Paludi, M., Campbell, J., Bontempi, E., & Semmar, Y. (Eds.). (in production). The psychology of diversity. New York: Springer.
An overview of psychological issues with respect to diversity, equity and inclusion in a variety of organizations. Recommendations for policies, training programs and courses ae offered.
Denmark, F., & Paludi, M. (Eds.). (2018). Women and leadership. New York: Springer. https://www.springer.com/gp/book/978331972181 1
An overview of current research on women and leadership in a variety of disciplines; an overview of research on gender stereotyping, recommendations for organizations for eliminating discriminatory treatment of women leaders.
Denmark, F. & Paludi, M. (Eds.). (2017). Psychology of women: Handbook of issues and theories. 3rd ed. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger. https://products.abc-clio.com/abc-cliocorporate/product.aspx?pc=A4977C.
An overview of career, health, mental health, education, and family issues in the psychology of women.
Estwick, A. (2020, Nov.) Virtual Fraud, Forensics, and Cybersecurity Panel hosted by Excelsior College and Sienna College
Press Release: https://www.excelsior.edu/article/cybersecurity-expert-panel-discussion/
Estwick, A. (2020, Oct.) Co-chair of the National Centers of Academic Excellence Cybersecurity Education Diversity Initiative.
Press Release: https://www.excelsior.edu/article/excelsior-college-takes-lead-in-initiative-to-establish-cybersecurity-pipeline/
Press Conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNpzSN258g0
Estwick, A. (2019, May) Growing and Diversifying the Cyber Talent Pipeline. Witness presentation before a Congressional Hearing of the Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Innovation Subcommittee of the House Committee on Homeland Security.
https://www.congress.gov/event/116th-congress/house-event/109512
Description: We are at a critical point in the cybersecurity evolution. The United States’ strategic competitors are conducting cyber-enabled campaigns to erode U.S. military advantages, threaten our infrastructure, and reduce our economic prosperity. This panel of esteemed cybersecurity experts from industry and academia will discuss cross-cutting perspectives on complex technology, cyber, policy, and national security.
MODERATOR: Chris Brown, acting NGA chief information security officer
PANELISTS: Priscilla Moriuchi, security engineering and architecture at Apple, fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center; Major General (ret) Ed Wilson, president at Pinnacle Strategic Consulting and former deputy assistant secretary of defense for cyber policy; Lauren Zabierek, head of the Cyber Project at Harvard and former NG, and Amelia Estwick, director of national cybersecurity institute.
Estwick, A. (2020, October) Next-Gen Cybersecurity Challenges: Is the National Defense Apparatus Prepared for the Future Cybersecurity Environment? Panel hosted by National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
This review offers a perspective on the accuracy of history portrayed as in the show Mrs. America. The show, which portrays the fight for and against the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s, features a star-studded cast, including Cate Blanchett, Rose Byrne, Uzo Aduba, Elizabeth Banks, Tracy Ullman, and Sarah Paulson to portray activists Phyllis Schlafly, Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, and others.
Berkery, M. Hulu’s Mrs. America and the Real History of the Battle Over the ERA. Clio and the Contemporary. https://clioandthecontemporary.com/2020/10/08/hulus-mrs-america-and-the-real-history-of-the-battle-over-the-era/
This presentation examined the implementation, design and impact of a new, required online first-year experience seminar. The Cornerstone course is offered at the upper and lower levels to provide a pathway to successful degree completion for all Excelsior students.
Berkery, M. (2020, October) The Cornerstone: A Smart Start for Online Adult Degree-Completion Students. Presentation at the National Conference on Students in Transition.
This presentation examined the implementation, design and impact of a new, online required FYS. It also provided takeaways for institutions moving their FYS online due to COVID, and those adapting to the increasing numbers of adult students at their institutions.
Berkery, M. (2021, February). Supporting Non-Traditional Adult Students with an Online First-Year Seminar. Presentation at the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition Annual Conference on The First-Year Experience.
Many working professionals in criminal justice-related fields reach a point in their careers where they want a bigger role in determining policy and managing how a department is run. Earning a master’s degree in criminal justice opens the door for them to achieve those goals.
Excelsior College provides online education with working adults in mind. The College offers an online Master of Science in Criminal Justice program that gives graduates an opportunity to bolster their careers, qualify for advanced criminal justice jobs, and earn higher criminal justice salaries.
And because the master’s program in criminal justice is online, students can earn the degree while maintaining their current job.
Students in the program learn how to address workplace legal and ethical dilemmas, and conduct research and analyze crime statistics. Students also can quickly put what they learn to use on the job.
Nicole Lopez, who earned a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Excelsior College in 2019, said the program immediately changed her standing at her job. “I can actually talk to my chiefs and upper management and use what [I learned] in my courses…and I’m applying it to my job. It was pretty cool just to get to do that.”
