Faculty and Staff

Professor Collica-Cox Honored with Proclamation and Award for Extensive CRJ Career

By
Antonia Gentile
Posted
April 4, 2025
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Pace University Professor of Criminal Justice and Security Kimberly Collica-Cox, PhD, standing with awards next to deputy Westchester County executives
Collica-Cox with a deputy Westchester County executive

Professor of Criminal Justice and Security Kimberly Collica-Cox, PhD, has been recognized for her instrumental work in supporting incarcerated individuals with both a proclamation and an award.

As part of Women’s History Month, the Office of County Executive, Westchester County presented a proclamation to Collica-Cox, a “female trailblazer” with unwavering commitment to the Westchester County Department of Correction (WCDOC)’s core values, providing education, healing, and hope to hundreds of incarcerated individuals over the past 28 years on a federal, state, and county level. In addition, she received an award from the WCDOC in recognition of her outstanding vision and dedicated service to the individuals at the county jail.

As part of her extensive career in criminal justice, Collica-Cox, also an author, has shared her passion for providing meaningful educational services to incarcerated individuals at both the WCDOC, a county jail, and other correctional institutions, such as the Metropolitan Correctional Center and the New York State Department of Correction, with Pace students, who, in turn, have gained valuable experiential learning opportunities.

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Pace University Professor of Criminal Justice and Security Kimberly Collica-Cox, PhD, with student Alicia Bennett holding awards
Collica-Cox with student Alicia Bennett

One of those students, Alicia Bennett, English, Criminal Justice ’24, MS in Publishing ‘25 has been a teaching and research assistant for Collica-Cox over the years, assisting her with projects as part of the award-winning, evidence-based Parenting, Prison, and Pups program, provided to female jail-based prisoners, as well as the Inside-Out College course where students learn alongside adult learners at the WCDOC.

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Pace’s commitment to experiential learning and community engagement is also highlighted by News 12 Westchester, which covered the graduation ceremony for the University’s Parenting, Prison, and Pups program. Led by Dyson Criminal Justice Professor Kimberly Collica-Cox, the initiative brings together Pace students, incarcerated mothers at the Westchester County Jail, and therapy dogs to support healing, parenting skills, and emotional well-being. This semester, nine mothers and ten students graduated from the program, marking a meaningful milestone for participants and the broader community.

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