Justice, Law and
Public Safety Studies
Department

Faculty and Staff

Our faculty members offer impressive academic achievement and extensive professional experience.

Criminal Justice Department
(815) 836-5502
Unit 1048

Lydia Whewell
Administrative Assistant
(815) 836-5502

FIND YOUR ADVISOR

1. Undergraduate Admissions

Select the first letter of your last name to find your advisor:

STUDENT LAST NAME: A, B, J, T, FACULTY ADVISOR: DR. NATALIA TAPIA

DR. NATALIA TAPIA
Professor | Program Director, Graduate Criminal Justice
Undergraduate Advising: Last name beginning with A, B, J, T
tapiana@lewisu.edu | (815) 836-5085 | BE-176 | Faculty Forum

Education:
Ph.D. in Criminal Justice, Sam Houston State University (‘11)
M.S. in Criminal Justice, University of North Texas (‘04)
J.D. in Law, Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador (‘02)
B.J.S. in Juridical Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador (‘00)

Courses/Focus Areas, Graduate:
Applied Research Methods
Criminology
Ethics and Integrity
Police Civil Liability

Professional Background: Dr. Tapia has worked as a Security Investigator for the U.S. Department of State and as a Legal Counselor for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. She has also done research for non-governmental organizations in the areas of family violence and prisoners’ rights. Her main areas of academic and teaching expertise are Criminology, Research Methods, Criminal Law, and the Intersections of Race, Gender and Crime.

Research Interests: Dr. Tapia’s research interests include state violence and human rights violations, political corruption, race and crime, female offenders and victims, prisoners’ rights, and elder abuse. She regularly presents her work at annual conferences such as the American Society of Criminology, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, and the American Correctional Association. She has published numerous research pieces in addition to book reviews at top-tier peer-reviewed journals such as The Prison Journal, Criminal Law Bulletin, Social Science Review, Southwest Journal of Criminal Justice, and Race and Justice.

STUDENT LAST NAME: C, D, E, FACULTY ADVISOR: TAMMY THURMAN

TAMMY THURMAN
Associate Professor | Program Director, Undergraduate Criminal Justice and Forensic Criminal Investigation
Undergraduate Advising: Last names beginning with C, D, E
thurmata@lewisu.edu | (815) 836-5084 | BE-174 |

Education:
Ph.D. Candidate, University of Chicago
LL.M. in Child & Family Law, Loyola University Chicago (‘04)
J.D., Northern Illinois University (‘99)
M.S.W., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (‘94)
B.S. in Social Work, Illinois State University (‘90)

Courses/Focus Areas:
Criminal Law
Criminal Procedure
The Court System
Social Policy
Juvenile Justice

Professional Background:
Dr. Thurman is a Licensed Social Worker (LSW) and member of the Illinois Bar. Before coming to Lewis, she worked for Child Welfare, Community Mental Health and Public Interest Law conducting fields studies and delivering lectures on issues related to female juvenile delinquency and incarceration.

Research Interests:
Dr. Thurman’s current research agenda purports to ameliorate the history of neglect of girls in juvenile justice research and contribute to the growing body of knowledge about the experience of girls in the juvenile justice system.

STUDENT LAST NAME: F, G, H, I, FACULTY ADVISOR: DR. VESNA MARKOVIC

Education:
Ph.D in Criminal Justice, Sam Houston State University (‘09)
M.A. in Criminal Justice, University of Illinois at Chicago (‘99)
B.A. in Criminal Justice, University of Illinois at Chicago (‘95)

Courses/Focus Areas:
Terrorism
Graduate Applied Research Methods 1 & 2
Research Methods (Undergrad)
Criminal and Psychological Profiling
Criminal Investigations
Organized Crime
Homeland Security

Professional Background:
Dr. Markovic has developed a robust career in criminal justice, focusing on terrorism and other areas of organized crime. She began her professional career in academia as an assistant professor at the University of New Haven, and eventually became Assistant Dean for the College of Criminal Justice. She also served as Principal Investigator and obtained several grants for the institution and at Sam Houston State University prior to that. Upon obtaining her doctoral degree, she became the Director of the Institute for the Study of Violent Groups (ISVG). She previously worked as a Private Investigator doing corporate due diligence Investigations at Search International.

Research Interests:
Dr. Markovic’s research interests include terrorism, transnational crime and comparative criminal justice.

STUDENT LAST NAME: L, M, N, O, FACULTY ADVISOR: DR. HANNAH KLEIN

DR. HANNAH KLEIN
Assistant Professor
Hklein1@lewisu.edu | Office: 815 836-5368 | Office number: BE 175

Education:
Ph.D. in Criminal Justice, Temple University (’20)
M.P.A., Villanova University (’13)
B.A. in Math & Economics, Lafayette College (’11)

Courses/Focus Areas:
Juvenile Justice
Research Methods
Violent Crime
Family Crime & Child Abuse
Victimization
Prevention & Intervention

Professional Background:
Dr. Klein began her career in the field working for the City of Philadelphia where she focused on abuse and violence prevention and intervention strategies for the city. This work inspired her to attend graduate school at Temple University pursuing her Ph.D. in Criminal Justice, where she received a National Institute of Justice Dissertation Fellowship grant. Upon receiving her Ph.D., she began working at Lewis University as an Assistant Professor.

