Distinguished professor receives Paul Tappan Award
Valerie Jenness, distinguished professor of criminology, law and society, has been honored by the Western Society of Criminology as the latest recipient of its Paul Tappan Award.
“As I reflect on my journey to this moment, I'm reminded of the proverb, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’ I taught my first university course in 1987 and published my first article in 1990, both while as a graduate student at UC Santa Barbara. So, let’s say I’ve been at this for well over 30 years,” Jenness said last week at the WSC awards ceremony in Seattle. “My academic journey has not been linear as it has taken me far, and I owe the best parts of this journey to the incredible people who not only traveled with me, but also persevered with me, supported me, challenged me, and made the work fun. This includes my many mentors, collaborators, and interlocutors. Their wisdom and guidance have been invaluable. They, along with my many colleagues, remind me of what I value: intellectual curiosity in academic pursuits and the pursuit of justice informed by facts and theories. Yep, I still believe in facts and theories.”
Jenness has been on the faculty at UC Irvine since 1997.
UC Irvine “has been more than just my employer,” she said. “It is part of a larger system that embraces the motto ‘fiat lux.’ Fiat lux is a Latin phrase that translates to ‘let there be light.’ The motto symbolizes the university's mission to illuminate new knowledge and solutions to improve the human condition. I like this motto lots because I believe in it. I treat it as my north star. It’s what I think the world needs more of, especially in these tumultuous times.”
Jenness’ award marks the 11th time in 30 years that a UC Irvine faculty member has won the top award from the WSC. In accepting the award, Jenness joined past Tappan recipients from UC Irvine, including Erwin Chemerinsky, Henry Pontell, Michael Gottfredson, C. Ronald Huff, Elliott Currie, Gilbert Geis, Charis Kubrin, John Hipp, Jon Gould and Mona Lynch.
Paul Tappan, the award’s namesake, was a veteran scholar whose final post was professor of law and criminology at the UC Berkeley School of Law from 1962 until his death in 1964.
The honor isn’t the first bestowed on Jenness by the WSC. Last year, she received the President’s Award for contributions to the field of criminology and positive influence on the current WSC president’s career. In 2019, she received the society’s Meda Chesney-Lind Award for significant contributions to scholarship or activism on the intersection of women and crime. She also received the 2013-14 Richard Tewksbury Award for significant contributions to scholarship or activism on the intersection of crime and sexuality.
Jenness, who has a Ph.D. in sociology from UC Santa Bqrbara, has been honored with numerous other awards as well. Her studies of hate crime, sexual assault in prisons, the management of prisoners with mental health concerns, transgender prisoners, and the inmate appeals system in prison have been published in prestigious journals, informed public policy, and evoked the attention of the press.
She serves as an expert in civil litigation related to conditions of confinement in lock-up facilities, works with the Los Angeles Police Department, the United States Courts for the 9th circuit, and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to develop and implement innovative policy. She also serves as an expert in civil litigation related to conditions of confinement in lock-up facilities.
Jenness has served in a range of administrative roles at UC Irvine, including dean of the School of Social Ecology from 2009-2015 and chair of the Department of Criminology, Law and Society from 2001-2006. She currently is serving as the chair of UC Irvine’s Academic Senate.