University News
When Francis G. Olive III got laid off in 2011, he decided to use it as an opportunity to change his life.
October 21, 2015
Instead of returning to work as a corrections officer, as he had done for four and a half years, he set his sights on becoming a professor of criminal justice.
Four years later, in August, Olive, of Springfield, Mass., became the University of New Haven’s first Ph.D. in criminal justice. And while he doesn’t yet have a full-time faculty position, he is teaching at UNH, Westfield (Mass.) State University and Elms College in Chicopee, Mass.
"Frank is an outstanding young scholar," said William Norton, director of the UNH School of Public Service in the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences and coordinator of graduate criminal justice programs. "He has that rare combination of intellectual curiosity together with a solid academic background that gives him a deep understanding of his field."
Noting Olive’s combination of experience and academics, Norton said, "It is fitting that the first graduate of our Ph.D. program reflects the college’s commitment to the integration of academic and professional knowledge to prepare our future leaders."
The father of a newborn, Olive is a former corrections officer and counselor for the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department in Massachusetts. Olive has an active research program working as a research fellow with UNH’s Tow Institute for Youth Justice, working on a project to revise and update policies and procedures for the New Haven Police Department, and working with the Massachusetts State Police C3 policing strategy in Springfield, Mass.
He also will be facilitating the "Protecting the Dignity of the Corrections Officer" trainings at the Museum of Tolerance in New York City with David Schroeder, associate dean of the Lee College.
"Finishing my degree feels very, very good," Olive said. "It was a lot of work, but I found it very satisfying. It was a major relief to get the work done before the baby came."
About the University of New Haven
The University of New Haven is a private, top-tier comprehensive institution recognized as a national leader in experiential education. Founded in 1920 the university enrolls approximately 1,800 graduate students and more than 4,600 undergraduates.
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