Faculty
JLA’s faculty successfully combines academic and practitioner perspectives, with a commitment to academic excellence,
professionalism and integrity.
Our full-time faculty instructors are experienced professionals in law enforcement, criminology, corrections and law,
who are committed to providing relevant, challenging courses that not only develop students’ minds but enhance
their career opportunities.
JLA also has a full complement of dedicated adjunct faculty who have exceptional credentials and experience.
Several have been with us for a decade or more.
Dr. Mohsen S. Alizadeh
Assistant Professor
Office: WH 126 B
E-Mail: AlizadehM@wcsu.edu
Phone: 203-837-8597
Professor Alizadeh holds Ph.D. degree in Criminal Justice from the City University of New York (Graduate Center), Master of Philosophy from The City University of New York, Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Master’s Degree in Criminal Law and Criminology from Azad university of Tehran, and Bachelor’s Degree of Law from Azad University of Rafsanjan.
Dr. Alizadeh joined the Division of Justice and Law Administration in 2016 with 11 years teaching experience. Prior to joining Western Connecticut State University, Dr. Alizadeh was teaching at the State University of New York, Montclair State University of New Jersey, and John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Dr. Alizadeh’s research focus on theory testing in Criminology, Comparative Criminal Justice Systems, and Policing Systems. He is also interested in Digital Evidence/ Computer Forensics and their related legal issues.
Professor Alizadeh is very interested in multicultural issues. He loves to travel and visit different countries.
Dr. Hasan Arslan 
Professor
Office: WH 322 E
E-Mail: Arslanh@wcsu.edu
Phone: 203-837-8463
Hasan T. Arslan joined the Division of Justice and Law Administration in 2018 with more than ten years of teaching experience. He received his Ph.D. degree in Criminal Justice from the College of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University of Huntsville, Texas. His doctoral dissertation involved one of the most massive Eco-terrorism databases in the world. Dr. Arslan also holds a law degree from Marmara University in Istanbul Turkey.
Dr. Arslan emphasizes the data-driven, scientific approach to identifying and analyzing the large datasets related to police use of force (officer-involved shootings), terrorism & homeland security and criminal profiling. His primary research project, Statistics Help Officer Training (SHOT) database involves an ongoing comprehensive data collection to define and consolidate information of police shooting incidents throughout the United States. The primary objective of the SHOT is to establish a repository of national data, which can be statistically, spatially and temporally analyzed to understand the dynamics of deadly encounters.
Dr. Arslan worked nine years for the Institute for the Study of Violent Groups (ISVG aka Center for Business Analytics in the University of New Haven, CT). The non-profit research institution was created to test the feasibility of using a relational database to identify trends, relationships, and tactics of terrorist groups using only open source information. ISVG was awarded second place for the 2007 Noblis Innovations in Homeland Security Award (nationwide) out of top five finalists by Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government. As a supervisor and assistant director, he did many presentations to many officials from various governmental and non-governmental agencies and was able to develop data collection strategies on critical topics (terrorism & organized crime activities) particularly for our funding agencies like U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Military).
Dr. Arslan published journal articles, book chapters, book reviews, conference proceedings as well as appeared in foreign press articles. He has made numerous panel presentations at national and regional conferences and has been invited as a guest speaker at various events.
In 2022, Dr. Arslan founded the Homeland Security Master’s Program as part of the Justice and Law Administration Division at WCSU and was appointed coordinator.
Hon. William P. DeFeo, J.D.
Associate Professor
Office: WH 126F
E-Mail: DefeoW@wcsu.edu
Phone: 203-837-8070
Professor DeFeo received his Bachelor’s Degree in English at Iona College, his Master’s in English Literature at Fordham University, and his Juris Doctor at Pace University School of Law.
He was admitted to the New York Bar in 1986 and to the Connecticut Bar in 1991. He spent several years practicing law in New York’s Westchester County and Connecticut’s Fairfield County.
In 2003, Professor DeFeo was elected to state judicial office and presided as judge in District 091 of the Connecticut State Probate Court for eight years. The jurisdiction of his court extended to decedent’s estate matters, trust and estate administration, family law issues, guardianships, conservatorships, and related domestic relations and children’s matters.
Judge DeFeo has been a member of the WCSU adjunct faculty since 2003. He became a full-time member of the Division as Assistant Professor in 2014 and has taught a variety of classes in legal studies and legal writing, including Commercial Law, Family Law, Senior Research Seminar, and Writing for the Justice Professions.
In order to further develop his undergraduate writing curriculum, Professor DeFeo has recently published a college textbook entitled Fundamental College Composition (Brown Walker Press, 2017). He lives in New Fairfield, Connecticut with his wife and a disagreeable cat named Brutus.
Terrence P. Dwyer
Professor
CSU Professor
Office: WH 126C
E-Mail: DwyerT@wcsu.edu
Phone: 203-837-3288
Education:
- Certificate in Labor Studies Cornell University
- B.A. Fordham University
- J.D. Pace University School of Law
Professor Dwyer retired from the New York State Police after a 22-year career, 17½ years of which were as an Investigator in the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). His assignments were with the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Troop K BCI and the Violent Crimes Investigative Team (Major Crimes Unit). Prior to the New York State Police, he served as a Correction Officer in the NYC Department of Correction and a Court Officer in the NYC Courts for 2½ years. From 1993-2001 he served in the U.S. Naval Reserve and was honorably discharged in 2001.
