Fels dir. lands prestigious post

Lawrence Sherman, director of Penn's Fels Center of Government, was elected Sunday as president of the International Society of Criminology, one of the top professional organizations in the field. Sherman, also a professor of Sociology, arrived to lead the Fels Center earlier this year after a distinguished teaching and research career at the University of Maryland. He will now embark upon a five-year term as leader of the international association of research criminologists. He said yesterday the election represents both a tremendous honor and an added responsibility. "I'm greatly honored at being chosen," said Sherman, who recently organized an on-campus forum on crime prevention with U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno. "But I feel a strong sense of responsibility for dealing with the many challenges that the world of criminology faces." The International Society of Criminology is a 61-year old association determined -- in the words of Sherman -- to "increase the discovery and communication of the causes of crime, as well as the ways we can fight it in the future." Sherman was also influential in persuading the association to hold its 2005 World Congress of Criminology in Philadelphia. The conference will be the organization's first in the United States in its history. "[Having the Congress in the U.S.] will be an opportunity for practitioners in the U.S. to learn from scientists and other practitioners from throughout the world," Sherman said. "In the great tradition of our founder, Ben Franklin, it's going to be like bringing research together with practice." Of the 13 criminologists elected to positions on the criminology society's board, Sherman is the only American. The remainder hail mainly from Europe, Asia and South America. University officials were quick to praise Sherman opon hearing news of his election. "We were thrilled to hear that he has taken this prestigious position," said Elaine Wilner, a spokesperson for the School of Arts and Sciences. "He's obviously one of the top people in the field right now." University spokesperson Ken Wildes was equally enthusiastic. "Many of our faculty are world-class and leaders in their fields," he said. "I think this is a credit to the University and a credit to the School of Arts and Sciences." Sherman came to the University this summer after a six-month search for a Fels director. Currently he serves as an advisor to Philadelphia Police Commissioner John Timoney.