Dr. Shelly Clevenger and Dr. Jason Ingram have been recognized for their work with students by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS). The Sam Houston State University (SHSU) College of Criminal Justice Associate Professors are receiving the 2023 ACJS Outstanding Mentor Award.
“I was pretty humbled,” SHSU College of Criminal Justice and Criminology Department Assistant Chair Dr. Jason Ingram said. “You don’t always formally hear the impact you have on students. I’m honored they would take the time to talk about their experiences with me and say that I have had an impact on them and their careers.”
“When I set out to become a professor and an academic, I always wanted to be someone who gave more than I received,” SHSU Department of Victim Studies Chair Dr. Shelly Clevenger said. “So the fact that I get to do that and be a mentor and be recognized is just amazing.”
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| Dr. Jason Ingram |
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| Dr. Shelly Clevenger |
The ACJS Outstanding Mentor Award recognizes educators who have made a significant contribution to the professional development of criminal justice graduate and doctoral students and junior faculty members. To be considered, nomination letters are submitted on behalf of the faculty member. Leading the effort to nominate Dr. Ingram was SHSU CJ doctoral student, Kayla Alaniz. “When I saw the ACJS Outstanding Mentor Award, I immediately thought of Dr. Ingram. From serving as a thesis or dissertation chair, to writing letters of recommendation or simply helping with a statistics question, Dr. Ingram has always helped students.”
To nominate Dr. Clevenger, fellow faculty members Dr. Bree Boppre and Dr. John Navarro reached out to students past and present. That list includes Dr. Navarro. “I have known Shelly as a professor, a mentor and now as a colleague,” Dr. Navarro said. “Shelly has consistently mentored and served as a positive role model to many persons in and out of academia. She has demonstrated an amazing ability to build an extensive, influential social network, from promoting advocacy for various local community groups to speaking at the United Nations and working with nonprofit organizations in Western Europe.” “She goes above and beyond for her mentees,” Dr. Boppre said of Dr. Clevenger. “Her nomination letter was over ten pages long with testimonials from her mentees across all career phases, from current students to now faculty and professionals in the field. She has had a huge impact on me and many others.”
Both professors say the ACJS Outstanding Mentor Award is also a result of the supportive environment fostered within the SHSU College of Criminal Justice. “It’s a collaborative effort. The environment here, the people you work with, they all play a pretty major role in these things, Dr. Ingram said. “Sam Houston State University has created the environment where those types of recognitions are possible.” Dr. Clevenger says while she and Dr. Ingram have different styles of teaching, she feels students respond to their authenticity as instructors. “I’ve never changed who I was as a teacher or mentor. That’s what I want students to remember,” Dr. Clevenger said. “When they come through my class or work with me. I want them to think about empathy or compassion.”
For more information about the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, visit their website, www.acjs.org. For more information about Dr. Ingram and Dr. Clevenger, visit their faculty bio pages on the SHSU College of Criminal Justice’s website.