The appointment of Laurie Robinson as director of the master's of science in Criminology program marked another step forward in the development of Penn's new Criminology Department.
Robinson, who has worked for the U.S. Department of Justice and the American Bar Association, will lead the Ivy League's only M.S. in Criminology program when matriculants arrive in September 2004. The program consists of eight courses over two semesters and will eventually see about 25 students per year.
According to Lawrence Sherman, director of the Jerry Lee Center of Criminology, Robinson was the natural choice as she has been a key player in the development of the criminology program since the department was created in June 2003.
"This is an expansion of the duties that she's been performing since she came to the Jerry Lee Center," Sherman said.
Robinson's responsibilities will include advising both applicants and matriculants, serving on the admissions committee for the program and assisting graduates with job placement.
As director, Robinson will be focusing on a "passion" of hers -- building "bridges between criminal justice policy and practice on the one hand and criminal justice-related research on the other," she said.
Currently, Robinson explained, academic research tends to remain isolated from those who could actually put the data in practice.
"There's not a lot of cross-disciplinary discussion," Robinson said. "The research and academic community is frequently isolated from ... the day-to-day struggle in the policy arena or in the criminal justice practice."
Robinson intends to help solve the problem by "helping educate individuals who can go into those real-world settings armed with better ways of applying research," she said.
Sherman agreed, saying, "I think [the program] could also be a change agent for the entire criminal justice system."
Robinson has been working with the Jerry Lee Center since January 2001, helping to found a Washington, D.C. office. Since then, she has divided her time between Penn and Washington, delivering criminal justice seminars aimed at various government officials.
While serving as director, Robinson -- whose new post will only require a part-time commitment -- will continue to work in Washington.
In addition to the M.S. program, the degree will be offered in conjunction with degrees from the Law School, the Fels Institute of Government and the School of Social Work.
"Generally, the job market is not easy right now," Robinson said. "People who can present themselves as having a coupling of different knowledge and skills" will be able to differentiate themselves from other applicants, she added. The coupling will also allow the students to add a criminal justice focus to their broader studies in other schools.
"We think that given the current world situation, there'll be lots of connections between this new master's program and the kind of work that many people find appealing," Sherman said, citing a new interest in fields like intelligence amidst growing concerns about terrorism.
That interest is reflected in a growing number of prospective applicants, 92 of whom have already inquired about the program through the department's Web site.
