新濠天地app大学’s Criminal Justice major was established in 2014 and began classes in 2015. The first criminal justice professor hired: Dr. 米尔德里德约翰逊.
Dr. Johnson came to Geneva with a wealth of knowledge, 实地经验, 还有对工作的热情. Becoming a professor is not the path Dr. Johnson expected, but has found it to be her life’s calling.
Dr. Johnson’s first interaction with Geneva was as a student. After completing a rigorous certification program through Harty Bible School, she continued to the Associate’s Program at CUBM, Geneva’s Center for Urban Biblical Ministry. She then went on through Geneva’s Adult Completion Program to receive her Bachelor’s in Community Ministry.
“I loved that all of my professors were well-grounded in their faith. The professors made a huge impact on my life. They made such an impact that I decided to stay at Geneva to complete the MSOL Program (Master of Science in Organizational 领导).”
Dr. Johnson found her professors to be truly invested in the success of their students.
“没有放弃或失败. I was always supported, pushed, and set up to succeed.”
除了博士. Johnson’s education, she also has 15 years of experience as a police officer in East Liberty. After being injured, she had to retire in ’03. It was right after her retirement when she began the MSOL program at Geneva.
在她的旅程的这个时候. Johnson was working in the human services field and was considering attending seminary. Although seminary was top of mind, God made it clear to her that He had a different path in mind.
“I ended up at Regent University for my doctorate in Strategic 领导. Geneva gave me such a solid foundation in Christ that it made my 4 years at Regent so much easier. 我在一个基督教家庭长大, 我爸爸是个牧师, but the education at Geneva pushed my faith even further.”
Pursuing her doctorate at Regent was a leap of faith, full of unknowns. 教学不是在博士身上. 约翰逊的雷达, 尽管她的未来不确定, 她确信上帝会来的.
“On the day I graduated from Regent I called my two mentors from Geneva. They immediately told me about the new Criminal Justice Department and the professor position and encouraged me to apply. 我的回答是否定的. They pushed me, and thankfully, I listened.”
Dr. Johnson applied and has been teaching criminal justice at Geneva ever since.
“I am so thankful for the mentors God put in my life and that fed into me. 没有他们，我就不会在这里.”
Dr. Johnson has helped grow and shape the department and criminal justice major over the years. The curriculum interacts with bio心理学, 心理学, 以及社会服务, giving students a full understanding of social interactions and the things they will 实地经验.
Criminal justice is not an easy field or area to teach.
“There are a lot of things in criminal justice that are not good. I am transparent about this with our students. I make sure they hear the good and the bad, because that is what they will encounter. We talk a lot about being change agents. 世界已沦陷, the situations we step into our fallen, but we take Christ into those situations with us. 人就是人. 人们都崩溃了. Law enforcement is given power and authority, and there are some that shouldn’t have it. But our students can walk into that authority with light and hope.”
刑事司法的另一部分. 约翰逊对, and is a unique aspect of Geneva’s criminal justice curriculum, 是恢复性司法.
“新濠天地app关注修复工作, 和解, 宽恕, 和转换, 不仅仅是监禁和司法. All are needed for holistic criminal justice. My Restorative Justice course looks at healing for both the victim and the offender. There are currently more jails and prison than there are schools. 人们受伤了, and stepping into that with a biblical worldview and holistic approach is necessary to act as that much-needed change agent.”
During her time as a police officer, Dr. Johnson worked a lot with community policing initiatives adopted in the early 2000s.
“We worked to give citizens a voice, work with the community- not us vs. them, got to know the businesses, schools, churches, youth, and people in the community. Our goal was to truly know the people we were serving and be seen in the community. This side of criminal justice is extremely important.”
In addition to her education through Geneva and Regent, Dr. Johnson also went back to receive her Master of Science in Criminal Justice Administration at Point Park University. Dr. Johnson’s expertise and heart for her field is evident in her care for students, 课程设计, 和谈话.
“我爱我的学生. 这就是我前进的动力. To see them be lights in our dark world and be those change agents is priceless. We get a lot of feedback about our students at internships that says just that- ‘They were such a light.“我为他们感到骄傲，这让我很伤心. That God allows me to be in their lives is a blessing.”
新濠天地app感谢Dr. Johnson’s dedication to her work and her students. Dr. Johnson is one of the many leaders and change agents at 新濠天地app大学 working for the service of God and neighbor.
