Message from the Chair - Fall 2025

We are now midway through the semester, and I wanted to take a moment to connect. My name is Carina Gallo, and I am honored to serve as the new Department Chair. I know I have big shoes to fill following Dr. Elizabeth Brown’s inspiring leadership, and I am deeply grateful to be part of such a committed and vibrant community. It was wonderful seeing so many of you at our Welcome Back event last month.

A little bit about me: I am originally from Sweden and a first-generation college graduate. Before entering academia, I worked for several years as a social worker and in nonprofit leadership, experiences that continue to shape how I think about justice and equity. I love to travel and have lived for two years in South America, where I developed a lasting passion for salsa dancing, which continues to bring me joy and connection wherever I go.

Here are a few upcoming events you will not want to miss:

• 8th Annual Mural Celebration: The Criminalization of Art and Culture
  Thursday, October 23, 2:00 to 6:00 p.m.
  Jack Adams Hall, Cesar Chavez Student Center
  Presented by Associated Students Project Rebound, featuring a panel discussion and a screening of the short film Love Letters.
• Book Talk: The Pregnancy Police: Conceiving Crime, Arresting Personhood
  Thursday, November 6, 2:00 p.m.
  J. Paul Leonard Library, Room 286
  Dr. Grace E. Howard will discuss her new book examining the criminalization of pregnancy and its implications for gender, race, and justice.
• CJ 680 Capstone Potluck
  Tuesday, December 10, 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.
  Humanities and Social Sciences Building, Room 204
  Join us as we celebrate our graduating students and the close of another successful semester.

Finally, I am thrilled to share that Gabriel Singer (B.A. Criminal Justice Studies, 2025) has received the California State University Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement. He also recently published his first op-ed: Governor Newsom Should Sign the Firefighting to Freedom Package into Law.

I continue to be inspired by your creativity, resilience, and passion for justice. I look forward to seeing many of you at these events and celebrating the rest of the semester together.

Warm Regards,

Carina Gallo 
Professor and Chair
Department of Criminal Justice Studies