T@W Podcast: CLAS Dean Stephanie Hartwell discusses a new ”prison-to-higher education pipeline” project designed to enable formerly incarcerated individuals to attain college degrees

Episode description A new criminal justice initiative designed to create a prison to higher education pipeline is sparking hopes for reduced recidivism and improved quality of life for former inmates. Stephanie Hartwell, dean of the WSU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and a principal investigator on the project, talks with host Darrell Dawsey about the life-changing potential of this pilot program.

About Stephanie Hartwell became dean of Wayne State’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences — the university’s largest college — in 2018. She is a professor of sociology and an adjunct professor of psychiatry.

A renowned sociologist, Hartwell conducts both large- and small-scale research and evaluation projects focusing on transitions from institutions to the community, with emphasis on vulnerable populations — including formerly incarcerated people released from corrections and victims of gun violence with mental health and substance abuse issues.

Hartwell earned her Ph.D. from Yale University in 1995 and was an assistant professor of psychiatry at the UConn School of Medicine prior to joining the faculty at the University of Massachusetts Boston, an institution that shares Wayne’s State’s social justice mission. She was a professor of sociology at UMass Boston for 21 years and was honored to receive the Chancellor’s Medal for Distinguished Teaching in 2012. Additionally, Hartwell was an adjunct professor of psychiatry at UMass Chan Medical School. Prior to joining WSU, she was interim dean of UMass Boston’s College of Public and Community Service while also an associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts.

Hartwell has published more than 45 peer-reviewed articles and chapters and has been awarded approximately $8 million in grants to fund her research. She currently serves on the ROCA evaluation advisory board and holds leadership roles with the American Sociological Association, the Society for the Study of Social Problems, and the International Academy of Law and Mental Health.

Additional resources Read about WSU’s new higher education program for formerly incarcerated individuals: clas.wayne.edu/news/new-wayne-state-university-program-creates-college-pipeline-for-formerly-incarcerated-individuals-43220

Follow Stephanie Hartwell on Twitter: twitter.com/SteffiHartwell

Listen to Dean Hartwell discuss community partnerships during a radio interview: clas.wayne.edu/news/dean-hartwell-talks-community-partnerships-with-wjr-am-43166

Follow the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) on Twitter: twitter.com/waynestateclas

Follow CLAS on Facebook: facebook.com/waynestateclas

Follow CLAS on Instagram: instagram.com/waynestateclas

Watch videos from CLAS on YouTube: youtube.com/c/WayneStateCollegeofLiberalArtsandSciences/videos

This podcast is hosted by ZenCast.fm