There is a wide range of occupations required to ensure the criminal justice system functions smoothly. By earning a master’s degree in criminal justice, graduates are prepared for leadership positions in different career fields related to criminal justice. In addition to working for law enforcement, the courts, and corrections systems, graduates also can work for private companies, such as insurance companies and law firms, as well as nonprofits.
Some of the most popular careers that graduates enter are described below. All salary and job growth information comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook.
This field includes detectives and police officers who typically work with city police departments and transit and railroad police, sheriff’s deputies, and fish and game wardens. Those with a master’s degree can qualify for leadership jobs in these areas, such as police chief. Salary for criminal investigators reached $86,030 in May 2019. The BLS projects the number of criminal investigators to increase by 5 percent through 2029.
Emergency management directors develop plans to respond to natural disasters and other emergencies. They also oversee emergency services during and after a disaster occurs. The salary for this occupation reached $82,530 in May 2019. The BLS projects the number of emergency management directors to increase by 4 percent by 2029.
This field is for those who have earned an undergraduate degree in forensic science or natural science like biology or chemistry. Earning a master’s degree positions graduates to lead departments that specialize in forensic science. Salaries for forensic science technicians reached $63,170 in May 2019. The BLS projects the number of forensic science technicians to grow 14 percent by 2029.
Earning a master’s degree prepares graduates to lead people who work in protective service occupations, including correctional officers and bailiffs, private detectives and investigators, security guards, and gambling surveillance officers. The BLS does not track management salaries in these fields.
Graduates from a criminal justice master’s program can qualify for positions as special agents in different federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, DEA, ATF, and Secret Service. The BLS does not track salaries in these fields, however, you can download various law enforcement pay tables through the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
Excelsior College’s online master’s programs in public service disciplines, including the master’s degree in criminal justice graduate program, is designed for working professionals who want to boost their criminal justice career or transition into it from another field.
Students earn 30 credit hours in the program. Excelsior’s generous credit transfer policy allows students to transfer up to 15 credits. Students graduate from the program with expertise in important areas of criminal justice, including the following:
Students learn the details of how police departments, the court system, and correction facilities operate. They also learn the history and science of criminology while conducting criminal justice research projects and writing data-based reports.
All this culminates in earning a graduate degree that improves the chances of getting a promotion and earning the jobs students aspire to hold in the criminal justice system.
When she first thought about entering an online degree program at Excelsior University (then Excelsior College), Anna Truss experienced many of the doubts felt by other potential students. She wondered if she could juggle earning a degree with work and parenting.
She finally made the leap after realizing why she wanted to do it in the first place. “You need to understand that you are doing this for yourself—not someone else—and you really need this, because I really do believe that getting a degree changes the personality of the person and really helps you out,” Truss said.
Truss graduated in 2014 from the Excelsior Bachelor of Science in Information Technology program with a concentration in cybersecurity. She is now CEO of her own company, DefSec Solutions LLC.
Truss spoke about the degree program, what helped her succeed, and her favorite class.
The Excelsior University BS in Information Technology with a concentration in cybersecurity provides graduates the specific skills they need to succeed in the cybersecurity field. The degree is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET.
The online program teaches students about software development, computer systems, database management, network communication, system administration, human-computer interaction, and project management.
Excelsior University also offers a BS in Cybersecurity that is aligned with cybersecurity standards developed by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security.
Truss said at first she wasn’t sure about pursuing a degree, a concern she thinks other adult students must have
“I guess some of the things people get nervous about, especially if you wait a little bit after you graduate from high school to start your degree, are ‘Should I do it? How is it going to go? Maybe I’ll do it next year,’” Truss said. “It happened to me at first, as well, and I couldn’t really find a good college that I wanted to go study at.”
However, once she found the Excelsior University program, she committed to earning her degree. In addition to realizing she needed to do it for herself, Truss said, “It’s really great for the future, as well.”
Truss said her husband, Peter, offered her support as she worked her way through the online degree program.
“He was always there for me and understood how important it was to me,” Truss said. “He was there always by my side saying, ‘Hey, you can do this, come on!’”
She said being a parent also presented challenges: “There were a lot of times that were really tough for me to study when the baby was crying or something else was going on in life.”
Of her many Excelsior University opportunities, Truss noted her Ethical Hacking class experience as tops.
“It was definitely my favorite course of them all, and the reason is because it was actually hands-on,” Truss said. “We had a lot of labs we were working on. It wasn’t just something out of a book that you research and write papers. It was more of [access to] some computers, go ahead and hack, and see what you can find out.”
Truss is co-founder and CEO of DefSec Solutions and is a digital forensic and security engineer. The Seattle-area company offers services such as digital forensic analysis, data recovery and tracking, digital forensic imaging, and website development. Learn more about Excelsior University’s Technology degrees.
