 students receiving their bachelors in Criminal Justice and in Victim Studies.
Graduates were invited to attend a Commencement Reception in CJava Café following the ceremony.
This year’s Ph.D. graduates studied a wide variety of criminal justice issues and will continue to make an impact in the field. Among these are:
- Fansher’s dissertation on “Online Dating and Offline Victimization: Risky Dating Behaviors in the Technological Age.” Her committee was chaired by Ryan W. Randa, with members Brittany E. Hayes, Cortney A. Franklin, and Bradford W. Reyns
- Brady’s dissertation on “Chief Concerns: Identifying the Personal and Work-Related Factors Associated with Job Satisfaction, Burnout, and Turnover Intentions Among Police Chiefs.” His committee chair was William R. King, with members Larry T. Hoover and William M. Wells. Brady is an assistant professor in the Department of Criminology at the University of West Georgia
- Wells’ dissertation examining “Individual Differences in the Impact of Stress on Alcohol Use, Binge Drinking, and Alcohol Dependence: The Role of Developmental and Biological Variation.” Her committee chair was Danielle Boisvert, with members Leana Bouffard and Cortney Franklin. She is an assistant professor at Boise State University Wynne’s dissertation evaluating “Indigent Defense in the United States: An Analysis of State Frameworks for Ensuring the Effective Assistance of Counsel.” Her committee was chaired by Michael S. Vaughn and included members Victoria B. Titterington and Dennis R. Longmire
- Zedaker’s dissertation analying “Romantic Relationships and Time-Varying Moderators of Desistance: A Focus on Adolescence, Emerging Adulthood, and Adulthood.” Her committee was chaired by Leana Bouffard and included Franklin and Erin Orrick. She is an assistant professor at the University of Houston Victoria.