Criminal justice is more than a cog in the machine that keeps our society functioning. It’s a complex system, one that embodies the values and passions of those who seek to advance the field through analysis, research, and education. Jason Ostrowe, Ph.D. is among this select group.
Now in his fourth year as an assistant professor at St. Joseph’s University, Dr. Ostrowe spends his days educating students while bringing his experiences and observations from the field of criminal justice and public policy. His journey has taken him from Ground Zero at the World Trade Center, to the flooded shores of Long Island during Hurricane Sandy, and most recently to the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) annual meeting in Philadelphia.
It was there that Dr. Ostrowe and seven SJNY students accepted the award for National Criminal Justice Month Program of the Year — the honor being a first for the University.
The son of a police officer, Dr. Ostrowe’s passion for the field began long before his time in academia – it was nurtured as an undergraduate at SUNY Oswego. There he double majored in public justice and psychology before joining the New York Police Department as a patrol officer in Midtown Manhattan.
Working for the NYPD lent Dr. Ostrowe a first-person perspective on what would become seminal events in America’s history, most notably the tragedy of 9/11.
“I was a police officer on patrol in Manhattan at the time of the attacks, and was assigned to Ground Zero the day President Bush gave his famous speech in front of the wreckage,” Dr. Ostrowe shared.
Reeling from the experience and inspired to pursue new goals, Dr. Ostrowe enrolled in a Police Graduate Studies Program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Courses in counterterrorism, police leadership, and organizational theory would not only serve to satisfy his intellectual curiosity, but bring Dr. Ostrowe face to face with his love for presenting, and perhaps more importantly, teaching.
This newfound passion led Dr. Ostrowe to become a full-time police academy academic instructor, teaching law, police science, and behavioral science. Meanwhile, he continued his graduate studies on the weekends, simultaneously serving as both student and instructor.
Graduating in 2010 with his master’s in public administration from John Jay, Dr. Ostrowe received the Carl Schreiber Memorial Award for the highest GPA. His hard work, aptitude, and experience would then result in John Jay offering Dr. Ostrowe a spot in its Ph.D. program in 2012.
Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Jason Ostrowe, Ph.D.
While enrolled in graduate studies, world events would again strain Dr. Ostrowe’s attention and confront him with challenges that would test his resolve.
“Hurricane Sandy created all this havoc and flooding, so we were being sent out for 15-16 hours at a time. I recall taking classes at the Ph.D. level and then waking up at 2:30 in the morning to be in The Rockaways by 4 a.m. and not be released until 6:00 p.m.,” Dr. Ostrowe said.
The years that followed found Dr. Ostrowe engaged in a balancing act of professional, academic, and family obligations — retiring from law enforcement to pursue a full-time faculty position at Borough of Manhattan Community College, finalizing and defending his dissertation, and welcoming the birth of his daughter.
After six years with Borough of Manhattan Community College and navigating the difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Ostrowe accepted a position at St. Joseph’s University, New York as assistant professor in the Criminal Justice Department in 2022.
“I felt St. Joe’s had a lot to offer, and I had a lot to offer St. Joe’s,” he said. “I felt very much aligned with the philosophy and mission of the institution.”
Since joining St. Joseph’s University, Dr. Ostrowe has helped to reinvigorate the Criminal Justice Department, working alongside his colleagues to offer more hybrid courses, help to implement a minor requirement, add data analysis to research methods and restart the student-led SGA award-winning Law and Justice Society.
“I don’t just view myself as a professor, but also as a mentor and role model. Especially when you talk about people wanting to go into criminal justice. I realize that I may be the only person students have met that have my type of experience. That’s why it’s important to model that behavior and set a good example.”
Outside the classroom, Dr. Ostrowe has published several works in journals related to criminal justice including Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, ACJS Today, Policing: An International Journal and The New York State Journal of Applied Research in Criminal Justice, as well as work published by Routledge.
This past March, Dr. Ostrowe delivered three presentations at the ACJS annual conference in Philadelphia including one on artificial intelligence in research methods, and two on the inclusion of cybercrime in criminal justice coursework at both the New York State and national levels.
As the recipient of the 2026 Summer Faculty Research Grant, Dr. Ostrowe will begin work on his book, “The Six Pillars of Criminal Justice Education for the Digital Age” with its publication anticipated for fall 2027.
