Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Justice grad Lt. David Campbell featured on UAA homepage

Lt. David Campbell, B.A. Justice '94, is currently featured on the UAA homepage. A veteran of 17 years with the Juneau Police Department, he was promoted earlier this year to the rank of lieutenant. He serves as patrol lieutenant, public information officer, a polygraph examiner, and one of two incident commanders for large events or disturbances. As David says, "Every day is different here. It is such a dynamic job; it remains fresh and challenging. It is fun to come to work every day."

Back in the 1990s, David remembers how current events - the Rodney King case and the O.J. Simpson trial -  and an "Introduction to Justice" course finally piqued his interest enough to settle on a major at UAA. The justice program, for David, was the perfect mix of engaging professors, contextualized learning, and a variety of skill sets needed for the field.

"You don't need a bachelor's degree to work as a police officer," David explains, "but having that college education has definitely helped me." The top five candidates from the original Juneau Police Department job posting in 1995 and the top three graduates of his Sitka police academy class all had college degrees.  David was one of those three top grads.

"The ability to learn to communicate effectively, to prioritize and organize—so many skill sets from college readily transferred to skill sets needed to be an officer. Education helps people be more successful in the application of their careers." Click here to read the full story about David prepared by UAA Advancement as part of the "I Am UAA" campaign.