Dr. Ed McGarrell: 2024 Wall of Fame Inductee
December 16, 2024
Dr. Ed McGarrell is an Emeritus Professor in the School of Criminal Justice at MSU and an inductee into the 2024 School of Criminal Justice Wall of Fame!
Dr. Ed McGarrell grew up in Elmira, New York. Elmira is known by criminal justice historians as the home of the nation’s first reformatory that sought to separate youthful inmates from adult prisoners and provide a more “reform” oriented experience. While attending Mansfield University in Pennsylvania, one of McGarrell’s former baseball coaches, who was an institutional parole officer at the reformatory, provided an internship opportunity to work at the facility. This experience sparked an interest in the field of criminal justice. After graduating from Mansfield University, Dr. McGarrell would attend the University of Albany – State University of New York to earn his PhD.
Dr. McGarrell started his faculty career at Indiana University – Bloomington. He took a two-year detour to Washington State University where he also served as the Co-Director of the Washington State Institute for Community Oriented Policing. The Institute was based on a partnership between the University and the State Police Chiefs and Sheriffs Association. Dr. McGarrell says “this was in the early days of the term ‘community policing,’ which has strong Michigan State University roots. Indeed, the work of MSU’s Dr. Robert Trojanowicz and his colleagues served as the foundational research on community policing…that was where I found the opportunity to work collaboratively with criminal justice agencies and community partners.” Upon returning to Indiana University, he continued this collaborative, community-engaged research through a partnership with the City of Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Police Department, and other criminal justice and community partners. Dr. McGarrell served on the faculty at Indiana University – Bloomington from 1986-2001, and as Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice from 1996-2000.
Dr. McGarrell joined Michigan State University as the Director of the School of Criminal Justice in 2001 and served as Director until 2014. Dr. McGarrell says he was interested in joining Michigan State University because of his admiration for the research being conducted within the School and its history as a leader in policing and community policing. As Director of the School, Dr. McGarrell oversaw and implemented initiatives that increased the School’s global reputation and reach.
At Michigan State University Dr. McGarrell was the central researcher involved in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide project to reduce gun violence and violent crime in communities across the United States. Through Project Safe Neighborhoods, Dr. McGarrell has developed a program that pairs researchers with local law enforcement to identify and establish evidence-based strategies that address gun violence and violent crime in their communities. In 2025, Project Safe Neighborhoods will turn 25 years old and has been continuously funded across four presidential administrations and has been credited with saving countless lives. Dr. McGarrell was recently recognized with an Excellence in Criminal Justice Award by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice, for his work on Project Safe Neighborhoods and related public safety initiatives.
Throughout his career, Dr. McGarrell has published over 90 peer-reviewed journal articles, contributed to over 20 books, and mentored dozens of graduate students and junior faculty members. He has also received numerous awards for his achievements and contributions to the field of Criminal Justice, including the American Society of Criminology Division of Experimental Criminology’s Jerry Lee Lifetime Achievement Award, the Michigan State University College of Social Science Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Michigan State University William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty Award.
Dr. McGarrell says that the most rewarding aspect of his career has been collaborating and building relationships with students, faculty, and practitioners from around the world and seeing the positive impact their partnerships have had. Outside of academia, Dr. McGarrell enjoys fly fishing, golfing, and spending time with his wife, kids, and grandchildren.