Students may have the impression that the colleges and programs at Prairie View A&M University have existed in their present forms for many years. In reality, many new, progressive programs exist at PVAMU. For example, all present elements of the College of Juvenile Justice and Psychology have been developed since 1998. In May of that year the administration of PVAMU gathered a number of visionaries — specialists representing several disciplines — to serve as a think tank. The purpose of the think tank (later known in-house as “the brain trust”) was to develop new and insightful ways to effectively prevent juvenile crime. The think tank met at least once per week in those first few years to share ideas, to wrestle with concepts, and to struggle with obstacles. To stay on track in their meetings, members would regularly be reminded by their team leader, Dr. H. Elaine Rodney, “Remember, we are here for the children!”
Students majoring in Criminal Justice, Juvenile Justice, and Psychology may be unaware that some of their professors began at Prairie View as members of this think tank. Did you know that the founding team consisted of Drs. Charles Bailey, Bob Mupier, Richard Tachia, and Ed Schauer; and added to this think tank rather early on were Drs. Clete Snell and Anthony Carona?
These individuals were instrumental in first conceptualizing, and then in creating almost every component of what exists today in Juvenile Justice and Psychology. They began with two tiny, struggling undergraduate programs; and based upon this foundation and guided by their insight grew the College of Juvenile Justice and Psychology.
The PVAMU administrators must be commended for their insightfulness in setting up this think tank, for it has resulted in Prairie View A&M leading the nation and the world in several areas: Conceptualizations of the think tank resulted in the first doctoral degree at PVAMU, which in turn became the first degree of its kind in the world. State approval of the Ph.D. degree in Juvenile Justice also made it easier for PVAMU to get additional doctoral degrees approved.
Prairie View was also first in the world to create a Juvenile Forensic Psychology master’s degree, a master’s degree in Juvenile Justice, and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a focus on Juvenile Forensics. PVAMU is also the first university in the world to create a College of Juvenile Justice and Psychology.
Initially, the founding members of the think tank each had a specialized task with the Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention Center: Dr. Bailey was the Center’s assistant director, Dr. Mupier — the researcher, Dr. Tachia — the statistician, and Dr. Schauer was responsible for promotion and community outreach. After the first few years of Center and College development, each of the founding members was promoted to a tenure-track teaching position. Thus, it is in the classroom now that students may feel privileged to receive the insight and ethic of these thinkers.