Present & Past Students

MU Criminal Justice Alumni Association

Present Students

CJ Majors Involved in December 2008 Graduation

MU Alumni Association President Jerry Wood (MU CJA major, 1977), provided the “Greetings From Alumni” during the graduation ceremony. Wood is employed by the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office as an investigator.

Here he is pictured with Tessa Bieber (MU CJA, May 2008) who is the student member of the MU Council of Trustees.

Jesse Wolski Named to NCAA Division II Rookie Team

Freshman criminal justice major Jesse Wolski (Barker/Barker High School) was selected to the NCAA Division II Field Hockey All-Rookie Team by womensfieldhockey.com

Wolski, a freshman who played forward and mid-field, was third on the team in scoring with 9 points on two goals and a team-best 5 assists. Jessie was a major reason why Mansfield ended the 2008 season with a 7-12 overall mark and finished 4th in the PSAC West with a 3-6 record. This year Mansfield University Field Hockey Team had the toughest schedule among all NCAA Division II field hockey teams according to the NCAA.

Majors in Criminal Justice Tell Why They Are Happy at Mansfield

Class of 2012 Enters Mansfield. Their First CJA Class: Intro to Criminal Justice

Parrish Debardelaban comes from Pittsburgh where he was the City Champ in the 800 meters. He will run track at Mansfield under Track Coach Michael Rohl, who has garnered 5 All American awards for middle distance runners in the past 4 years. Parrish picked Mansfield over California University, IUP and Slippery Rock. Says Parrish about his stay so far at Mansfield: "I like [Mansfield] a lot. It’s fun. Cross country camp got it off to a good start."

Aaron Harris (background) graduated from Jersey Shore HS in 2008 but Mansfield was not his first choice as he wanted to study forensic psychology, but found his preferred school was too expensive. Instead, Aaron decided on Mansfield, as he heard Mansfield’s criminal justice program “was very well established.” Now, Aaron believes he made the right choice. According to Aaron, “the atmosphere at Mansfield is nice; the faculty seem knowledgeable, and the students are easy to get along with.” Imagine Aaron’s surprise when he discovered that Mansfield was hosting the nation’s most prolific writer (Dr. Kat Sean Kane herine Ramsland) - in the field of forensic psychology, crime scene investigation, forensic science, and serial and mass murder on Monday, September 29th as the “2008 North Hall Visiting Scholar.” Aaron was especially pleased that Dr. Ramsland will be making a one hour presentation on “Careers in Forensic Psychology.”

Sean Kane, Elmira Free Academy, Elmira, NY. (Foreground). "I was looking at SUNY schools in New York. I liked the range in price [that Mansfield provided]. When I came down for a visitation I liked Mansfield. I liked that I could get a pretty good education here, just as good as a more expensive school. I love it actually. Last weekend there was a Madden Football Video Tournament; next weekend there is a Kickball Tournament; people are friendly. It’s easy to get around campus."

	Andy Desta. Sophmore. Queens, New York City. "My mom told me to go out-of state. I like it now. My life has slowed down. I joined Phi Beta Lambda [a business fraternity]. I started boxing last year – and I will be competing this year. Everything is cool."
	Josh Torres, Edison High School, Philadelphia. "I like it at Mansfield. [College life is] not like I [originally] pictured it. I wanted to get away from the city and see something new, to see a diversity of people, to challenge myself educationally."
	Eric Eccker is the younger brother of Katrina Eccker, who graduated Summa Cum Laude from Mansfield University in May 2008 with a BS degree in Criminal Justice Administration. Katrina is currently attending law school at the Thomas L. Cooley Law School, ranked #16 in the nation by “Judging the Law Schools – 2007.” Cooley Law School is the largest law school in the U.S. as measured by full –time and part-time students enrolled.”

"Matt Moroski Interns at Ocean City, Maryland Police Department"

Matt Moroski, a Scranton High School graduate and senior in criminal justice, recently returned from his 2008 summer job at the Ocean City, Maryland Police Department (OCMPD) where he worked as a certified police office, which meant, he had to carry a firearm.

Matt says this about his Mansfield University experience: "I feel that Mansfield has exposed me to real world situations as opposed to just a classroom experience. This real life experience has prepared me for my career in law enforcement like no class I could have.

Between OCMPD and great speakers like Roy Hazelwood [Retired FBI profiler who spoke at Mansfield University in 2005, 2006, and 2007, and author of The Evil That Men Do and Dark Dreams], I have had a rich experience here at Mansfield. Mansfield has been a great experience. There are plenty of places to go and see. The faculty are excellent and the classes challenging."

“Rachel Boyll is Mansfield’s California Connection”

Rachel Boyll is a senior criminal justice and forensics major who lives in San Diego, California, but decided to come, and stay, at Mansfield University for her college experience. She has been the student worker for the Department of Criminal Justice ever since her first semester, freshman year.

Rachel can be found in the Criminal Justice Seminar Room, located in Room #210 Pinecrest, on Tuesdays from 9:00 – 12:00 p.m., and on Wednesdays from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

While Rachel is not a tutor, she can provide general advice and guidance on course selection and availability of forensic science courses, and study advice for new students and old students alike.

