Biography
Cyndy Caravelis is a Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice. She received her
PhD from the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida State University
in 2007. Her current research interests include police practices and policies, interpersonal
violence, and social justice. Her research has been published in journals such as
Justice Quarterly and the Journal of Quantitative Criminology and she co-authored
Social Justice, Criminal Justice (Routledge Press), which examined how the law has
historically been used as both a tool for oppression and a vehicle for social change.
Dr. Caravelis has presented widely at National Conferences and has been a featured
guest on Policing Podcasts and Webinars. <br><br>As a co-founder of the Community
Care Program, Dr. Caravelis has served as the Principal Investigator for over $500,000
of Sponsored Research from funders such as the Dogwood Health Trust, the Community
Foundation of WNC, and the Great Smokies Health Foundation. The Community Care Program,
which places social workers and social work interns within police departments to help
mitigate non-criminal matters, has become the flagship program in the state of North
Carolina for rural agencies. <br><br>Dr. Caravelis is a strong proponent of engaged
teaching and experiential learning. She has received the following awards:<br><br>(2024)
Innovative Scholarship Award<br>(2023) Paul A. Reid Distinguished Service Award<br>(2022)
All So-Con Faculty of the Year <br>(2021) Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award
<br>(2021) Outstanding Community Service Award <br>(2014) Outstanding Achievement,
Service in Teaching <br><br>In addition to her academic endeavors, she has extensive
field experience in the criminal justice system, including work as a legislative analyst
for the Florida Legislature鈥檚 Commission on Capital Cases, as a crime intelligence
analyst for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, as an expert witness on criminal
sentencing, and as an academic instructor in both male and female correctional institutions.