Research Interests:
Dr. Klein’s research interests include gang prevention, impacts of childhood adversity on criminal behavior, and violence prevention and intervention.

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Ul0gRJEAAAAJ&hl=en
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Hannah_Klein7

STUDENT LAST NAME: P, Q, R, U, V, FACULTY ADVISOR: STEVE SHERWIN

DR. STEPHEN L. SHERWIN
Assistant Professor
Undergraduate Advising: Last names beginning with P, Q, R, U, V
sherwist@lewisu.edu | (815) 836-5651 | BE-181 | Faculty Forum

Education:
Ed.D in Leadership in Adult and Higher Education, Aurora University (‘19)
Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.), Illinois Institute of Technology (‘02)
B.A. in Criminal Justice, Saint Xavier University (‘99)

Courses/Focus Areas:
Mediation/Conflict Resolution
Criminalistics
Criminal Investigation
Psychological Profiling
Intelligence Gathering
Domestic Violence
Professionalism and Ethics

Professional Background:
Dr. Sherwin has over 38 years of experience in law enforcement - specifically with the Chicago Police Department - and has been a supervisor for 20 years. During his time with CPD, he was trained as a Peer Support Member and also served as a Commanding Officer for CPD recruit training. He is a trained mediator and member of the Chicago and National Association of Dispute Resolution (ADR) Chapters, and put that experience to good use by training mediators to develop mediation centers as well as training police departments and civilians in conflict resolution and mediation. He also assists in court mediations and serves as an expert witness.

Research Interests:
Dr. Sherwin’s research interests include higher education to improve police/citizen relations, improving policing methods, mediation and conflict resolution benefits, and police ethics.

STUDENT LAST NAME: K, S, FACULTY ADVISOR: DR. MORRIS JENKINS

DR. MORRIS JENKINS
Associate Professor
Undergraduate Advising: Last names beginning with K ,S
mjenkins4@lewisu.edu | (815) 836-5686 | BE-183 |

Education:
Ph.D. in Law, Policy and Society, Northeastern University (‘94)
J.D., Stetson University (‘85)
B.A. in Social Sciences, Claflin (College) University (‘82)

Courses/Focus Areas, Undergraduate:
Criminology
Corrections and Probation
Criminal Procedure
Criminal Law
Social Policy and Social Justice
Ethics

Courses/Focus Areas, Graduate:
Issues in Juvenile Crime

Professional Background:
Dr. Jenkins is a trained mediator (Consumer, Family and Victim/Offender) and served as a Restorative Justice Facilitator and Law-Related Education Trainer. He began his career in academia as a Professor at multiple institutions, including Quinsigamond Community College, Curry College, Penn State University, University of Toledo and finally Southeast Missouri State University. He eventually became Dean of the College of Health and Human Services at Southeast Missouri State University before coming to Lewis.

Research Interests:
Dr. Jenkins’ research interests include restorative justice, alternatives to the criminal/justice system, first amendment issues, ascribed statuses and criminal justice, and ethics and jury nullification.

STUDENT LAST NAME: W, X, Y, Z, FACULTY ADVISOR: HUMA ZIA

HUMA ZIA
Associate Professor | Program Director, Paralegal Studies
Undergraduate Advising: Last names beginning with W, X, Y, Z and Paralegal Studies Students
ziahu@lewisu.edu | (815) 836-5620 | BE-177 | Faculty Forum

Education:
J.D., Chicago-Kent College of Law (‘94)
B.A. in Political Science, Dominican University (‘91)

Courses/Focus Areas, Undergraduate:
Introduction to Paralegal Studies
Fundamentals of Litigation
Paralegal Capstone
Elements of Criminal Law
Criminal Procedure

Courses/Focus Areas, Graduate:
Graduate Criminal Law
Graduate Criminal Procedure
Civil Liability and Public Safety Law

Professional Background: Huma Zia is a Licensed Attorney in the State of Illinois and served as an Assistant Attorney General with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office in the Criminal Appeals Division. During her time there, she argued cases before the federal district courts, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and filed motions in the U.S. Supreme Court. She also argued cases in all the state district appellate courts and frequently argued cases in the Illinois Supreme Court. In addition to bringing her law experience and expertise to students at Lewis, Ms. Zia obtained approval of the Undergraduate Paralegal Program by the American Bar Association for the university. She currently serves as a Sole Practitioner in Elmhurst and concentrates on Pro-Bono Cases.

Research Interests: Ms. Zia’s research interests include clemency petitions, search and seizure laws, and constitutionality of state and federal laws on traffic stops. She also participates at the annual American Bar Association clemency workshops for the State of Illinois.

