![Portrait image of Maria Garase](/sites/default/files/styles/person_detail_large/public/2024-07/GaraseMariaWeb.jpg?itok=DfbpmDKQ)
Dean, The School of Social & Behavioral Sciences; Interim Dean, The School of Intelligence, Computing, and Global Politics; Associate Professor, Criminology & Criminal Justice
Dr. Garase currently serves as Dean of the School of Social & Behavioral Sciences and Interim Dean of the School of Intelligence, Computing, and Global Politics. She is also an Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice in the Department of Social Justice and Community Health and teaches primarily in the Criminal Justice Administration graduate program. Her teaching and research interests include post-secondary education in prisons, pardon and commutation processes, issues in juvenile justice, and criminal justice reform. She is certified in the Inside Out Prison Exchange pedagogy and teaches an Issues in Criminal Justice course as a high-impact practice group, comprised of both university and incarcerated students at a medium-security male prison. She has written a book, published a book chapter and various articles, delivered over fifty presentations and invited talks, and facilitated various criminal justice workshops. She is active in national, regional, and state, criminal justice professional organizations. Prior to working in academia, she was a counselor specialist at a community-based treatment program for system-impacted young women.
- Ph.D., Criminology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
- M.S., Administration of Justice, Ƶapp University
- B.A., Criminal Justice, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
- Inside Out Prison Exchange course: Issues in Criminal Justice, which is taught in a medium security, male, state prison, with 10 incarcerated students and 10 university students.
- Ethics in Criminal Justice; Criminal Justice Program Evaluation, Women and Crime
- Restorative Justice Practices
- CRJS 326: Advanced Criminology
- CRJS 343: Criminal Justice Ethics
- CRJS 305: Issues in Criminal Justice
- CRJS 335: Women and Crime
- CRJS 410: Seminar Seminar/Capstone in Criminal Justice
- CJA 501: Research Methods
- CJA 595: Women and Crime
- CJA 604: Criminal Justice Planning and Evaluation
- CJA 605: Government Management
- CJA 629: Drugs, Crime and Culture
- CJA 634: Criminology and Crime Policy
- Post-Secondary Education in Prisons
- Pennsylvania Pardons and Commutations of Life Sentences
- Therapeutic Arts and Juvenile Justice
- Service Learning, Civic Engagement, and Criminal Justice Reform
- Over the years I’ve had students publish and present research with me on the topic areas of: safe haven laws, intimate partner violence prevention initiatives, dating violence and bystander interventions on college campuses, and PA state re-sentencing policies and practices.
- Students have also aided in the research process on topics including: reentry programming, prison gardening, women and crime, and pardons and commutations.
- In my senior seminar course, students engaged in community-based service learning projects. Some agency projects included: reentry planning with the Erie County Reentry Services and Support Alliance (ECRSSA); team work and goal planning with the Boys and Girls Club; domestic violence awareness campaign with SafeNet.
- Citizen’s Advisory Committee, Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole
- Erie County Pardon Project, Leadership Team and Ƶapp University Hub Coordinator
- Facilitator, State Correctional Institution (SCI) Albion Think Tank on Restorative Justice
- Erie County Truancy Taskforce
- Faculty Advisory Committee, WestPac Career Development
- Northeastern Association of Criminal Justice Sciences, Executive Board
- Harborcreek Youth Services, Board of Directors (previous)
- Erie County Crime Victim Center, Board of Directors (previous)
- Garase, M.L. (2024). “Erie County Pardon Project and Reentry Services." Panel presentation at the PA Reentry Week. Erie, PA.
- Garase, M. L. & D. Georger. (2024). “Voices and Mercy Behind the Walls: Serving Incarcerated and University Students Through Inside Out Prison Exchange Courses.” Paper presented at the Carlow Roundtable. Dublin, Ireland.
- Garase, M. L. (2022). “Second Chances: The Hidden Costs of Criminal Records and the Erie County Pardon Project.” Paper presented at the Northeastern Association of Criminal Justice Sciences Conference, Williamsport, PA.
- Garase, M.L. (2022). “The Meaning of Life in Pennsylvania: The Changing Landscape of Commutations and Second Chances for Individuals Serving Life Sentences.” Paper presented at the Pennsylvania Criminal Justice Educators (PACJE) Conference, Latrobe, PA.
- Garase, M.L. & Thomas, J. (2021). “Unpacking the Pardon and Commutation Process in PA: The Role of Victim Notification and Participation.” Paper presented on Zoom at the Erie County Crime Victim Center Annual Conference for Victims Rights. Erie, PA.
- Garase, M. L. (2020). “Innovative Ideas from Inside-Out Think Tanks” Presenter for the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program. Zoom videoconference.
- Garase, M.L. (November 2020). “Amadou Diallo” Criminal Justice in America: The Encyclopedia of Crime, Law Enforcement, Courts, and Corrections. (ABC-CLIO, LLC).
- Garase, M.L. (March 2019). “Intimate Partner Violence Prevention Initiatives” Encyclopedia of Women and Crime (Wiley Press).
- Garase, M.L. (March 2019). “Safe Haven Laws” Encyclopedia of Women and Crime (Wiley Press).
- Garase, M. L. (2019). “Educating the Incarcerated: The Role of Higher Education in the Correctional Arena.” Paper presented at the Northeastern Association of Criminal Justice Sciences Conference, Williamsport, PA.
- Garase, M. L. (2018). “Thinking Outside of the Box: Participation in an Inmate Facilitated Restorative Justice Think Tank and Its Impact on University Teaching and Learning.” Paper presented at the Northeastern Association of Criminal Justice Sciences Conference, Bristol, RI.
- Atkins, B., & Garase, M. L. (2018). “Unpacking the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA): Identification, Investigation, and Resource Allocation to Vulnerable Inmate Populations.” Paper presented at the Erie County Crime Victim Center Annual Conference, Erie, PA.
- Garase, M. L. (2017). “From Trauma Informed Care to Therapeutic Arts: A Ƶapp University and Harborcreek Youth Services Collaborative Initiative.” Paper presented at the Northeastern Association of Criminal Justice Sciences Conference, Bristol, RI.
- Garase, M. L. (2016). “Attitudes Toward Bystander Intentions to Intervene in Sexual Assaults: Constructive Ways that Universities Can Use Data to Create Change on Campuses.” Paper presented at the Northeastern Association of Criminal Justice Sciences Conference, Bristol, RI.
- Garase, M. L. (2016). “College Students and Bystander Intentions to Intervene: Consent, Confrontation, and Assistance” Paper presented at the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Conference, Denver, CO.
- Garase, M. L. & Bair S.*(2015). “College Students' Rape Myth Acceptance and Intentions to Intervene.” Paper presented at the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Conference, Orlando, FL. *student presenter
- Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, Outstanding Mentor Award (2018)
- Regional Fellow Award, Northeastern Association of Criminal Justice Sciences (2017)
- Gerhard O.W. Mueller Innovator Award, Northeastern Association of Criminal Justice Sciences (2010)
- University Award for Excellence in Service Learning, Gannon University (2010)
- Emerging Scholar Award, Northeastern Association of Criminal Justice Sciences (2007)
American Bar Endowment Opportunity, Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity Grant ($8,000) for a Pardon Fellow for the Erie County Pardon Project, Ƶapp University Hub. (2021-2022).