The Criminology and Criminal Justice Career Exploration Conference is envisioned as a place for students to learn more about career opportunities through industry-specific panels and interactive sessions with a diverse group of alumni and industry professionals who share their experiences from many different career paths.

Professionals ranging from:

• Federal, local and state law enforcement
• Legal careers
• Corrections
• Private and public sector investigations 
• Corporate and retail security 
• Youth-focused
• Policy
• Social services/advocacy
• Research and policy

Professionals within these fields will provide an in-depth look and understanding of their agency, the variety of career paths available, as well as insights on career planning/preparation. It will also provide an opportunity for students to meet with professionals and ask questions in networking events that provide students a chance to build networks and get to know some of our alumni. Students will learn and be inspired from an impressive roster of Metro Detroit's experts while discovering a variety of career paths. 

The goals of the conference are to enable students to:

• Gain increased awareness of career paths available to CJ graduates in a variety of sectors.
• Learn about skills and key competencies that are important in different sectors.
• Develop strategies and build networks to effectively explore careers.
• Effectively search for, apply, and obtain positions in different sectors.

Registration includes:

• Conference gift bag
• Professional headshots
• Networking opportunities

After submitting the RSVP form, Daniela Lupercio will follow up with an email to you with panel options to select from. You will have to choose in advance the panels you want to attend during the day at various times. You are not required to attend them all. Be sure to regularly check your email.

Panels and guest speakers

Exploring legal careers panel (9:00- 10:00 a.m.)

• Marilena David, (alum) deputy director at the State Appellate Defender Office
• Elizabeth L. DiSanto, chief judge at tthe Wyandotte 27th District Court
• Jeffrey Lance Abood, (m) attorney at Abood Law Firm
• Victoria Bellamy, (alum) corporate counsel at BELFOR Property Restoration

Exploring careers in law enforcement panel (10:10 - 11:10 a.m.)

• Felicia George, (alum) assistant inspector in charge (AIC) for the Detroit Division with the United States Postal Inspection Service
• Chief Kellie Bauss, (alum) chief of police at Clawson Police Department
• Reuben C. Coleman, assistant special agent in Charge, FBI Detroit Field Office
• Rhonda Sherman, (alum) sargeant, Property Control Unit Detroit Police Department 

Exploring careers in corrections panel (11:20 a.m. - 12:20 p.m)

• Robert Poikey, (alum) supervisory law enforcement specialist for the US Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Michigan
• Mark Diaz, director of the Recruiting and Background Investigations Units for the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office
• Isabella Miller, (alum) pretrial services investigator for Oakland County Community Corrections
• Kristin Gagnon, operations administrator for the Michigan Department of Corrections

Free professional headshots/ Resource fair (12:20 - 1:20 p.m.)

Exploring careers in social services & policy panel (2:30 - 3:30 p.m.)

• Chelsea Richardson, (alum) mitigation specialist supervisor with the State Appellate Defender Office’s Juvenile Lifer Unit in Detroit
• Jonathan Norris, (alum) residential foster care unit specialist at the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services
• Abdul El Sayed, physician, epidemiologist and public servant. Director of Wayne County’s Department of Health, Human & Veterans Services, and health officer for the county
• Abigail Schlieger, (alum) child welfare specialist at The Children’s Center of Wayne County

Exploring careers in investigations & security panel (3:40- 4:40 p.m.)

• Jim Schoenherr, owner and director of the Security Services Group of Recon Management Group
• Adam Jones, Midwest regional representative for the National Counterterrorism Center
• Jamie Campbell, vice president, Field Loss Prevention at Ross Stores
• Brittney Edwards, labor relations manager at the Michigan Department of State