2. Paralegal Admissions

STUDENT LAST NAME A-Z, FACULTY ADVISOR: HUMA ZIA

Education:
J.D., Chicago-Kent College of Law (‘94)
B.A. in Political Science, Dominican University (‘91)

Courses/Focus Areas, Undergraduate:
Introduction to Paralegal Studies
Fundamentals of Litigation
Paralegal Capstone
Elements of Criminal Law
Criminal Procedure

Courses/Focus Areas, Graduate:
Graduate Criminal Law
Graduate Criminal Procedure
Civil Liability and Public Safety Law

3. Graduate Director (Public Safety Administration)

DR. RAYMOND GARRITANO
Adjunct Professor
garritra@lewisu.edu | (815) 836-5949| BE-180 | Faculty Forum

Education:
Doctorate in Public Administration (D.P.A), Nova Southeastern University (‘78)
M.A. in Public Administration, Nova Southeastern University (‘76)
M.A. in School Administration, Roosevelt University (‘65)
B.S. in Business Administration, Roosevelt University (‘61)

Courses/Focus Areas:
Public Safety Administration and Management
Fiscal Management for Public Safety Administrators
Public Safety Leadership, Theory and Practice
Public Safety Training-Management and Development
Ethics, Integrity and Social Responsibility
Labor Relations in the Public Sector
Human Resource Management
Multicultural Diversity
Organizational Behavior in Public Safety Systems

Professional Background:
Before continuing his career at Lewis, Dr. Garritano built his career around public service, more specifically in local government and education. He started out as a public school district Superintendent, then eventually worked as a Village Manager and then Chief of Police before accepting a position as an Assistant Professor of Public Safety Administration here at Lewis.

DR. LYNN TOVAR
Adjunct Professor
tovarly@lewisu.edu | Faculty Forum

Degrees:
Ed.D. in Adult Continuing Education, Northern Illinois University (‘02)
M.S.Ed. in Adult Continuing Education, Northern Illinois University (‘98)
B.S. in Criminal Justice/Health, Southern Illinois University (‘80)

Courses/Focus Areas, Undergraduate:
Domestic Violence
Professionalism and Ethics
Introduction in Criminal Justice
Introduction in Law Enforcement
Juvenile Justice
Research Methods

Courses/Focus Areas, Graduate:
Public Safety Administration and Leadership
Public Safety Management, Training and Development
Family Violence
Research Methods

Courses/Focus Areas, Travel Study:
Human Identification in Criminal Investigations (University of Tennessee Forensic Anthropology Center)
Comparative Justice Systems: United States & London (London, England)

Professional Background:
Dr. Tovar has 25 years of law enforcement experience prior to coming to Lewis. Her various assignments during her tenure with the police department proves she has consistently worked to provide protection and safety to her communities: Patrol Officer, Juvenile Detective, Patrol Sergeant, Administrative Sergeant, Juvenile Detective Sergeant, and eventually became the first female Elk Grove Village Police Department Commander of Patrol. After she retired from that position in 2006, she joined Lewis University as full time faculty teaching as well as coordinating the efforts to establish online master’s programs in the department as the Coordinator of Online Education. In 2014 she was promoted to Professor in the Department Justice, Law and Public Safety Studies where she brings her years of experience to educate and prepare students for the field of criminal justice.

Research Interests:
Dr. Tovar’s research interests include domestic violence, graduate education, and experiential learning/transformational learning.

4. Partnerships and Graduate Students

MICHELLE MEGA
Director of Recruitment and External Relations
Advising: Partnership Students (College of DuPage, Moraine Valley Community College) and JLPSS Graduate Students (Criminal Justice, Public Safety Administration)
megami@lewisu.edu | (815) 836-5342 | BE-190

Education:
M.A. in Philosophy, Lewis University (’97)
B.A. in English, Philosophy; Lewis University (’94)

5. Albuquerque, New Mexico Campus

DR. ROBERT WRIGHT
Associate Professor | Director of COESS and Organizational Leadership Programs, Albuquerque, NM Campus
Undergraduate Advising: Albuquerque site students wrightro@lewisu.edu | (505) 639-5605

Education:
Ph.D. in Political Science, University of New Mexico (‘00)
M.A. in Political Science; Public Policy and Comparative Politics, University of New Mexico (‘94)
B.A. in Political Science, University of New Mexico (’91)

Courses/Focus Areas:
Social Policy and Social Justice
Criminology
Professionalism and Ethics
Comparative Law Enforcement
Law and Politics

Professional Background:
Before coming to Lewis, Dr.Wright taught criminal justice at Chapman University and introductory law in the pre-law program at the University of New Mexico. He was a faculty member in the Political Science Department of the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Later he became an assistant professor, then associate professor, and Director of the Criminal Justice Program in the Political Science and Psychology Department of the College of Santa Fe, a LaSallian school in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He currently coordinates the criminal justice program, as well as organizational leadership and other arts and sciences programs, at Lewis University’s Albuquerque site.

Research Interests:
Dr. Wright’s research and academic interests have centered on law enforcement policy, comparative law and policing, and regulatory enforcement.

Justice, Law and Public Safety Studies Department