UTEP Department of Criminal Justice & Security Studies

From UTEP student-athlete, to CCJ graduate student, to CJ adjunct, and now a Ph.D. graduate from University of Nevada, Las Vegas — congratulations Dr. Nikol Cebak!

Your journey is a powerful example of perseverance, growth, and dedication to the field of criminology. We are so incredibly proud of you and all that you have accomplished. From the classroom to the profession, you have continued to inspire those around you every step of the way.

And no matter where the journey takes you next… once a Miner, always a Miner! ⛏️🧡💙

We can’t wait to see the impact you will make as a new criminologist. The future is bright, Dr. Cebak! 🎓👏

Thinking about advancing your career in criminal justice? 🚔⚖️

UTEP Online offers a fully online Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice designed for working professionals, including law enforcement officers across Texas.

✔️ 100% online and flexible
✔️ Peace Officer Tuition Exemption available for eligible officers
✔️ Focus on criminal justice issues along the U.S.–Mexico border
✔️ Transfer and military credit opportunities
✔️ Courses in criminology, criminal law, corrections, policing, court systems, and research methods

Whether you’re looking to promote, transition into federal service, strengthen your professional knowledge, or finally finish your degree — this program was built with working professionals in mind.

📚 Learn more about admissions, tuition assistance, curriculum, and how to apply through ApplyTexas in the slides below.

📞 Questions? Contact UTEP Online at 1-800-684-UTEP
🌐 utepconnect.utep.edu

Congratulations to Dr. Misty Duke on the publication of her article, “Interviewee Decision-Making in Response to Interview Tactics Meant to Create the Illusion of Knowing It All,” recently published online in Psychiatry, Psychology, and Law.

Her research explores the effectiveness of strategically presenting evidence to suspects during police interviews and highlights important implications for investigative interviewing practices. This publication is the result of a grant she received from the FBI in 2020.

We are proud to celebrate Dr. Duke’s continued contributions to criminal justice research and scholarship!

To all of our graduates from the UTEP Department of Criminal Justice & Security Studies… congratulations! 🎓🧡

Whether you earned your bachelor’s degree or your master’s degree, graduation represents years of hard work, sacrifice, perseverance, and growth. You survived the deadlines, the research papers, the group projects, the stress, and the moments when you questioned whether you could make it through — and yet, here you are.

As you move into careers in criminal justice, security studies, law, investigations, corrections, victim advocacy, research, leadership, and public service, remember that this field needs professionals with integrity, compassion, critical thinking, and courage.

We are incredibly proud of the future you are stepping into and honored to have been part of your journey.

Once a Miner, always a Miner. Picks up! ⛏️

Congratulations, Class of 2026! 🎉

Congratulations to Dr. Charles Larratt Smith, Dr. Paul Ashby, Dr. Jeremy Slack from Sociology & Anthropology, and Dr. Raul Holguín from Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez on presenting at the inaugural event for the U.S.-Mexico Faculty Collaboration Fellowship 🇺🇸🇲🇽📚

The team shared initial research findings from this collaborative international project, which is being led by Dr. Charles Larrat Smith after securing funding for the initiative.

The event was also attended by Heather Wilson, President of The University of Texas at El Paso.

⚖️📚 Real-world learning in action!

Students in Mr. Campos’ CRIJ 5324 Seminar and Sentencing graduate class wrapped up the semester with an impressive Mock Trial on May 7th.

Three teams — Prosecution, Defense, and U.S. Probation/Pretrial & Case Agent — took on their respective roles, defending arguments supported by case law and research at every stage of the proceedings.

Students were mentored and coached by a Federal Public Defender, Attorney at Law, and a U.S. Probation Officer Guideline Specialist, bringing real-world expertise directly into the classroom.

Mr. Campos served as the judge, challenging students’ arguments, research, and critical thinking throughout the trial.

👏 The teams did an outstanding job demonstrating professionalism, preparation, advocacy, and applied knowledge of the justice system.

Students from the Department of Criminal Justice & Security Studies had an incredible day at the El Paso Police Department Academy 🚔

We got to observe a COMSAR presentation, a K9 demonstration 🐕, and a bomb squad presentation 💣. One of our students was brave enough to suit up in an 80-pound blast protection suit 💪, and one of our faculty members even showed off her marksmanship 🎯

Hands-on learning like this brings the classroom to life and gives our students real-world insight into the field 🙌

Thank you to the El Paso Police Department for welcoming us and making this experience possible! 👏

Big congratulations to Dr. Misty Duke on her latest publication! 👏📚

Her research, recently published in the Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, explores innovative ways to improve how we interpret probabilistic judgments through visualization—an important contribution to how we understand and communicate uncertainty.

📖 Duke, M. C. (2026). Improving the communication of second-order uncertainty in estimative judgments.

We are proud to have such impactful scholarship representing our department!