草莓社区

Criminal Justice Student Organization

The Loyola University Criminal Justice students’ Organization (CJO) provides opportunities for any student with an interest in criminal justice to expand their education beyond the classroom. With its student-driven and student-centered focus, CJO boasts a membership of over 250 students and is open to all students in good standing. The organization has been recognized as the 2024 草莓社区 Student Organization of the Year. Our current President, Ashleigh Carrera was the recipient of the Officer of the Year Award for 2024.

Current Undergraduate CJO Officers include:

• Sylvia Zupfer (President)
• Ariana Perez (Vice-President)
• Laila Haney (Treasurer)
• Joanna Bautista (Secretary)
• Lauren Buck (CAN Rep)

Big thank you to our incredible student officers, Sylvia Zuper, President, and Ariana Perez, Vice President of the Criminal Justice Organization, for their outstanding work at the Student Organization Fair on Wednesday, August 28th, in the Gentile Arena! With their infectious enthusiasm and dedication, Sylvia and Ariana engaged with countless students, sparking interest and excitement about our organization. Their efforts led to the recruitment of many new members, ensuring that our community continues to grow and thrive. Kudos to these dynamic leaders for making the event such a success!

Each semester, CJO hosts community criminal justice agencies and organizations to educate students about their work and provide members with engaged learning opportunities. In 2023-2024, CJO welcomed speakers from organizations serving the formerly incarcerated, the homeless, domestic violence survivors, and more. CJO efforts have provided networking opportunities for students to connect and discuss volunteering, internships, and advocacy work. Recognizing our Jesuit heritage, the CJO's social justice mission is apparent in all of its activities. 

Through CJO, students may also have an opportunity to visit various criminal justice agencies to get a first-hand look at how the police, courts, and corrections work. Our members have visited the Cook County (Chicago) Circuit Court, Department of Corrections, Medical Examiner’s Office, and Juvenile Detention Center. We have also visited the Stateville Prison, the Dwight Correctional (female) Center, the St. Charles Juvenile Detention Center, and the Chicago Police Department. The Criminal Justice Students’ Organization also hosts career information sessions. We have had presentations from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of State, as well as various local law enforcement agencies.

                                              

If you are a 草莓社区 student interested in joining the Criminal Justice Students’ Organization, contact Dr. Elizabeth Webster, ewebster1@luc.edu the CJO faculty advisor for information about how to get involved or see LUCommunity for our calendar of events.

  

Alpha Phi Sigma—National Criminal Justice Honor Society

The Department of Criminal Justice is proud to house the Beta Omicron Chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma, the National Criminal Justice Honor Society. The society recognizes the academic excellence of undergraduate and graduate students of criminal justice. There are over 250 chapters in the nation, and each chapter is made up of people who share a commitment to learning and improving the criminal justice field.

The Alpha Phi Sigma membership requirements are as follows:

• Undergraduate student membership
• Enrollment as a criminal justice and criminology major or minor
• Completion of three full-time semesters, including four CJC courses
• Minimum overall grade point average of 3.2, and a minimum of 3.2 in CJC courses
• Graduate Student Membership
• Enrollment in MA Program in Criminal Justice and Criminology, or Combined BS/MA Program in Criminal Justice and Criminology

The Loyola chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma is interested in recruiting members who have not only evidenced their academic strengths but who are also interested in developing their leadership skills and are willing to offer their time in support of volunteer public service projects that advance the work of criminal justice agencies in the Chicago area.

Numerous opportunities are available to assist criminal justice agencies, and it is our goal to do so collaboratively and within the context and constraints of our busy students' schedules. These opportunities not only provide needed assistance to often overworked public agencies but also provide a means of exposing Loyola's best criminal justice and criminology students to valuable real-world experiences in the field. In the early fall organizational meeting, new officers will be elected and project ideas and commitments will be discussed.

Current APS Officers include:

• Abbigail Romanowski (President)
• Stefanie Flores (Treasurer)
• Taylor Wenig (CAN Rep.)

Alpha Phi Sigma Inductees (2023-2024):

• Aisha Ali                 
• Isabella Lira                    
• Sarah Carr                
• Ashleigh Carrera               
• Hannah Eure      
• Stefanie Flores             
• Abigail Pedersen
• Abbigail Romanowski
• Ava Schrage
• Claire Senft
• Taylor Wenig
• Meira White
• Savannah Van Vuren

For further information about the honor society, contact the National Headquarters at , or:

Damon M. Petrich, PhD
Assistant Professor 
Dept. of Criminal Justice and Criminology
草莓社区 Mundelein Center, Room 807D
1032 W. Sheridan Road
Chicago, IL 60660
Phone: 773.508.8596
dpetrich@luc.edu