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As a field, criminal justice offers more than its name suggests.  

“We are much more than police and correctional officers,” says Associate Professor Dr. Michelle Jeanis. “There are hundreds of jobs in criminal justice that the average person probably does not consider.”

Corinne Salter discovered this first-hand when she changed her major to criminal justice as an undergrad.  

Drawn to the prospect of foreign affairs and policy, she had initially enrolled at the ŷ������Ƭ as a political science major, but then decided to transition to criminal justice as a pathway to law school.  

Instead, she says, the program opened her eyes to nuances of the criminal justice system and broader issues of injustice and marginalization, changing her worldview and leading her to the field of environmental justice.  

“Whenever you hear criminal justice, you think about penalties or the penal system against criminals. But whenever I took a lot of those courses, I started realizing all the nuances to it,” says Salter. “For instance, how prisoners are disenfranchised to the point that so many people don't really see the humanity in them. It really gave me a different perspective about criminal justice and criminal justice reform, specifically. There was so much more of a social justice perspective than I would have imagined.”

Connecting the Marshall Islands to Louisiana

Salter grew up along the petrochemical industry-laden expanse between New Orleans and Baton Rouge known as after being adopted from the Marshall Islands.  

Through the social justice perspective she gained through the criminal justice degree program, Salter began to consider how the populations within both areas may be disproportionately impacted by environmental change and regulations.  

In the case of the Marshall Islands, a chain of volcanic islands and coral atolls in the central Pacific Ocean, they are susceptible and vulnerable to sea level rise, says Salter.

"I had always had this desire to reconnect with my birthplace culture, to reconnect with my heritage and with my family on the islands. Whenever I first started to try to do so, one of the very first things I encountered was the climate vulnerability of places like the Marshall Islands,” says Salter. “I really started considering how certain communities are impacted disproportionately or burdened in ways that may not be any fault of their own. And that really is the story of the Marshall Islands and a lot of black, indigenous, people-of-color communities in Louisiana, as well.”

This interest led Salter to pursue a Ph.D. in environmental science and conduct climate change research through several fellowships.  

With the Marshallese Educational Initiative, she explores climate change adaptation on the islands, and through the ŷ������Ƭ Corporation for Atmospheric Research, she aims to bring representation to climate change research.

“I'm helping to diversify the STEM workforce, specifically in atmospheric research, to create that perspective, that inclusion necessary to create a more holistic view of atmospheric research,” she says. “Climate change can affect so many different communities, and if those communities aren't represented in the science and research affecting responses to climate change, then they won’t be represented in the solutions, either.”

Making the Leap to Research

When she started her college journey, Salter hadn’t envisioned herself spending her post-grad summers invested in research. But her undergrad experience made that possible, she says.  

“Criminal justice gave me the perspective I needed to be able to shift into a research mindset and really see myself in research,” says Salter. “It gave me more of that justice perspective that made me start considering, 'what are the other ways in which marginalized communities are disproportionately burdened?’ That's how I transitioned into environmental justice.”

But she says the biggest impact came from the support she received from criminal justice faculty members.  

“I really felt the criminal justice program at UL Lafayette prioritized the students. I felt like there was never a moment where I couldn’t get in touch with them,” she says. “There were so many ways in which I felt encouraged by the professors because if I reached out to them, they were available and they made themselves very accessible.”  

Now that the program is available online as well as on campus, student support and success remain priorities, says assistant professor Dr. Kayleigh Stanek.  

“We like to support students; we’re here for them to succeed,” she says. “We want students to be able to learn the material and apply it, not just memorize it and pass a test, but using it in their careers and beyond.”

For those considering criminal justice, Salter encourages them to take advantage of that support while embracing the wealth of course content.  

“There were just so many different courses that allowed me to think deeply about criminal justice topics I’d never considered before, like crime and media or crime and mental health,” she says. “I think if students coming into the program allow themselves to be immersed in the courses, they’ll have their minds opened to a lot of different perspectives that could take them anywhere.”

Whether you’re looking to advance your career in criminal justice or start a new career in social justice and advocacy, UL Lafayette’s B.S. in Criminal Justice program offers flexible pathways to reach your goals. Request information today to get started!