The Department of Criminology hosted its annual induction of its Wall of Fame honorees last Friday in the Gibbons Alumni Center. In celebration of the department's 50th anniversary, Bill Blount, PhD and Kathleen Heide, PhD spoke about the history and growth of the criminology programs at USF. Blount, a founding member of the department, shared his recount of the very beginnings and challenges of establishing a criminal justice program in Florida. Heide continued the oral history, telling stories of the department chairs up to present day who have made a difference at the univeristy.
Among the honorees were two current faculty members, Professor Joan Reid, PhD, LMHC and Associate Professor Shelly Wagers, PhD. Reid was recognized as a distinguished alumna, and Wagers was recognized as an outstanding ambassador. Doctoral student Danielle Thomas, MA was also inducted into the prestigious group, being named an outsanding ambassador.
Other inductees who were recognized as distinguished alumni include Arthur Hushen, Melissa Lugo, and Alex Thiel. Christina Crowder and Monica Martinez were inducted into the Wall of Fame as outstanding ambassadors of the Department of Criminology.
The Hawkins Community Partnership Award was given to Julianne Holt, who has served as the Public Defender of the 13th Judicial Circuit for the past 31 years.
The Michael J. Leiber Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to the late Associate Professor Emeritus Max Bromley, EdD. Bromley was the longest-serving faculty member of the department – his affiliation spanning six decades.
Read more about the inductees here.