Foundation Award for Teaching

Aida Hass-Wisecup

Aida Hass-Wisecup

Criminology and Criminal Justice
Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities

I. Philosophy of Teaching

I thrive on being an instructor in a classroom setting, watching my students learn, grow, and become more culturally competent young adults. This is what truly inspires me to continue to develop my teaching philosophy and teaching skills to enhance student learning. By encouraging intellectual curiosity and providing students with a clearly established framework for dialogue, everyone in the classroom has the opportunity to articulate their opinions. My lectures help students gain an understanding of the subject in a way that goes beyond the temporal effects of memorizing facts, bringing to life abstract textbook concepts. What does it mean that deviance is ‘socially constructed’, that society has a false perception of crime, and that laws evolve through moral panics? While these concepts are explained in the literature, I allow students to further investigate them by engaging in collaborative exercises. Course objectives are met using an interactive teaching methodology which employs elements of traditional lecture, classroom discussion, group activities, experimental designs, guest speakers, video presentations, and community site visits. This approach appeals to student learning in a way that encompasses a variety of learning styles, provides a safe and comfortable environment for dialog, and allows online delivery to become more meaningful.

II. Example of Courses/Topics

  • CRM 220: Criminological Theory
  • CRM 301: Movies, Media and Crime
  • CRM 306: Criminal Profiles…Who Did It?
  • CRM 307: Life Behind Bars…Got Time?
  • CRM 308: To Shoot or Not to Shoot…Ethical Dilemmas in Criminal Justice
  • CRM 335: Criminal Typologies
  • CRM 336: Criminal Psychology
  • CRM 445: Victimology
  • CRM 720: Crime Theory and Policy

III. Future Projects

  • I plan on continuing to publish future editions of my current textbooks as well as explore other possible manuscript development for new course content surrounding the structural and social determinants of health and their impact on variable treatment of offending populations
  • I am currently working on a statewide research study involving an impact evaluation of the MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) victim impact panels as part of restorative justice intervention methodologies
  • I will soon begin a collaborative interdisciplinary research study exploring the use of date-rape drugs within the MSU college community from the perspective of both victims and offenders

IV. Topics related to teaching and of interest to the University Community, for which you are available for presentations and/or consultations (e.g., presentation tools, special topics, technology, public affairs).

  • Assessing the role of situational variables in the prevention of crime
  • Developing a more informed understanding of various criminal profiles
  • Understanding issues pertaining to equity and diversity in a classroom setting
  • Achieving inclusive excellence through dialog and communication