Jen Boyer, President

Jennifer Boyer is an Assistant Professor at Pennsylvania Western University. She received her J.D. from Ohio Northern University and her Ph.D. in Criminology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). She is a member of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) and the American Society of Criminology (ASC). She also serves on Pennsylvania Western University’s Institutional Review Board, Institutional and Student Learning Assessment Committee, and Inclusive Community Assessment Team. Jennifer currently teaches in the areas of criminal law, criminal procedure, legal liability, special populations, policy, and theory. Her research interests are in the areas of criminal law/procedure, courts, and juvenile justice.

Richard wentling, 2nd vice president

Dr. Wentling’s research interests are in the field of corrections, specifically "smart corrections" through justice reinvestment and public policy related to criminal justice, specifically violence and victimization.

Education

Ph D, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Shavonne Arthurs, Secretary

Shavonne Arthurs is an Assistant Professor and the Coordinator of the Criminal Justice Program at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. She is additionally the head of the Criminal Justice Program. She received her Ph.D. in Criminology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), M.S. in Psychology from Arizona State University, and M.S. in Forensic Science & Law from Duquesne University. In addition to her secretary position within NEACJS, she is the current Secretary (and Past President) of the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Justice Educators (PACJE), the Immediate Past Chair of the Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship section of ACJS, Co-Chair of the Division of Feminist Criminology for ASC, and is also a member of the American Society of Criminology (ASC) and the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS). She currently teaches in areas of courts, corrections, program and policy analysis, behavioral analysis, theory, deviance, research methods, and statistics. Her research interests are in the areas of drug and alcohol abuse, jury decision making, policing, and social deviance. She has a recent authored a book titled Moral Deviance and Personalized Panics (2020) with Kendall Hunt Publishing.

Jane Tucker, Treasurer 

Dr. Jane M. Tucker is an Associate Professor at West Chester University. Prior to joining the faculty at WCU in 2011, Dr. Tucker taught criminal justice courses at Kutztown University and at Temple University. Her practical criminal justice experience includes several years in private security followed by approximately 14 years of service as a law enforcement officer in both municipal and university settings. She earned her Ph.D. at Temple University.  Her research has been published in the International Journal of Emergency Mental Health and Human Resilience, Victims and Offenders, and the Journal of Criminal Justice Education. Additionally, she has authored a number of encyclopedia entries and co-authored a book chapter.  She has served as a reviewer for Sage Publications, the Journal of Criminal Justice, Police Quarterly, and the Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology. Her research interests are police stress, police organizational behavior, criminal justice policy, discretion, and victimization. She  teaches Policing in America, Criminal Investigations, Forensic Science I, Sex Crimes & the Law, Writing for the Criminal Justice Professional, and Decision-Making in the Criminal Justice System.

Dr. Tucker has been actively involved in service to her department, the university and the community. She serves as the advisor to several student organizations and has served as the department Practicum Coordinator (2013-2017), Graduate Coordinator (2014-2017) and has served on a number of faculty search committees. She is trained in Crisis Intervention and serves the community as a CISM (Critical Incident Stress Management) peer and trainer. In addition to her service to NEACJS, Dr. Tucker serves as the secretary for the Policing Section of ACJS (Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences).

Danielle Marie Carkin Lacorazza, Director At Large

Samantha Gavin, immediate past President

Samantha Gavin is an Assistant Professor at St. Bonaventure University in St. Bonaventure, New York. She received her Ph.D. in Criminology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), M.A. in Criminology from IUP, and B.S. in Criminology and Criminal Justice and B.A. in Sociology from Keuka College. In addition to serving within NEACJS, she is the Secretary/Treasurer of the Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship section of ACJS, the Co-Chair of the ASC Division of Women and Crime, a member of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) and the American Society of Criminology (ASC), and is a member of St. Bonaventure University’s Institution Review Board. Samantha currently teaches in areas of victimology, theory, deviance, research methods, and policing. Her research interests are in the areas of domestic violence, rape and sexual assault, and media influence.