Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminology
Dr. Belinda McCarthy
Dr. Belinda Rodgers McCarthy began her duties as Missouri State University’s first provost on July 1, 2006. As Provost, she is responsible for the oversight of all academic programs and a number of academic support programs. In addition she will provide primary administrative leadership, direction and evaluation for all academic activities and faculty affairs of the university. She is also a tenured professor in the department of sociology, anthropology and criminology.
Dr. McCarthy received her B.A. degree in sociology in 1973 from the University of Georgia, graduating magna cum laude. She attended the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs at the State University of New York at Albany as a Herbert Lehman Fellow, receiving the M.A. in Criminal Justice in 1974 and Ph.D. in 1978. She completed her graduate work in five years, two of them while serving as Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of New Haven.
She taught at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte for another two years before joining the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1980. She commenced her administrative career with an appointment as Associate Dean for Social and Behavioral Sciences, a post she held for six years. She also established and directed the Women’s Studies Program at UAB, receiving the Founder’s Award for her leadership in the program in 1989. McCarthy served as Interim Dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences before joining the University of Central Florida in 1990.
She is the editor or author of five books, author and co-author of more than three dozen scholarly articles, book chapters and monographs. She is co-author of several popular textbooks, including Justice, Crime and Ethics, and Community Based Corrections. Her writing and research have focused on such subjects as community corrections, the juvenile justice system and inmate mothers.
Dr. McCarthy is a member of many professional organizations, including the American Council on Education, the American Association of Higher Education, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, the American Society of Criminology, and the National Association of Women in Education. She has been recognized as Educator of the Year by the Southern Criminal Justice Association and was named Alumnus of the Year by the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs.
Prior to joining Missouri State University, Dr. McCarthy was Professor of Criminal Justice and Public Affairs and Dean of the College of Health and Public Affairs at the University of Central Florida for 16 years. The College of Health and Public Affairs was established in 1990 and now consists of four departments, two schools and five centers and institutes. The college offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degrees (including doctoral programs in each discipline) at three campuses and six instructional sites.
Dr. McCarthy received her B.A. degree in sociology in 1973 from the University of Georgia, graduating magna cum laude. She attended the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs at the State University of New York at Albany as a Herbert Lehman Fellow, receiving the M.A. in Criminal Justice in 1974 and Ph.D. in 1978. She completed her graduate work in five years, two of them while serving as Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of New Haven.
She taught at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte for another two years before joining the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1980. She commenced her administrative career with an appointment as Associate Dean for Social and Behavioral Sciences, a post she held for six years. She also established and directed the Women’s Studies Program at UAB, receiving the Founder’s Award for her leadership in the program in 1989. McCarthy served as Interim Dean of Social and Behavioral Sciences before joining the University of Central Florida in 1990.
She is the editor or author of five books, author and co-author of more than three dozen scholarly articles, book chapters and monographs. She is co-author of several popular textbooks, including Justice, Crime and Ethics, and Community Based Corrections. Her writing and research have focused on such subjects as community corrections, the juvenile justice system and inmate mothers.
Dr. McCarthy is a member of many professional organizations, including the American Council on Education, the American Association of Higher Education, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, the American Society of Criminology, and the National Association of Women in Education. She has been recognized as Educator of the Year by the Southern Criminal Justice Association and was named Alumnus of the Year by the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs.