Justice and Law Administration

JLA Showcase

Human Rights: A Student Perspective

As part of the Justice and Law Administration curriculum, students participate in the Human Rights Presentation Project, an academic experience designed to deepen their understanding of global human rights issues while strengthening essential research and communication skills. The purpose of this project is to encourage students to explore diverse human rights challenges—past and present—and to analyze how these issues intersect with law, public policy, society, and ethical responsibility.

Students choose a human rights topic (with faculty approval) and create a 7–10 minute digital presentation using various media. Projects incorporate text, images, video, audio, interviews, or other multimedia elements. Presentations are shared on Blackboard and reviewed through structured peer evaluations.

Below are the four current categories.

Global human rights issues encompass a range of grave challenges, including genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and crimes of aggression. This category includes presentations that examine a serious human rights violation.

Fashion’s Hidden Victims by Nicoletta Smith (.pptx)

The African Child Labor Crisis_Ryle Litwin (.pptx) 

Global human rights trafficking refers to the recruitment, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons for the purposes of exploitation. Millions of people continue to be trafficked worldwide today. This category includes presentations that focus on an area of human trafficking to include: sex, labor, organ harvesting, child soldiers, and domestic servitude.

Global Organ Trafficking and the Murder of Victims in China Prisons by Faith Reilly (.pptx)

The U.S. Constitution, particularly the Bill of Rights, and subsequent amendments, guarantees a range of human rights that protect individual freedoms and promote equality. Political and social rights are fundamental entitlements that every individual is born with, regardless of their nationality, ethnicity, gender or social status. This category of presentations focuses on these protections and violations.

Amnesty International is a nongovernmental organization comprised of a network of more than 10 million people that work to prevent and end human rights abuses worldwide. This category of presentations includes the rights of prisoners, refugees, migrants, asylum seekers and people from marginalized communities. In addition, topics concerning the rights found under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are discussed.

My Personal Journey from Iraq to the United States by Qais Alrubaya (.pptx)

Legacy of Opression In Dominican Republic by Yaritza Santana Jimenez (.pptx)

JLA Scholarly Activities

This section highlights the scholarly activities of JLA students and faculty as they engage with the broader academic community. It features participation in national and international conferences, research presentations, panel and roundtable discussions, invited talks, and other academic events.

On April 18, 2026, JLA faculty (Dr. Hasan T. Arslan and Dr. Divya Sharma) and JLA senior, Alisson Espana, participated in the Sigma Xi Interdisciplinary Research Conference at WCSU, highlighting collaborative scholarship and student-led research across disciplines.

The Sigma Xi Conference committee awarded Dr. Arslan’s research poster, “Bridging Criminal Justice and Computer Science: The SHOT AI Database on Officer-involved Shootings,” first place in the Professional category.

 

The Provost‘s Distinguished Lecture Series is a university‑wide lecture series that brings leading scholars and creative voices to WCSU to share innovative research, scholarship, and ideas across disciplines, fostering dialogue and intellectual engagement within the campus and broader community.
 
As part of the Provost’s Distinguished Lecture Series, on Feb. 25, 2026, CSU Professor Terrence P. Dwyer, JD/MFA (Legal Studies) delivered a lecture titled “Criminals, Clients, Curricula, and Creativity.” Drawing on his diverse career arc as a police officer, attorney, academic, author, and playwright, Dwyer explored alternative ways of sharing scholarly work beyond traditional academic publishing. His talk examined how research, teaching, and creative expression intersect, and how storytelling and the arts can broaden public engagement with issues in criminal justice and the law.
 

 

JLA at Western Research Day

Western Research Day (WRD) is WCSU’s annual, campus‑wide event where undergraduate and graduate students present faculty‑mentored research, scholarship, and creative work in a professional conference‑style setting. 

Key features of Western Research Day include:

  • Student presentations of research, scholarship, and creative inquiry
  • Faculty‑endorsed abstract submissions reviewed by the WRD committee
  • Judging by the faculty, staff, and administrators
  • Awards and recognition for outstanding student work
Student(s)Poster TitleYearAdvisorSTATUS
Minhee MokDue Process Denied: Removal Proceedings and Discrimination2026M. Flippin 
Alisson EspanaMedia Coverage of Organized Crime in Guatemala: Public Perception and Narratives2025H. Arslan 
Christie Ann P. ColavitoDUI Recidivism: What Works?2024D. Sharma 
Dariel Estevez Llaverias & Kevon PatrickAmerican Dream: A Criminological Analysis 2024D. SharmaWinner
Paige MuscilloThe White-Collar Criminal – The World of Greed and the Delivery of American Justice2024H. Arslan 
Nicole PeraltaUnveiling Shadows: A Decade-By-Decade Analysis of Human Trafficking Portrayal in Tri-State Media (1980-2020)2024H. Arslan 
Megan WieseMurder by Fame: The Anatomy of Celebrity Murders 2024H. Arslan 
Nicole PeraltaMedia, Law and Human Trafficking: An Analysis of the Human Trafficking News in the Tri-State 2023H. Arslan 
Victoria SalernoHuman Trafficking: From The Court Cases in the United States2022H. ArslanWinner
Shawn SegalStress and Dealing with Stress: An Evaluation of the Resources at the Waterbury Police Department2019D. Sharma 
Adam LiscinskyThe Impact of Connecticut’s 2015 Drug Law Changes2019D. Sharma 
Tashai PriceEvaluation of the Risk Reduction Earned Credit Program in Connecticut2019D. Sharma 
Zachary Lopez & Maribel RamirezPolice Perception about the use of Body-Work Cameras2019D. SharmaWinner
Joseph TamberelliCan Education and Awareness Help Combat the Opioid Epidemic?2019D. Sharma 
Jayme ThompsonExploring White-Collar Crimes in Comparison to Street Crimes2019H. Arslan 
Edisson YungaAn Evaluation of the Danbury Police Explorers Program2019D. Sharma 
Natalie Rodriguez & Allison SalzoThe Blue Wall of Shame2019T. DwyerWinner
Greta McConnellSex Offender Registries & Recidivism Rates in New England: Do
the Numbers Still Warrant the Cost?		2018T. Dwyer 
Bharbara Moraes-ViegasA Dream Denied2018D. Sharma 
Allison NotewareRehabilitating the Mentally Ill Offenders2018D. Sharma 
Rebecca SargeantNews Media and Public Perception of Police Use of Force2018T. DwyerWinner
Brittany StancavageConnecticut Family Violence Education Program: Reducing
Domestic Violence Through Education		2018D. Sharma 
Joseph TamberelliHeroin Education Action Team: Can Awareness Help Stop the Opioid Crisis?2018D. SharmaWinner
Nicole GrantMental Health Offenders in a Supervised Diversion Program2017D. Sharma 
Robert WeinbergCell Phone Tracking and the Fourth Amendment Conflict2017D. SharmaWinner
Brandon DeSocioBugs, Dogs and Katz: Can 4th Amendment Trespass Doctrine Expand the Right to Privacy?2014T. Dwyer