Now at Waynesburg University, Jack leads the Department of Criminal Justice and Social Science, which currently features its largest enrollment in University history, and the Department of Athletics. Beyond campus, he serves as a part-time Detective for the Greene County District Attorney’s Office and Crime Scene Investigator/Police Officer for the Waynesburg Borough Police Department.
Adam earned his B.S. in Biology and B.A. in Criminal Justice Administration from Waynesburg and his M.S. in Forensic Science from Marshall University.
Please describe your program and your vision for it.
The reputation of the Criminal Justice Program has grown dramatically over the past ten years, and we hope to launch a Center for Criminal Justice and Forensic Investigation in the coming years. The Center will include majors from criminal justice, forensic investigation, forensic science, computer security and forensics, forensic accounting and pre-law. The Center will focus on vocational opportunities and professional development in the various disciplines.
What are some of your former students up to now?
We are very proud the diverse careers that our graduates hold. Graduates are with federal, state, and local agencies, including the FBI, Secret Service, DEA, Pennsylvania State Police, Ocean City Police, Pittsburgh Police and Arlington County Police. Numerous criminal justice alumni are also working in probation, corrections, social services and counseling, so this curriculum really prepares students for a variety of career paths.
If I were a student considering this major, what are some career paths I would be able to pursue?
Students considering criminal justice should know that there are many options out there, not just careers in law enforcement. Many of our students find their path in the middle ground between law enforcement and counseling, landing in careers such as probation, juvenile placement facilities, corrections and agencies like Children and Youth Services (CYS).
What do you think is a true differentiator for your program?
The Criminal Justice Program is different because of the hands-on nature of the courses and because our faculty come from careers in the field. Each professor is teaching a course that they are an absolute expert in. We have lawyers teaching law classes, criminal investigators teaching criminal investigation and police officers teaching policing. There are not many programs out there that can match the expertise that we have with our faculty.
Has this program received any awards or recognition?
The Criminal Justice Program was recently recognized by College Factual as the 6th ranked Criminal Justice Program in the country, out of 385 programs, for value education. The students are getting jobs and making an impact!
What are you particularly good at that few people know about?
I am really good at "Name That Tune"...especially older country music and 80s and 90s rock.
What is your favorite recipe to make?
I love to make homemade pizza from scratch.
Anything else you’d like to add?
We try to teach students about overcoming failures and dealing with adversity. We discuss the difficulties, not only in careers in criminal justice, but also life. I feel that the students leaving the Waynesburg University Criminal Justice Program will enter the workforce as confident leaders with the ability to show courage and compassion in the face of adversity.
Learn more
As a student in the Department of Criminal Justice & Social Sciences, you'll gain a new perception of law and its role in the delivery of American justice or you'll gain an in-depth understanding the psychological and political aspects of contemporary issues from law and international studies to human services and sociology.