University of Tampa Criminology & Criminal Justice Department

Each spring, we celebrate our criminology and criminal justice students with awards for their academic excellence, internships, and international travel. This year, five outstanding students were honored.

🏆 Outstanding Graduate Student: Haley Rybarczyk, defending her thesis on commercial burglary.
🎓 Outstanding Undergrad: Madison O’Hara, graduating summa cm laude, exploring law enforcement.
💼 Outstanding Intern: Lexi Friedrichs, working in criminal defense, planning law school.
🌍 Brinkley International Achievement: Brigette Rosenberg, studying abroad in Argentina and the Netherlands.
🎁 Quinn Scholarship: Norah Madson, part of the 4+1 program, managing the University Call Center.

Congratulations! Thank you for representing our department so well!

As April comes to an end let’s remember to continue fighting to protect the children of America. More than 500,000 children get abused per year, something can be done to prevent this from happening we just need to acknowledge it first.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month a time to honor survivors, raise awareness, and stand together in support of a safer, more respectful community. The CRM department, we’re committed to fostering conversations that promote consent, respect, and support for all.

Please join us tonight as we have two events! Come to the Victims Resource Fair to gather information, then listen to our guest speaker for tonight’s meeting for the Criminology Club! Hope to see you guys there😎💯

This month, the University of Tampa’s CRM Department is proud to support organizations like Childhelp, The National Child Abuse Hotline, and Prevent Child Abuse America, who are dedicated to helping survivors of child abuse.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness, support families, and protect children. Let’s come together to create safe, nurturing environments where every child can thrive.

Some tips to get a kick into our career field!

Join us Monday 3/26, to talk about Gender and The Ranks: Diversity in Policing to discuss many different topics and hear from representatives from different career paths!🙌 Register using this link as it is an online event💯

Join us on March 27th if your interested in law enforcement! Can’t wait to see you there!

Feel free to come down to Vaughn and join us for this event! Monday 17th from 11am to 1pm!

For National Women’s History month and National Criminology month, we will be showcasing and highlighting the achievements of Dr. Rachel Severson😁‼️. “Dr. Rachel Severson is a professor at the University of Tampa, specializing in criminal justice, research methods, and mental health in the justice system. She earned her B.S. from Longwood University, her M.Ed. from Lynchburg College, and her Ph.D. from the University of South Florida.
Her research focuses on the experiences of marginalized groups in the criminal justice system, particularly how mental illness and gender impact incarcerated populations. She is currently studying the effects of mental health diagnoses and treatment on the prison experience, as well as how gender shapes these experiences. Her work has been published in leading academic journals, including the Journal of Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice and Behavior, Crime and Delinquency, and the Journal of Interpersonal Violence.
Severson is an active member of the American Society of Criminology (ASC) and the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS). She has received multiple honors for her contributions, including the University of South Florida’s Outstanding Ambassador Award and recognition as an Outstanding Doctoral Student by the Southern Criminal Justice Association. Her work continues to highlight critical issues at the intersection of mental health, gender, and incarceration.”