Rachel is your typical university student – she holds down two part-time jobs (the second at Pizza Hut) and studies.

For her long time loyalty to the Department, Rachel is 1 of 3 CJA students selected to join Dr. Katherine Ramsland, the 2008 North hall Library Visiting Scholar, for a private dinner on Monday, September 29^th.

Rachel says this of her Mansfield University experience: “It’s been very different, but I couldn’t have asked for a better college experience. I would not trade it for anything.”

Marisa Fronczkiewicz is a Senior Criminal Justice major graduating in December 2008. In her junior year at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, she represented the Criminal Justice Club in the 2007-2008 Homecoming events. She was crowned Mansfield University Homecoming Queen 2007-2008 in a campus-wide vote from the student body.

The Criminal Justice Club also elected Marisa Fronczkiewicz to represent the club for the Student Affairs Outstanding Student Award 2007-2008.

She is currently the President of the Criminal Justice Club, Vice President of the Campus Mountie Guides, Vice President of Cedarcrest Hall Council, a First Year Experience Peer Leader, a Residence Life Student Worker and a member of the Spanish Club. Other honors she has received at Mansfield University include Who's Who Amoung Students in American Universities and Colleges, Dean’s List Qualifier earning a Heartly B. Dean Scholarship, Mansfield University Track and Field PSAC Qualifier, Track and Field Scholar Athlete Award and a Residence Life Resident Assistant.

Marisa Fronczkiewicz also completed a summer internship at the White Haven Youth Forestry Camp #2 in White Haven, PA.

Anthony Root For those students taking CJA 1100: Introduction to Criminal Justice, the Learning Center has identified two students who can assist you in preparing you for your exams.

Anthony Root is a Psychology major who enlisted in the U.S. Army in late September of 2001 following the attack on the World Trade Center. Anthony, who served with the 82nd Airborne and the 10th Mountain Divisions, earned his Ranger tab in August of 2005 and served tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Anthony states that “The transition from being a soldier to student was difficult at first; however after two years at Mansfield, I have slipped into the role. Mansfield University has been a positive experience for me and the VA has been great to me.”

Megan Wells Dr. Thornsley, who has had Anthony in several of his classes states that “…Anthony is a serious and focused student who has demonstrated that he knows how to prepare, both in the classroom and on the battlefield.” [Note: Anthony will leave the “big gun” at home. ]

Megan Wells is also a Philosophy/Pre Law major and a Criminal Justice minor. Like Anthony Root, she has also demonstrated that she knows what to expect in Dr. Thornsley’s classroom courses.

Students interested in receiving assistance from either Anthony or Megan should stop by the Academic & Human Development Offices located in the new South Hall, and schedule a time slot, with Ms. Lou Labuski-Brown.

Justine Taylor was recently named the Department of Criminal Justice’s Outstanding Student for the Academic Year 2007-2008 and the Outstanding Junior for the Academic Year 2007-2008. Both awards are new starting as of September 2008. Justine received the Outstanding Student award for her role in bringing to campus in April 2008 Anthony Michael Green, who was wrongfully convicted for a rape and spent 12 years in prison before being exonerated through DNA testing in 2001. Justine received the Outstanding Junior award for having the highest grade point average among juniors.

Justine had quite a year in 2007-2008. In addition to the above 2 awards, she also received the Honors Program Book Award for the Highest GPA in the Senior Class, the Mansfield Foundation Departmental Scholars Award, and the Mansfield Foundation Scholarship Award.

This fall 2008 semester, her last semester at Mansfield, Justine will complete and present her senior honors program project entitled The Need to Compensate the Wrongfully Convicted in Pennsylvania. Her Honors project advisor, Dr. Scott Thornsley, introduced the topic of wrongful convictions to her Spring 2008 "Special Issues in Corrections" class where he discussed the topic of wrongful convictions and what Pennsylvania is currently doing to address the problem.

Finally, in the Volume #4, Issue #1, Summer 2008 issue of The Innocence Project in Print, Justine was interviewed for the article entitled “Building a Youth Movement, “ where she was quoted as saying “I think it’s especially important for young people to know about wrongful convictions because we are the next generation of police officers, lawyers, judges and lawmakers. The future of judicial and legislative system is literally in our hands.”

Justine says this of her Mansfield University experience: “My experience as a criminal justice student at Mansfield University has been extremely rewarding. The relatively small class sizes allow for considerable one-on-one interaction between the students and instructors. Professors know most of their students by name and are always very willing to work with them outside of a classroom setting if needed. Also, in addition to taking typical criminal justice-related classes, such as Policing and Corrections, I have been able to enroll in some of the most fascinating and unusual courses in the field, such as Serial Murder, Violent Criminal behavior, and the Green River killer. These unique classes will definitely give me an advantage someday in the work force. Mansfield University was the perfect fit for me, and I could not have been happier with the experience I received from the Criminal Justice Department.”

Justine Taylor, a senior Criminal Justice major and Honor student, orchestrated a presentation made by Anthony Michael Green of Ohio. Mr Green, a wrongfully convicted inmate, spent 12 years in prison for a rape he did not commit.

