Faculty
JLA’s faculty successfully combines academic and practitioner perspectives, with a commitment to academic excellence,
professionalism and integrity.
Our full-time faculty instructors are experienced professionals in law enforcement, criminology, corrections and law,
who are committed to providing relevant, challenging courses that not only develop students’ minds but enhance
their career opportunities.
JLA also has a full complement of dedicated adjunct faculty who have exceptional credentials and experience.
Several have been with us for a decade or more.
Dr. Mohsen S. Alizadeh
Assistant Professor
Office: WS 402
E-Mail: AlizadehM@wcsu.edu
Phone: 203-837-8597
Professor Alizadeh holds Ph.D. degree in Criminal Justice from the City University of New York (Graduate Center), Master of Philosophy from The City University of New York, Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Master’s Degree in Criminal Law and Criminology from Azad university of Tehran, and Bachelor’s Degree of Law from Azad University of Rafsanjan.
Dr. Alizadeh joined the Division of Justice and Law Administration in 2016 with 11 years teaching experience. Prior to joining Western Connecticut State University, Dr. Alizadeh was teaching at the State University of New York, Montclair State University of New Jersey, and John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Dr. Alizadeh’s research focus on theory testing in Criminology, Comparative Criminal Justice Systems, and Policing Systems. He is also interested in Digital Evidence/ Computer Forensics and their related legal issues.
Professor Alizadeh is very interested in multicultural issues. He loves to travel and visit different countries.
Dr. Hasan Arslan 
Associate Professor
Office: WS 349C
E-Mail: Arslanh@wcsu.edu
Phone: 203-837-8463
Hasan T. Arslan joined the Division of Justice and Law Administration in 2018 with more than ten years of teaching experience. He received his Ph.D. degree in Criminal Justice from the College of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University of Huntsville, Texas. His doctoral dissertation involved one of the most massive Eco-terrorism databases in the world. Dr. Arslan also holds a law degree from Marmara University in Istanbul Turkey.
Dr. Arslan emphasizes the data-driven, scientific approach to identifying and analyzing the large datasets related to police use of force (officer-involved shootings), terrorism & homeland security and criminal profiling. His primary research project, Statistics Help Officer Training (SHOT) database involves an ongoing comprehensive data collection to define and consolidate information of police shooting incidents throughout the United States. The primary objective of the SHOT is to establish a repository of national data, which can be statistically, spatially and temporally analyzed to understand the dynamics of deadly encounters.
Dr. Arslan worked nine years for the Institute for the Study of Violent Groups (ISVG – http://www.isvg.org/organization.php, aka Center for Business Analytics in the University of New Haven, CT). The non-profit research institution was created to test the feasibility of using a relational database to identify trends, relationships, and tactics of terrorist groups using only open source information. ISVG was awarded second place for the 2007 Noblis Innovations in Homeland Security Award (nationwide) out of top five finalists by Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government. As a supervisor and assistant director, he did many presentations to many officials from various governmental and non-governmental agencies and was able to develop data collection strategies on critical topics (terrorism & organized crime activities) particularly for our funding agencies like U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Military).
Dr. Arslan published journal articles, book chapters, book reviews, conference proceedings as well as appeared in foreign press articles. He has made numerous panel presentations at national and regional conferences and has been invited as a guest speaker at various events.
Hon. William P. DeFeo, J.D.
Assistant Professor
Office: WS 349A
E-Mail: DefeoW@wcsu.edu
Phone: 203-837-8070
Professor DeFeo received his Bachelor’s Degree in English at Iona College, his Master’s in English Literature at Fordham University, and his Juris Doctor at Pace University School of Law.
He was admitted to the New York Bar in 1986 and to the Connecticut Bar in 1991. He spent several years practicing law in New York’s Westchester County and Connecticut’s Fairfield County.
In 2003, Professor DeFeo was elected to state judicial office and presided as judge in District 091 of the Connecticut State Probate Court for eight years. The jurisdiction of his court extended to decedent’s estate matters, trust and estate administration, family law issues, guardianships, conservatorships, and related domestic relations and children’s matters.
Judge DeFeo has been a member of the WCSU adjunct faculty since 2003. He became a full-time member of the Division as Assistant Professor in 2014 and has taught a variety of classes in legal studies and legal writing, including Commercial Law, Family Law, Senior Research Seminar, and Writing for the Justice Professions.
In order to further develop his undergraduate writing curriculum, Professor DeFeo has recently published a college textbook entitled Fundamental College Composition (Brown Walker Press, 2017). He lives in New Fairfield, Connecticut with his wife and a disagreeable cat named Brutus.
