Criminal Justice & Criminology, Department of
Department of Criminal Justice & Criminology
The Department of Criminal Justice & Criminology is excited to welcome new and returning students for the start of a new academic year!
News
.jpg "Leah Nuzman (left) and Sydney Lutz (right) holding their respective MCJA awards. They are pictured with Dr. Mike Vecchio.")
CJC Students Recognized at MCJA Conference
Two CJC students were honored at the 2026 Midwestern Criminal Justice Association (MCJA) conference. Leah Nuzman was recognized with the Undergraduate Paper Award for her original work on restorative justice and gang desistance. Sydney Lutz presented her original research on addiction and family-based interventions as well as received one of the inaugural Undergraduate Student Registration Waiver awards.
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Dr. Olson Named Faculty Member of the Year
CJC Professor and Center for Criminal Justice Co-Founder Dr. Dave Olson was named the 2026 Loyola University Chicago Faculty Member of the Year! He will be honored at the 2026 University Convocation for this distinct achievement. Read more about Dr. Olson's recognition here and please join us in congratulating him!
Dr. Webster Discusses Recent SCOTUS Cases for Slate: Jurisprudence
Dr. Elizabeth Webster describes how the US Supreme Court's decisions in Fernandez and Rutherford impose new barriers to relief for prisoners with excessive sentences and wrongful convictions.
2026 CJC Annual Honors Event
On April 24th, 2026, the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology held its Annual Honors Event in Palm Court. Graduating CJC majors, PSCJ minors, and CJC Master’s students gathered with our department faculty, staff, friends, and family, to celebrate their upcoming graduation. We further honored those students receiving departmental awards, graduating officers of the Criminal Justice Organization, and new inductees into the Alpha Phi Sigma Honor Society.
Dr. Kurti Recognized by Loyola University for Women's History Month
Dr. Kurti was spotlighted this past Women's History Month by Loyola in recognition of extraordinary women who have made a lasting impact at the University.
Alpha Phi Sigma & the Criminal Justice Organization host documentary screening of 'The Alabama Solution'
Our two CJC student-led organizations in collaboration with the John Howard Association hosted a special screening of the Oscar-nominated documentary 'The Alabama Solution.' Afterward, students engaged in a post-screening discussion of prison conditions in the U.S. and what can be done to protect incarcerated individuals from violence and victimization behind bars.