University of Virginia's School of Continuing and Professional Studies welcomes three new full-time faculty who will begin teaching fall 2024 within the Public Safety & Criminal Justice Programs.
These faculty join an exceptional Public Safety & Criminal Justice team in providing high quality education through the Master of Public Safety (MPS) Program, National Criminal Justice Command College, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Academy (FBI-NA), among other programmatic offerings.
"Police education and training is critical in today's world. Now more than ever, we need leaders to focus and learn about all aspects of policing—from risk management, to community engagement, to aspects of data in policing. The University of Virginia is a leader in their offerings and in setting the trend for the future of law enforcement leadership," said Gordon Graham, MPS Distinguished Lecturer and Co-Founder of Lexipol.
Marvin “Ben” Haiman will join the UVA team as Assistant Professor & Executive Director of Public Safety & Justice in August. Haiman most recently served as the Chief of Staff for the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington D.C., where he was responsible for all aspects of professional development (e.g., recruitment, training, human resources) in prior positions. Haiman also served the federal government as the Director of the Homeland Security Advisory Council within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. His career focused on recruitment, training and technology within law enforcement domestically and internationally. Using this background, Haiman will work to expand UVA public safety programs. Haiman received recognition by the International Association of Chiefs of Police in 2020 as a "40 under 40" recipient and holds the prestigious Gary P. Hayes Award from the Police Executive Research Forum. Haiman earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Iowa and holds a master’s degree in management through the Police Executive Leadership Program at Johns Hopkins University. He is a graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security’s Executive Leadership Program. Haiman is a Ph.D. candidate at Staffordshire University in Stoke-on-Trent, UK.
Tracie L. Keesee, who has served on UVA's Public Safety team as a part-time Distinguished Lecturer since 2022, will assume a full-time appointment as Associate Professor of Public Safety & Justice in October. She comes to UVA from the Center for Policing Equity (CPE), where she is the Co-Founder, President, and Chief Operating Officer. She also holds an appointment to the United Nations Human Rights Council’s international independent expert mechanism. Previously Dr. Keesee served as NYPD's first-ever Deputy Commissioner of Equity and Inclusion and, prior to that, as Deputy Commissioner of Training. Dr. Keesee is a retired 25-year veteran of the Denver Police Department and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Metropolitan State College-Denver, academic certifications in Public Policy and Public Administration, and a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice from the University of Colorado at Denver. Dr. Keesee earned a Ph.D. in Intercultural Communications from the University of Denver as well as a Diversity and Inclusion certification from Cornell University. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia through the 203rd Session of the FBI National Academy at Quantico, Virginia.
Oscar Odom III, who has served on the UVA team as a part-time Senior Lecturer since 2022, will assume a full-time appointment as Associate Professor of Public Safety in August. Dr. Odom comes to UVA from the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, where he is the Vice President of Security. Previously he served as a Commissioner on the New York City Districting Commission and is the former First Deputy Sheriff Commissioner and Four Star Chief of the New York City Sheriff’s Office. Dr. Odom is a retired NYPD detective and served several New York City Mayors including David Dinkins, Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg. Dr. Odom's academic career spans more than twenty years. He is a member of the Oxford Roundtable in the United Kingdom and a Fulbright Scholar Criminal Justice Peer Reviewer. Dr. Odom earned his Bachelor of Science in Correction Administration from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Juris Doctor from the City University of New York School of Law, where he served as Associate Editor of the Law Review, and his Doctorate in Education with a specialization in Educational Leadership and Management at Capella University.
With these new hires, the University of Virginia's public safety and justice work continues to expand and impact all fifty states as well as the broader international community.
"Our public safety programs are leading the industry with dedicated, innovative, and thoughtful faculty that represent the best of the industry and students who are making an impact across the country," stated UVA SCPS Dean, Melissa Lubin. "I am proud to have the opportunity to host these distinguished programs within our school and have an influence on policing across numerous communities."
To learn more about the team and our work, please see our webpage.