Dr. Nancy Rodriguez, NIJ Director. Photo Courtesy of Arizona State University.Dr. Nancy Rodriguez, a Distinguished Alumna from Sam Houston State University’s College of Criminal Justice, was appointed by President Barack Obama as the new Director of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ).
Dr. Nancy Rodriguez, who earned her bachelor's degree from Sam Houston State University, College of Criminal Justice, was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as the Director of the National Institute of Justice! . . . Read the White House announcement here (last paragraph) . . .
George Beto was the Director of the Texas Department of Corrections.George Beto, Ph.D., whose name is synonymous with the College of Criminal Justice, didn’t start out in a career in criminal justice.
The son of a Lutheran minister, Beto was a graduate of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis when he received his call to come to Concordia College in Austin to teach, eventually serving as president of the institution. He was later appointed to the Texas Prison Board, which began his service in prisons and the criminal justice discipline that stretched from Texas to Illinois to Alabama.
Following the untimely death of O.B. Ellis, director of the Texas Department of Corrections (TDC), Beto was tapped to head the statewide agency.
After serving as President of Concordia College for 20 years, Beto set his sights on corrections.As the head of TDC, he was approached by a state legislator named David Crews, who lamented the lack of cooperation between the department and nearby Sam Houston State College. “I recall his saying at that time that he would prefer to see Sam Houston famous for a Criminology Program rather than as a cheer leader school,” Beto said in a speech during the College’s 25th Anniversary. . . . Read more . . .
The College of Criminal Justice will welcome five new faculty members in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology and the Department of Security Studies this fall.
After serving as Dean of the College of Criminal Justice and Director of the Criminal Justice Center for eight years, Dr. Vincent J. Webb is stepping down to become a full-time faculty member. Dr. Phillip Lyons, a longtime professor at the College, will serve as Interim Dean during a nationwide search for a successor.
“It has been a real privilege to serve as Dean and Director since coming to Sam in 2006,” said Dr. Webb. “This faculty and staff have been great to work with -- they simply are the best! The criminal justice/center faculty, staff, and alumni can take pride in all that they have accomplished and they can look forward to a very bright future.”
Dr. Phillip Lyons (r) speaks at the Sundial Ceremony.Dr. Lyons joined the faculty of Sam Houston State University in 1995 and has served in several leadership positions at the College, most recently as Chair of the Depart- ment of Security Studies and as Director of Professional Justice Studies, which links professionals in the field with educational opportunities offered at the College. He also served as Executive Director for the Center for Policing Innovation, one of 17 Community Policing Institutes nationwide that provides training and technical assistance on a variety of community policing and other timely law enforcement topics to state, local and tribal agencies. . . . Read more . . .
Officers from corrections, parole, probation and law enforcement gathered at the Correctional Management Institute (CMIT) at Sam Houston State University in July to get the latest information on violent gangs and other extremist groups operating in rural regions of Texas.