This Spring at the Honors Banquet held on April 7^th, Justine received Mansfield University’s “Honors Program Book Award for the Highest GPA in the Senior Class” and the “Foundation Scholarship Award.”

Justine, a December 2008 graduate, has already been accepted at Buffalo State, Penn State Harrisburg and Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s School of Criminology to attend graduate school and study criminology.

Criminal justice student Megan Wells, was honored with the “2008 Outstanding Achievement in the Study & Practice of Philosophy” award during the April 7^th, 2008 Academic Honors Banquet.

Josh Herman

During finals week this Fall 2008 semester, most Mansfield University seniors will be “sweating out” taking their final exams. Not Josh Herman, who will be “sweating out” his first week of the 129th Cadet Class of the Pennsylvania State Police, located in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Josh started applying for jobs and taking exams during the first semester of his senior year.

Alyssa Greenwalt, a senior Criminal Justice student, is attending a one week seminar on violent crimes offered by The Academy Group Inc. of Manassas, Virginia. Alyssa was the first undergraduate student in the nation allowed to attend AGI's violent criminal behavior seminar in the summer of 2007 for a two week course. (The Academy Group consists of former FBI profilers.)

Past Students

MU CJ Alumni Reunited

Col. Lee Richie (MU CJA Alum, 1976; U.S. Air Force, Retired), left and MU Professor of CJ Dr. Scott Thornsley (MU CJA Alum, 1974) share a moment before the December graduation. Col. Richie’s son Ryan graduated with a B.S. in criminal justice on Saturday. Col. Richie and Dr. Thornsley were best friends and brothers of the Lambda Chi Alpha National Social Fraternity while they attended Mansfield during the 1970s. Col. Richie has another son, Lee, Jr., also attending Mansfield, and also a CJ major.

July 2008

Justine Dickerson and Cody Clark to Pursue Graduate Degree in Criminal Justice at Troy University.

Justine Dickerson and Cody Clark, both May 2008 criminal justice graduates, will pursue their M.S. in criminal justice through Troy University’s (Troy, Alabama) on-line distance education program.

Allen Krotzer and Donald Oechslin received their degrees in Criminal Justice Administration earlier on May 10th 2008. Both Krotzer and Oechslin were commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army. Click here to read more.

Jay Shaw (2006) graduated from St. Joseph's University on May 10, 2008 with a M.S. in criminology. Jay currently works for the Philadelphia Adult Probation/Parole Department. He writes to Dr. Thornsley "Thank you for challenging me, encouraging me, and supporting me."

Tiffany Vedder (2006) is currently pursuing her graduate degree in criminology from Florida State's School of Criminology. She writes:

"This life at Florida State is extremely difficult and sometimes frustrating. I could only compare it to the transition from high school to college, but much more intense. I read on average 500-600 pages a week between books, online articles and articles. My plan is to finish the [Spring 2008] semester, study abroad for the summer (traveling to Prague, Czech Republic, Poland, Germany and Austria) and come back and write my thesis while taking a PhD class to maintain full-time status.

Thanks to Dr. Thornsley, I am happy in graduate school in Florida and I hope to be a professor like him someday. Dr. Thornsley made me realize that I would rather be giving this knowledge back to students, instead of litigating in a court room somewhere 20 years from now."

James A. Wool, (B.S., 1992).

Pennsylvania State Police Trooper James Wool attended MU from 1988 – 1992. After graduating from MU, he worked for Lycoming College in their Safety and Security Department until May 1993. Trooper Wool entered the PSP Academy in May 1993 and graduated in November 1993, and was assigned to the Troop P’s Towanda Station in their Patrol Section. Trooper Wool then went on to serve in Troop F (Montoursville), and later on in Troop P (Wyoming). In 2006 he returned to Montoursville as a criminal investigator.

Says Trooper Wool: I often run into fellow Mansfield graduates that went through the criminal justice program with me. Several of them are State Police and are stationed at various locations within Pennsylvania…I was extremely fortunate. I enlisted when I was 22 years old. It is a very prestigious job that I pride myself of being a part of. I honestly can say that I could not see myself doing anything else in life and I’m very proud of being a Mansfield University alumni and a Pennsylvania State Trooper.

Scott Thornsley, Roy Hazelwood, & Dean Van Bidder

Dr. Thornsley poses with Roy Hazelwood (center) and Dean Van Bibber in 2007.

Fairmont State College (West Virginia) Professor of Criminal Justice Dean Van Bibber (MU, 1976) and MU Professor of Criminal Justice Dr. Scott Thornsley (MU, 1974) with have been lifelong friends for 36 years, through the good and bad of life.

Van Bibber is a former chief of police for the West Hempfield Twp. Police Department (Lancaster County) and a recipient of the “Silver Star for Bravery” and inductee at the American Police Hall of Fame in Miami, Florida.

Van Bibber and Thornsley were members of MU’s Track & Field Team (Van Bibber ran the mile) and fraternity brothers of the Lambda Chi Alpha national social fraternity.