Terrence P. Dwyer
Professor
CSU Professor
Office: WS 346
E-Mail: DwyerT@wcsu.edu
Phone: 203-837-3288
Education:
- Certificate in Labor Studies Cornell University
- B.A. Fordham University
- J.D. Pace University School of Law
Professor Dwyer retired from the New York State Police after a 22-year career, 17½ years of which were as an Investigator in the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). His assignments were with the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Troop K BCI and the Violent Crimes Investigative Team (Major Crimes Unit). Prior to the New York State Police, he served as a Correction Officer in the NYC Department of Correction and a Court Officer in the NYC Courts for 2½ years. From 1993-2001 he served in the U.S. Naval Reserve and was honorably discharged in 2001.
His law practice has included several general practice areas over the years, including real estate, criminal, commercial litigation, estate planning and administration, and public-sector labor law. Professor Dwyer’s representation of clients has included litigation before the National Labor Relations Board, NYC Office of Administrative Trials & Hearings, NYC Office of Collective Bargaining, NYS Public Employees Relations Board, NYS Division of Human Rights, trial matters in state and federal court, and client appeals to the New York State Appellate Term, 9th Judicial District and the New York State Appellate Division, 2nd and 3rd Departments..
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Dr. Casey Jordan
Professor
Office: WS 401
E-Mail: JordanC@wcsu.edu
Phone: 203-837-8695
Professor Casey Jordan holds a B.A. in Political Science, Law & Society, from the University of Tulsa, an M.A. in Criminal Justice from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Additionally, she holds a M.Phil. in Criminal Justice from CUNY Graduate School (John Jay College), a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice, CUNY Graduate School (John Jay College) and a J.D. from Quinnipiac College of Law.
Dr. Jordan is a criminologist and attorney with more than twenty years of university teaching, mediation, scholarly research and criminal justice consulting experience. Emphasis on teaching excellence and curriculum development has resulted in several pedagogical publications, including Allyn & Bacon’s Blockbuster Approach series (Blockbuster Approach to Teaching Criminology and Criminal Justice, Sociology, and Anthropology). Grant-funded research and scholarly journal articles reflect her studies on homicide trends, serial killing and multicide, human trafficking, victimology (child abuse, domestic violence, homicide and sexual assault), and police studies, including articles in the Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement, the Encyclopedia of Crime and Punishment, and the Praeger Handbook of Victimology, and African Americans & Criminal Justice: An Encyclopedia.
She is certified in Alternative Dispute Resolution and Health Law.
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George F. Kain, Ph.D.
Professor, Chair, Division of Justice and Law Administration
Office: WS 347
E-Mail: KainG@wcsu.edu
Phone: 203-837-8514
Dr. George Kain is a full-time faculty member in the Division of Justice and Law Administration and focuses his teaching in the area of capital punishment, and institutional and community based corrections. He is a retired State of Connecticut Judicial Branch administrator, having served as both an adult probation officer and a special programs administrator before moving to WestConn to teach full-time in 1994. He graduated in 2006 with his Ph.D. in criminal justice from the City University of New York (John Jay College of Criminal Justice).
He is currently a police commissioner in the Town of Ridgefield, CT, having first been elected in 1999 and then re-elected every four years thereafter.
Dr. Kain has been affiliated with Western CT State University for over 30 years. He began as an undergraduate student in 1978, and graduated with a BS in Justice and Law Administration in 1982. He immediately started graduate school and earned an MS in Guidance and Counseling from WCSU in 1985. He then began to adjunct in the JLA Division in 1986, and was hired full-time in 1994.
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Dr. Rainer Kroll 
Assistant Professor
Office: WS 351
E-Mail: krollr@wcsu.edu
Phone: 203-837-8469
Professor Kroll received his Ph.D. and M.Phil. in Criminal Justice from the City University of New York, Graduate Center, and an MA in Criminal Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Professor Kroll joined the Division of Criminal Justice and Law Administration in 2018.
Before joining the faculty at Western Connecticut State University, he taught at John Jay College for 15 years. While there, he specialized in instructing research methods, statistics, and geographic information systems.
His research agenda includes the continued study of law enforcement within the context of society. Given the fundamental shift in police and community relations within modern society, this is of particular relevance and importance.
Professor Kroll retired as a lieutenant from the New York City Police Department in 2018, after 35 years of service. During his career, he performed duties in investigative, patrol services, special operations, and administrative units.
Among his contributions to the local community, he is currently assigned to the New York Army National Guard as a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer, performing duties as an instructor and training site operations manager.
