WCU Criminology & Criminal Justice and Emergency & Disaster Management

01/27/2026

Very proud to share this story with a happy ending, thanks in part to our former student - Patrol Sgt. Josh Geiger!!

A child with autism who had gone missing during the recent ice storm in Sylva is home safe, according to the Sylva Police Department.

01/13/2026

Parental Involvement Is a Must for Gaming Kids, Miracle Smith (Publication By a WCU Sociology Student)

Kids spend so much time playing games like Roblox, Fortnite and Minecraft that many parents (and children) don’t notice the dangers inside these games. These games look fun, friendly and

12/06/2025

We are very proud of Alumnus Zeb Holland and his selection as Jackson County’s new Emergency Management Director. We have no doubt he will do great things as he serves our community in this role!!

11/25/2025

The CJ Club got to assist with gathering and assembling Thanksgiving food for families in need in Jackson County! Partnered with Center for Domestic Peace and WNC From the Ground Up, we assisted with gathering supplies for 60 meal boxes.

11/18/2025

Western Carolina University student Jessica Davis has been selected for an award recognizing outstanding leadership and service by North Carolina Campus Engagement, a statewide network of colleges and universities committed to preparing students for civic and social responsibility. Davis is a recipient of the network’s Community Impact Student Award (CISA), which honors one student leader at each participating member school. The CISA recognizes students with a deep commitment to community involvement, an outstanding ability to inspire peers, and evidence of sustainable impact. NC Campus Engagement honored the recipients during the 2025 Citizenship, Service, Networking & Partnerships (CSNAP) Student Conference on November 8 at NC A&T State University.

11/06/2025

We can't wait to see our alumni and students on Friday and Saturday. Alumni Panel is at Bardo 130 (Friday) and our Tailgate spot is Belk Lot Spaces 15, 16, and 17 (Saturday)!! See you there. Go Cats!!!

11/06/2025

09/16/2025

A drone pic from our special guests! Jackson County Emergency Management came to campus to speak with students in our Senior Seminar (CJ/EDM 495) and Humanitarian Response (EDM 349) classes! While Jackson County EM had the opportunity to show off their mobile command trailer, students were able to view resources (like drones and SARTopo mapping system) and learn about various roles within the organization.

04/23/2025

Congratulations to our 2025 CCJ/EDM student award winners and 2025-2026 scholarship winners!!!!

This year's recipients include:

Deans Outstanding Scholar:
Admin of Justice: Jonathan Lewis
Criminal Justice: Noah Rodriguez-Mora
EDM: Isabella Barger

Scholarships:
Michele Lynn Clayton Hall: Amelia McKinney
J. Tom Morgan Criminal Justice: Noa Evelyn Warren
Danielle “Dani” West Morgan: John Sexton
Sarah and Fred Wolfe Criminal Justice: Kassidi Price & Gracyn Woodside

Awards:
Outstanding Criminology & Criminal Justice Student - Macy Allen
Bill Hyatt Leadership Award - Mekeila Santiago
Criminology and Criminal Justice Service Award - Sara Miller
Outstanding Emergency and Disaster Management Student - Jess Davis
Outstanding Non-Traditional Criminal Justice Student - Sunny Fauver

You all are amazing students and we are so proud of all you do!

04/10/2025

We are so proud of our students and professors who represented WCU at the North Carolina Emergency Management Agency Conference in Cherokee from March 23 - 26. They each made valuable connections with local and state emergency management professionals and other organizations like the Salvation Army and American Red Cross.

Program Director, Dr. Lisa Briggs (not pictured), was also in attendance and gave a presentation on Go Fund Me Fraud post-Hurricane Helene.

Way to go!!!

Pictured (From left to right): Professor Regina Cline, Chris Guernsey, Anna Kerner, Jacob Coffey, Bren Hausler, Jess Davis, Dr. Sarah Jackson, Ethan Forbes, Molly Feitlich, Izzy Barger, and Michaela Staudinger.

02/22/2025

Another great morning at WCU Open House trying to recruit our next class of amazing students for our CJ and EDM programs 😊 and thanks once again to our student ambassadors who showed up bright and early on this chilly February morning to help!!

02/18/2025

Please check out the preview of this Friday’s PBS episode of NCImpact (2/21). Our very own CJ Professor, Dr. Cyndy Caravelis, is featured as the program dives into the transformative work she is doing with the Community Cares program. This program, co-founded by Dr. Caravelis and Katy Allen of the WCU Social Work department, originated with Chief Chris Hatton in the Sylva Police Department and has now spread to other agencies in WNC!! The full episode airs Friday at 7:30pm. Thanks Dr. C for all you do to make a real impact in our community!!

Step inside a radical shift in public safety: social workers on the front lines of crisis response. Discover how small towns in North Carolina are transformi...