His law practice has included several general practice areas over the years, including real estate, criminal, commercial litigation, estate planning and administration, and public-sector labor law. Professor Dwyer’s representation of clients has included litigation before the National Labor Relations Board, NYC Office of Administrative Trials & Hearings, NYC Office of Collective Bargaining, NYS Public Employees Relations Board, NYS Division of Human Rights, trial matters in state and federal court, and client appeals to the New York State Appellate Term, 9th Judicial District and the New York State Appellate Division, 2nd and 3rd Departments.
Over the past several years Professor Dwyer has been involved in police litigation and disciplinary cases either as an attorney or as a consultant. He has represented and defended law enforcement officers in over 200 disciplinary cases and as a plaintiff’s attorney he has represented law enforcement officers in workplace discrimination and sexual harassment litigation. As a lecturer Professor Dwyer has been requested to give presentations to trade associations such as the American Society for Industrial Security, Westchester County and Hudson Valley Chapters, regional law enforcement training centers such as the Center for Public Safety at Northwestern University, the Southern Police Institute at the University of Louisville, and the Institute for Law Enforcement Administration in Plano, Texas, security company training groups and local organizations. Professor Dwyer has been certified and testified as a police expert in New York State courts. Since 2008 Professor Dwyer has been the Police Liability & Litigation columnist for PoliceOne.com. In addition to his PoliceOne.com articles Professor Dwyer has authored several peer-reviewed academic articles and is the author of two textbooks: Legal Issues in Homeland Security: U.S. Supreme Court Cases, Commentary & Questions (2014) and Business Law: Foundations for the 21st Century (2018), the latter which he co-authored with JLA Assistant Professor Thomas Miller. Professor Dwyer’s publications have been cited in criminal justice textbooks, academic articles and case briefs before the U.S. Supreme Court. Additionally, he has been consulted by prosecutors, news outlets, law enforcement agencies, and litigation teams as an expert in police procedure, gangs and organized crime. The areas of public and private sector law enforcement liability and misconduct, law enforcement disciplinary process, use of force issues, Fourth Amendment and privacy issues, and critical incident policy are of special interest and research focus.
Courses taught:
Criminal Procedure Law , Criminal Law, and Constitutional Law
Dr. Casey Jordan
Professor
Office: WH 126E
E-Mail: JordanC@wcsu.edu
Phone: 203-837-8695
Professor Casey Jordan holds a B.A. in Political Science, Law & Society, from the University of Tulsa, an M.A. in Criminal Justice from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Additionally, she holds a M.Phil. in Criminal Justice from CUNY Graduate School (John Jay College), a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice, CUNY Graduate School (John Jay College) and a J.D. from Quinnipiac College of Law.
Dr. Jordan is a criminologist and attorney with more than twenty years of university teaching, mediation, scholarly research and criminal justice consulting experience. Emphasis on teaching excellence and curriculum development has resulted in several pedagogical publications, including Allyn & Bacon’s Blockbuster Approach series (Blockbuster Approach to Teaching Criminology and Criminal Justice, Sociology, and Anthropology). Grant-funded research and scholarly journal articles reflect her studies on homicide trends, serial killing and multicide, human trafficking, victimology (child abuse, domestic violence, homicide and sexual assault), and police studies, including articles in the Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement, the Encyclopedia of Crime and Punishment, and the Praeger Handbook of Victimology, and African Americans & Criminal Justice: An Encyclopedia.
She is certified in Alternative Dispute Resolution and Health Law.
Dr. Jordan has served the In Session Criminologist and Legal Analyst on CNN’s sister station TruTV, as well as the in-house CNN Criminologist covering unfolding crime stories and offering play-by-play assessment during live trials. She has represented WCSU as a guest criminologist, legal analyst, or expert commentator with more than 1200 television shows and newspaper stories, including 48 Hours Mystery, ABC News 20/20, NBC Today Show, CBS Early Show, Good Morning America, and on many current events shows (such as The O’Reilly Factor, Anderson Cooper 360, etc.) on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, Court TV, and America’s Most Wanted. She has been quoted or featured in The Boston Globe, Christian Science Monitor, The New York Times, Yankee magazine, USA Today, and Oprah’s ‘O’ magazine.
Dr. Jordan is a frequent guest speaker at criminology associations, forensic conferences and justice forums, including annual presentations at Danbury Hospital’s Pediatrics Conference and the Exploration Program at Yale University. She appeared in TruTV’s reality show Unsolved Murder Unit, where she teamed with a forensic pathologist and police detective to reprocess evidence and develop leads in unsolved homicide cases. She currently offers case analysis for Investigation Discovery’s series, “I (Almost) Got Away With It” and “Scorned: Love Kills,” as well as interviewing female subjects and analyzing their behavior
for ID’s newest show “Wives with Knives.”
