Q&A: 9 Questions with Dr. Wendy Guastaferro, School Director

"As fields of study, criminology and criminal justice ask questions about defining, measuring, preventing, and responding to crime and deviance."

"Community-engaged, power-house scholars, leaders in online learning"

"I think technology has fundamentally changed the justice landscape—from the ability to analyze a significant amount of data in a short period of time, to investigating crimes, to improving access to justice, to filming police-citizen interactions."

"I hope we realize that when the criminal justice system gets involved, society has already failed. Strengthening individual health, well-being and opportunities, while addressing inequities and the sources of violence in society, will change the profession dramatically."

"I was part of the women’s studies teaching collective as an undergraduate student. We team taught sections of Introduction to Feminism, with faculty supervision, and I developed the class on Women & the Law. I focused on women who are pregnant and in prison or jail who are shackled while in labor and delivery. This practice is still legal in nearly half of the states today. This is an inhuman practice that is not necessary and is harmful to the health and mental health of women. This motivated me to think about the practices and policies in the justice system that perpetuate harm and disparate treatment. So I applied to the graduate program at the University at Albany, School of Criminal Justice—the first criminal justice Ph.D. program established in the country, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary."

"One of the first things I’ll do post-pandemic is go see Hamilton again. Just kidding, no one will be surprised by this."

"A panda. Pandas represent resolve and determination. They are said to symbolize balance and the integration of polarized aspects within people and situations."

"Jonathan Simon’s Governing Through Crime and one of Joan Didion’s novels, maybe Play It As It Lays or Blue Nights."

"Dr. Calli Cain’s work on victimization, Dr. Lisa Dario’s work on police legitimacy, Dr. Cassandra Atkin-Plunk’s work on reentry, Dr. Mara Schiff’s work on restorative justice, and Dr. Dawn Rothe’s work on white collar crime."