03-02-2015
Selected based on her innovative style and passion for teaching difficult subjects, Virginia Wesleyan Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Alison Marganski recently received the American Society of Criminology’s (ASC) Division of Victimology (DOV) 2014 Faculty Teacher of the Year Award. Presented at the ASC’s 2014 Annual Meeting Nov. 19-22, the award recognizes her course development, structure, content, assignments, and her heavy focus on experiential learning. Marganski teaches a variety of criminal justice and sociology courses, among them "Victimology;" “Criminology;” “Gender, Crime and Justice;” “Family Violence: Causes, Consequences and Responses;” “Extreme Murder: Serial Killers, Spree Killers and Mass Murderers;” and “Media, Crime and Criminal Justice Policy.” Says DOV Executive Counselor Nicole Rader, who presented Marganski with her award: “[Marganski] challenges students to think outside the box, taking them outside their comfort zone, thus, teaching them to become strong critical thinkers. She also empowers students to shape part of their learning as evidenced in student selection of relevant research topics, applied activities, and activism-related endeavors.” Marganski is no stranger to accolades. In 2012, she received the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges’ Maurice L. Mednick Memorial Fellowship in support of her project, "Socially Interactive Technology and Interpersonal Violence Among Young Adults in Poland and the United States: Drawing Cross-Cultural Comparisons and Examining Victim-Oriented Services." In addition to victimology, Marganski’s areas of expertise include family violence, criminology and social research.