Dr Todd Clear, provost of Rutgers University—Newark, is the recipient of the 2014 Founder’s Award of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS). The award honors ACJS members who have provided outstanding service to ACJS and criminal justice education. Established in 1963, ACJS is an international association that “promotes criminal justice education, research, and policy analysis within the discipline of criminal justice for both educators and practitioners.”
“Todd’s having earned this major national award is a signal achievement,” says Rutgers University – Newark Chancellor Nancy Cantor. “This kind of recognition from a leading association speaks to the sustained impact of his career-long work as a deeply engaged public scholar. It also speaks volumes about the collaborative environment that has fostered his excellence, both at Rutgers University – Newark and through the interdisciplinary community in criminal justice. We couldn’t be more proud of Todd.”
A member of ACJS since 1976, Clear has served as president (2000-2001) and founded the Public Policy Joint Committee, a collaborative effort between ACJS and the American Society of Criminology. In 2004, Clear received ACJS’s Bruce Smith Sr. Award, which is given to an academician or practitioner who has demonstrated leadership in the administration of criminal justice in a manner that reflects the highest standards of integrity and performance.
Clear has had an impressive career at Rutgers University—Newark. Immediately prior to being named provost of RU-N in January 2014, he served as interim chancellor from July 2013. In March 2010, he assumed the deanship of the Rutgers School of Criminal Justice and from 1978-1996 was a member of its faculty.
Other institutions at which Clear has held faculty posts include at John Jay College (1999-2010), the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at The Florida State University (1996-1999), Ball State University (1976-1978), DePaul University (1975-1976), and the State University of New York at Albany (1973-1975). He also served as vice president of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency from 1991-1993.
A prolific writer, Clear has authored 12 books, including the 2007 work Imprisoning Communities: How Mass Incarceration Makes Disadvantaged Neighborhoods Worse (Oxford University Press), and Community Justice (co-authored with Eric Cadora, Wadsworth Press, 2003). Clear also is founding editor of the journal Criminology and Public Policy.
Clear earned his master’s and doctoral degrees at the School of Criminal Justice at the State University of New York at Albany, and received his undergraduate degree in sociology from Anderson College in Indiana.
ABOUT THE RUTGERS SCHOOL OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE
The School of Criminal Justice (SCJ) was established at Rutgers University in 1972 by the New Jersey State Legislature. The legislature recognized the need for a formal program of study dedicated to preparing students to be leaders in research, teaching and public policy to better address criminal justice issues. More than four decades later, the impact and influence of the school are respected internationally, and SCJ is currently ranked as one of the top criminal justice schools in the nation. The school offers the bachelor of science in criminal justice (in partnership with the Newark College of Arts and Sciences), and the master and doctoral degrees in criminal justice. The doctoral program in criminology is ranked seventh in the nation by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate Schools (2009). In addition to undergraduate and graduate programs, SCJ is well known for its research and outreach activities, including the Police Institute, Greater Newark Safer Cities Initiative, Center for the Study of Public Security, and Center for Justice and Mental Health Research. Graduates of SCJ hold distinguished positions in government, public and private sector organizations, and academia. Further information about the school is available at http://rscj.newark.rutgers.edu/.