Dr. Kim Marino
Professor, Chair, Division of Justice and Law Administration
Office: WH 322 F
E-Mail: MarinoK@wcsu.edu
Phone: 203-837-3973
Dr. Marino joined the Division of Justice and Law Administration faculty in 2014 with 17 years teaching experience. She holds a Ph.D. degree in Criminal Justice from the City University of New York (John Jay College of Criminal Justice campus), and a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice Planning and Management from Long Island University, N.Y.
Dr. Marino’s research interest is in the correctional management of criminal offenders. She has conducted program evaluations for the Westchester County Probation Department in New York and is currently working with the Connecticut Department of Corrections to evaluate the youth gang unit at Garner Correctional facility.
Dr. Marino has developed and taught a wide variety of criminal justice related courses including Advanced Deviant Behavior, Corrections, Community Based Corrections, Criminology, Critical Issues in Corrections, Cross Cultural Criminal Justice Systems, Juvenile Delinquency, Juvenile Justice, Law & Society, Introduction to Criminal Justice, Probation & Parole, Research Methods, Theories of Punishment, Women & Crime, Senior Capstone Seminar, and Psychological Perspectives of Criminal Behavior.
Dr. Marino is currently teaching multiple sections (including online courses) in JLA 150 Corrections, JLA 201 Criminology, and JLA 400 Research Methodology.
Thomas A. Miller
Associate Professor
Email: MillerT@wcsu.edu
Office: WH 317 D
Phone: 203-837-8751
Professor Miller, a very proud alumnus, graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Justice and Law Administration from WestConn. He then went on to earn a Juris Doctor from the Regent University School of Law, where he graduated cum laude. While in law school, he served as the Business Editor of the Regent University Law Review and clerked for the Judiciary Committee of the United States Senate.
Professor Miller is licensed to practice law in state and federal courts in Connecticut. He owns and operates a solo, general legal practice where he has advised clients regarding a wide array of legal matters including real estate transactions, small business formation and operation, estate planning, domestic matters, criminal matters, and civil litigation matters.
In 2018, Professor Miller co-authored, with JLA Professor Terrence Dwyer, the textbook Business Law: Foundations for the 21st Century. He has taught a wide range of classes at WestConn, including Commercial Law; Writing for Justice Professions; Legal Writing, Research, and Analysis; Criminal Law; and Constitutional Law. He also advises the WCSU Moot Court Club.
Divya Sharma Ph.D.
Professor
Office: WH 126D
E-Mail: SharmaD@wcsu.edu
Phone: 203-837-8418
Dr. Sharma holds a Ph.D. in Sociology, and Master’s degrees in Sociology and Criminal Justice. Her research focuses on topics related to informal banking systems, money laundering and terror finance; immigration, globalization and ethnic identity; and, organized crime and terrorism. She has been using mixed methods to study these topics and has collected data in India, Kenya, and the United States.
Dr. Sharma has published several peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, and submitted technical reports. Her work has been cited in various academic articles, conference presentations, books, and other publications in the U.S. and abroad. She has also written a textbook on Fundamentals of Criminology (first edition, 2018). She has made numerous panel presentations at national and regional conferences, and has been invited as a guest speaker at various events. Since 2008, she has peer-reviewed numerous articles for the International Journal of Stress Management, African Renaissance, Security Journal, and Violence Against Women. She is further exploring opportunities in the field of visual criminology, including photo essays and documentaries.
Dr. Sharma also has expertise in conducting field research, survey research, and program and policy evaluation. Her most recent projects include the Y.D.U. program at Garner Correctional Institution in Newtown, CT; the G.R.E.A.T. program at Bridgeport Police Department’s Community Services Division; Outsourced service sector, routine activities, and crime in Delhi, India; and, refugees and forced migrants in western India. In summer 2018, she was invited to conduct Research Methods Workshop for graduate students in Chandigarh, India.
Dr. Sharma has been supervising student research projects (primary and secondary data). Some of the topics include Drug Courts, Weed and Seed Program, Emergency Response to Hurricane Sandy, Female Suicide Bombers, Latina Immigrant Domestic Violence Victims, Supervised Diversionary Program in Connecticut, Stress Among Police Officers, Danbury Explorer Program, Police Perception of use of Body-Cameras, Opioid Crisis, etc. In May 2018, she was awarded the Ancell Outstanding Faculty Member award by the Student Government Association, WCSU
Dr. Sharma has developed and taught a wide range of graduate and undergraduate courses in criminal justice, homeland security and sociology, including Criminology, Research Methods, Research Seminar, Advanced Criminology, Visual Criminology, Comparative Criminal Justice Systems, Political Violence and Terrorism, White Collar Crime, Organized Crime, Community and Crime Prevention, Violence and Victimization, Political Setting of Criminal Justice and Homeland Security, Victimology, Ethics in Criminal Justice, and Women and Crime.
Dr. Sharma enjoys photography, music, traveling, and exploring celestial objects. She has lived in India, Trinidad, Kenya, and the United States, and visited over one hundred cities around the world. Her guiding principle in life has been to make decisions based on possibilities, not insecurities.