Parkersburg, W.Va. (February 5, 2021) – Two WVU Parkersburg students recently placed in the Fall 2020 West Virginia Criminal Justice Educators Association (WVCJEA) Paper Competition. In addition to winning a cash prize, both students’ papers will be published in the association’s peer-reviewed journal, the Mid-Southern Journal of Criminal Justice.

Cody Salvatore, a December 2020 graduate with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Criminal Justice, won first place for his paper, “Diversity in Criminal Justice Education.” Early College student Hannah Stephens won second place for her paper, “Improving Policing: Criticisms and Supports.”

Stephens’ paper addresses the essential principles of policing, different issues facing policing today and proposed solutions to those problems.

“It is an amazing feeling to have my paper receive the recognition that it has. I am thrilled to have people read my essay and really think about what it could mean,” said Stephens. “Without the classes and expertise I received from my professors, the ideas I explained in my paper would not have taken off.”

Upon graduation, Stephens plans to become a police officer in the Wood County area.

The Paper Competition is a part of the WVCJEA’s annual conference and is open to any criminal justice undergraduate student whose institution is a member of the association. WVU Parkersburg has been a member since 2014 and attends the conference to share and listen to the research of faculty, students and criminal justice professionals around the state.

“I am always inspired by the hard work and perseverance all our students display. Both Cody and Hannah went above and beyond this past fall to perfect their papers and submit them for competition, and I am extremely pleased with their achievements,” said Andrew Walker, WVU Parkersburg assistant professor of criminal justice. “It is exciting for them to have a paper published in a peer-reviewed journal this early in their academic careers. Their success is one example of the many opportunities our students have here in the criminal justice program at WVUP.”

Visit wvup.edu/criminal-justice for more information or to apply to WVU Parkersburg’s criminal justice program. To learn more about WVCJEA and the Mid-Southern Journal of Criminal Justice, visit mds.marshall.wvu.edu.