FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 9, 2016, 8:00 a.m. CDT
Contact Jason Hogue, Peru State College Marketing and Communications, 402.872.2429
Peru, Nebraska- Peru State College Criminal Justice Professor, Dr. Kelly Asmussen, was named the
institutions 2016 Teaching Excellence Award winner. Asmussen was honored during the
college’s commencement on May 7 on the historic campus of a thousand oaks.
President Dan Hanson said, “Dr. Asmussen has served an incredible role in Peru State
College’s academic development during his twenty-two years of service. His efforts
to found the Criminal Justice major and its associated programs have culminated in
hundreds of graduates including more than thirty graduates this spring.”
“Dr. Asmussen’s teaching excellence will leave a lasting legacy at Peru State College
and in the law enforcement and corrections offices of this state and region.”
Asmussen said, “I am particularly honored to receive the Teaching Excellence Award
as a culmination of my teaching career at Peru State College. For the past twenty-plus
years, I have been richly rewarded watching the careers of many students at all levels
of the Criminal Justice System excel through research, community service, and unique
educational engagement opportunities.”
“I would start my entire career over again and repeat the process; I loved the challenges
and the successes I was able to achieve.”
Asmussen joined the Peru State faculty in 1994 and teaches criminal justice in the
Peru State College School of Professional Studies. Before beginning with Peru State
College, he pursued his Ph.D. at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and worked for
fourteen years in the maximum security unit at the Nebraska State Penitentiary.
Shortly after joining the faculty, Asmussen was instrumental in establishing Peru
State’s criminal justice program. He also arranged the Provisional Alcohol Drug Addiction
Counseling (PLADC) program allowing criminal justice and psychology majors to attain
provisional certification to treat persons with alcohol and other addictions.
Asmussen developed, coordinated and supervised six international study tours to Australia,
Costa Rica, and England for over 150 students from Peru State and other colleges.
Students traveled and lived in these counties while comparing the host country’s criminal
justice system to the U.S. system.
Dr. Asmussen also established the Inside-Out course, “Searching for Justice.” The
course engages 15 “outside” college students and 15 “inside” persons in a classroom
at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution, a maximum-security prison. The course
examines the intersection of class, race, gender, crime and status relating to the
search for social justice. Students report the experience was transformative and “the
class has been their best educational experience in college.” Asmussen has collected
data for five years regarding the changing attitudes of participating students. He
has presented his research at a professional conference and a paper has been submitted
for publication.
Asmussen teaches a capstone course about societal problems where students are taught
the skills to write and submit grant proposals to funding agencies. Five proposals
have been granted including $37,000 from FEMA for new firefighting gear and $40,000
for a therapy garden in Auburn.
Asmussen has published research articles about high school weapon possession; college
student fear; victimization; reactions to violence; instruction and assessment strategies
in criminalistics; and a “how to” guide to develop an international study tour. His
seminal published article on campus violence continues to be a standard reference
in the top research textbooks today.
In addition to his published research, Asmussen has served as a peer reviewer for
over twenty textbooks. He has also evaluated the training academy curriculums for
corrections and police in seven states; consulted with school districts regarding
school safety issues; and helped multiple southeast Nebraska agencies review procedures
and achieve grant funding.
Asmussen coordinated and facilitated the Nebraska Court of Appeals holding oral arguments
at Peru State College twice in the past four years. Peru State was the first college
campus to host the court.
Dr. Asmussen is a member of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, the American
Society of Criminology, and the Midwest Criminal Justice Association. He frequently
attends and presents at their annual conferences.
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For more information, visit www.peru.edu or call 1-800-742-4412.
About Peru State College: Nestled in the historic hills of the Missouri River, the
“Campus of a Thousand Oaks" is Nebraska’s oldest college and will celebrate its sesquicentennial
anniversary in 2017. Peru State College’s constant commitment to academic excellence
has resulted in a unique and innovative mix of online, traditional, undergraduate
and graduate programs. Similarly, the college's ongoing student engagement promotes
inquiry, discovery and innovation on-campus and across the region. Peru State College
is committed to being a good steward of education, students, the region and Nebraska
for another 150 years.