TAMIU Professor Named WSU Outstanding Alumni Scholar
Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) Professor Frances P. Bernat has been selected as the recipient of the Criminal Justice and Criminology Outstanding Alumni Scholar Award for Washington State University, and will serve as Keynote Speaker for the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology’s Award Ceremony and Luncheon in April at the Elson S. Floyd Cultural Center in Pullman, WA.
Dr. Bernat has been a member of the TAMIU faculty since 2010. A prolific researcher, her research interests include: Criminal law and procedure, cybercrime, domestic violence, human (sex) trafficking, immigration and cross border violence, law and society, STEM education, unaccompanied minors and criminal justice, women and the law and youth resilience and deviance.
TAMIU’s Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Claudia San Miguel, said Dr. Bernat is an inspiring figure on campus and a national leader and international researcher in her field.
"She has been the editor of an important journal in her field, is a seasoned scholar with an international reputation for documenting the plight of victims of human trafficking, and is a strong and effective advocate at TAMIU for excellence in both teaching and scholarship. She is an inspiring and valued member of our faculty," Dr. San Miguel said.
Of the honor, Bernat said she hopes her work can inspire others.
“I am extremely honored to receive the Criminal Justice and Criminology Outstanding Alumni Scholar Award from Washington State University. Contemporary criminal justice research and scholarship can have an important impact on society and move our communities forward in the search for social justice. I am pleased to be able to bridge the gaps in our knowledge of law and policy. As a faculty member at TAMIU, I hope that my work can help inspire our graduates to be lifelong learners who can make a difference in the lives of others,” she said.
Among her authored, co-authored or edited books are “Women, Crime and Justice: Balancing the Scales,” with Elaine Gunnison and Lynne Goodstein (Wiley & Sons, 2017); “Criminal Procedure Law: Police Issues and the Supreme Court” with Nicholas GodLove Jones (Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2013) and “Human Sex Trafficking,” editor (Routledge, 2011).
Bernat holds her Ph.D. in Political Science from Washington State University and her J.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY-Buffalo). Her Master of Arts in Sociology was earned at SUNY-Buffalo, as was her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. Prior to coming to TAMIU, she served on the faculty at Arizona State University.
At TAMIU she has been named the Distinguished Scholar of the Year for 2017 and recipient of TAMIU’s Instructional Technology Excellence Award. She received the national Coramae Richey Mann Leadership Award from the National Academy of Criminal Justices, Minority and Women’s Section in 2012. Bernat is a founding member of the Section.
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