September 09, 2004

Vincent Webb is new head of crime study center

by Pete Rosenbery

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Professor Vincent J. Webb is the new director of the Center for the Study of Crime, Delinquency and Corrections at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

The SIU Board of Trustees approved Webb's appointment Thursday, Sept. 8.

"One of the things that attracted me to this position is there is a very long and rich tradition with the Center for the Study of Crime, Delinquency and Corrections. It is one of the oldest focused efforts in American higher education," Webb said.

Webb brings several years of program building and administrative experience to the Center. From 1975 to 1995 he chaired the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where he also served as director of the Center for Applied Urban Research. While at UN-Omaha, Webb developed and implemented programs awarding master's and doctoral degrees in criminal justice.

From 1996 to 2003, he chaired the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University West. For the last two years, prior to coming to SIUC, Webb developed and implemented the Arizona State University Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety.

Webb has several goals for the center.

"The University has been able to attract a number of energetic and talented faculty who are willing and able to continue the development of this program," he said. "Our focus in addition to quality teaching will be on expanding the research capacity and doing the kind of research that makes a difference in Illinois communities and throughout the nation and in international settings."

Webb is also the recipient of numerous grants and contracts to support a variety of criminal justice and criminology projects. He has developed a number of research partnerships between universities and criminal justice agencies and community-based organizations.

Webb received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and a doctorate in sociology from Iowa State University.

Webb and his wife, Betsy live in Carterville, and have a son and three grandchildren.

Recruiting and retaining high-quality faculty is among the goals of Southern at 150: Building Excellence Through Commitment, the blueprint for the development of the University by the time it celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2019.