Dr. Kim Marino
Assistant Professor
Office: WS 349B
E-Mail: MarinoK@wcsu.edu
Phone: 203-837-3973
Dr. Marino joined the Division of Justice and Law Administration faculty in 2014 with 17 years teaching experience. She holds a Ph.D. degree in Criminal Justice from the City University of New York (John Jay College of Criminal Justice campus), and a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice Planning and Management from Long Island University, N.Y.
Dr. Marino’s research interest is in the correctional management of criminal offenders. She has conducted program evaluations for the Westchester County Probation Department in New York and is currently working with the Connecticut Department of Corrections to evaluate the youth gang unit at Garner Correctional facility.
Dr. Marino has developed and taught a wide variety of criminal justice related courses including Advanced Deviant Behavior, Corrections, Community Based Corrections, Criminology, Critical Issues in Corrections, Cross Cultural Criminal Justice Systems, Juvenile Delinquency, Juvenile Justice, Law & Society, Introduction to Criminal Justice, Probation & Parole, Research Methods, Theories of Punishment, Women & Crime, Senior Capstone Seminar, and Psychological Perspectives of Criminal Behavior.
Dr. Marino is currently teaching multiple sections (including online courses) in JLA 150 Corrections, JLA 201 Criminology, and JLA 400 Research Methodology.
Thomas A. Miller
Assistant Professor
Email: MillerT@wcsu.edu
Office: WS 352
Phone: 203-837-8751
Professor Miller, a very proud alumnus, graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Justice and Law Administration from WestConn. He then went on to earn a Juris Doctor from the Regent University School of Law, where he graduated cum laude. While in law school, he served as the Business Editor of the Regent University Law Review and clerked for the Judiciary Committee of the United States Senate.
Professor Miller is licensed to practice law in state and federal courts in Connecticut. He owns and operates a solo, general legal practice where he has advised clients regarding a wide array of legal matters including real estate transactions, small business formation and operation, estate planning, domestic matters, criminal matters, and civil litigation matters.
In 2018, Professor Miller co-authored, with JLA Professor Terrence Dwyer, the textbook Business Law: Foundations for the 21st Century. He has taught a wide range of classes at WestConn, including Commercial Law; Writing for Justice Professions; Legal Writing, Research, and Analysis; Criminal Law; and Constitutional Law. He also advises the WCSU Moot Court Club.
Divya Sharma Ph.D.
Professor
Office: WS 350
E-Mail: SharmaD@wcsu.edu
Phone: 203-837-8418
Dr. Sharma holds a Ph.D. in Sociology, and Master’s degrees in Sociology and Criminal Justice. Her research focuses on topics related to informal banking systems, money laundering and terror finance; immigration, globalization and ethnic identity; and, organized crime and terrorism. She has been using mixed methods to study these topics and has collected data in India, Kenya, and the United States.
Dr. Sharma has published several peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, and submitted technical reports. Her work has been cited in various academic articles, conference presentations, books, and other publications in the U.S. and abroad. She has also written a textbook on Fundamentals of Criminology (first edition, 2018). She has made numerous panel presentations at national and regional conferences, and has been invited as a guest speaker at various events. Since 2008, she has peer-reviewed numerous articles for the International Journal of Stress Management, African Renaissance, Security Journal, and Violence Against Women. She is further exploring opportunities in the field of visual criminology, including photo essays and documentaries.
Dr. Sharma also has expertise in conducting field research, survey research, and program and policy evaluation. Her most recent projects include the Y.D.U. program at Garner Correctional Institution in Newtown, CT; the G.R.E.A.T. program at Bridgeport Police Department’s Community Services Division; Outsourced service sector, routine activities, and crime in Delhi, India; and, refugees and forced migrants in western India. In summer 2018, she was invited to conduct Research Methods Workshop for graduate students in Chandigarh, India.
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Sharon Yamen
Associate Professor
Office: WS 349B
E-Mail: YamenS@wcsu.edu
Phone: 203-837-8511
Professor Yamen holds a J.D. from Hofstra University School of Law, and is a VA Accredited attorney, assisting veterans receive their benefits.
Professor Yamen is joining the Division of Justice and Law Administration with 10 years teaching experience. Prior to joining Western Connecticut State University, she was teaching at the Woodbury School of Business, at Utah Valley University and the Zicklin School of Business, City University of New York. In her summers she teaches a course at Columbia University’s Summer High School Program.
Professor Yamens’ research interest are vast and varied and have led to articles on topics from the American Rule, to discrepancies in the law in regards to customs and borders protection, which she is currently litigating in Federal Court to equity crowdfunding as a bubble that will burst.
When not at work you can find her in the great outdoors, mountain-biking, rock climbing or on a plane to her next remote adventure destination.
