User:Hkurtz

American Criminologist H.A.Kurtz
Once the youngest university department chair in the United States. Developed one ofthe country's first courses on Victimology. Developed a statewide consortium that was recognized by Harvard as an innovation in government. Conducts research evaluations and reviews for the Justicce Department, Homeland Security and other state and federal agencies. Has made numerous media appearances commenting on criminal cases. His publications include work on Victims and Crime. He is also a concert musician.

== Additional Information ==

http://www.okcu.edu/petree/soc/hkurtz/KURTZ%20WEBSITE%202007.htm

Dr. Kurtz is tenured with the rank of Full Professor. He served as Director of Graduate and Undergraduate Programs in Sociology and Criminal Justice at Oklahoma City University for 21 years. He returned to the faculty 10 years ago.

He currently serves as a university professor in the Social Sciences Division of The Petree College of Arts and Sciences. He is a consultant for the National Institute of Justice and other governmental organizations. His recent consulting projects include grant evaluation work on an American Terrorist Data Base Project at the National Terrorist Institute and grant evaluation reviews for the National Institute of Justice on victim’s grants. He worked on a project for the American Council on Education reviewing curriculum developed at Texas A&M on weapons of mass destruction and terrorism. He is a grant reviewer for the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools in Washington and reviews in the areas of crime and delinquency, terrorism, college violence and drinking and other crime related areas.

He was born in Pennsylvania where he began his career as Probation and Parole Officer. He worked as a liaison officer with half-way houses and drug cases before moving to Texas. There he developed the Denton County Jail Project and wrote A Manual for Rehabilitation in Texas Jails while attending graduate school. During three years of his research he volunteered to be locked in with groups of 15 inmates at a time to run group sessions. He was awarded a teaching fellowship and worked on Federal projects funded by the Justice Department through L.E.A.A. while completing his doctoral studies. He moved to Oklahoma in 1979 and became one the country’s youngest Department Chairs. In the ensuing years he became director of graduate and undergraduate programs in Sociology and Criminal Justice.

Dr. Kurtz has been instrumental in the development of a statewide research consortium that funds research in criminal justice. The John F. Kennedy School for Government at Harvard University chose this program as a national semifinalist for an award as an Innovation in Government in 1999. He was invited to be a guest speaker at the National Institute of Justice in the summer of 1997 to talk about linking academia with applied areas such as The Criminal Justice System. He returned to Washington the following summer as a guest of the National Institute of Justice to attend a seminar on grant writing and research partnerships.

He has received funding from the State of Oklahoma to study Electronic Monitoring, Prison Escapes, and Victims Services and to flow chart the Oklahoma Criminal Justice System Flow. His most recent projects include developing a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice Administration with The U.S. Military. His work resulted in a Memorandum of Understanding awarding OCU a 7 year exclusivity contract to offer the MCJA at Fort Sill.

In addition to his research, he has developed international programs with the Republic of China and Malaysia, as well as domestic programs with the U.S. Military and General Motors. He has established courses in Germany and England that explore comparative issues in criminal justice systems and he directed his 16h annual seminar last winter in the United Kingdom. His international seminar has attracted students from other universities in Oklahoma and Texas resulting in cooperative agreements between the academic departments at those universities and OCU.

Dr. Kurtz is an accomplished musician who plays five instruments. He played professionally during and after his undergraduate career and continues to play today as time permits. He has played jazz, rhythm and blues, folk, rock and country music. He developed one the of the country’s first courses on the Sociology of Modern Music. In 2004 he was the topic of a musical biography show on cable television. He still performs with an award-winning band that was voted Country Band of The Tear by The Oklahoma Country Music Association in 2001. The bands web site is: Straightshooterband.net.

Dr. Kurtz is active in the community working with young people. He coached basketball and soccer for ten years and is licensed to coach both sports at the national level. Stressing goal attainment and teaching through positive reinforcement, his teams have won over twenty local, state or regional championships. Scores of young people from his teams have gone on to play and excel in high school and college sports. One of his basketball players JR Giddens was selected to the Mac Donald’s All American Team, The Nike Team and The Michael Jordan Team. He has two older children who were both honor students and competitive athletes. His daughter played College Soccer and was a member of O.C.U.s National runners up in 2002. His son was an All State Soccer Player and a member of the Olympic Training Team. He is in the Honors College at the University of Oklahoma. Dr. Kurtz has written two books about coaching youth sports and has been teaching a course on the Sociology of Sports for over twenty years. He currently coaches his twin daughters second grade soccer team in the Oklahoma Christian League.

Dr. Kurtz is involved with a Community Policing Study being conducted by the Oklahoma City Police Department. He recently appeared on public television as part of a blue ribbon panel to discuss the new Intelligence Bill. He appeared on public television recently to discuss terrorism and the bombings in London. His latest study deals with CSI Myth Making and Homicide Clearance Rates.