Dr. Henry Pontell, distinguished professor in the Department of Sociology, received the 2025 Outstanding Mentor Award from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS), which recognizes educators who have made a significant contribution to the professional development of criminal justice graduate students and junior faculty members. His other recent honors include the 2024 David O. Friedrichs Teaching Award, 2024 August Vollmer Award, 2023 Outstanding Book Award, 2023 Outstanding Article Award from the American Society of Criminology and the 2023 Bruce Smith, Sr. Award from ACJS.

The Outstanding Mentor Award reflects Pontell’s guidance of numerous students and junior colleagues who have successfully pursued academic careers in the U.S. and internationally including at the University of California Irvine, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Waseda University, National Taiwan University, University of Nevada, Temple University, University of Macau, University of Massachusetts, University of Hong Kong, Beijing Normal University, University of Alabama, Indiana University, University of Texas, University of California Riverside and several California State University campuses, among others. 

Pontell’s award letter included praise like:

“Pontell’s significant contributions to fostering student success for numerous undergraduate and graduate students who he supervised directly over the years, and many more who he has counseled on careers or worked with as a professor and administrator, are all indicative of his extraordinary effectiveness and success as a highly caring mentor.”

“Pontell has published dozens of articles, chapters and books with undergraduate and graduate students throughout his career up to the present…Moreover, on their way to completing their doctoral theses, his graduate students have gone on to highly successful careers, and he has published with every one of them as well, oftentimes on numerous pieces…In total, he’s co-authored five books and 60 articles and chapters with both graduate and undergraduate students.

“In sum, given almost a half-century of dedication to mentoring students, a truly remarkable record of publication with them, their placement in academic positions in criminology and related disciplines in the U.S. and throughout the world, the effective career guidance he has provided, initiating and securing major sources of funding for student research and career development, arranging numerous professional networking opportunities and doing all of this at two major universities in California and New York, we heartily endorse this nomination of Henry Pontell as an exceptionally qualified candidate for the 2025 Outstanding Mentor Award of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.”

The award will be presented at the ACJS national conference in March 2025.