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Frank Ferdik

Frank Ferdik

Assistant Professor

Criminal Justice

“I believe my greatest contribution to the criminal justice department specifically, and Austin Peay community broadly, is my sincere passion for conducting research. I enjoy learning about the social world around us, and hopefully transmitting that same zeal to my students.” How do you stand out in your area/department/field of study?
  • Bachelor of Science Degree (Criminal Justice), Excelsior College
  • Master of Arts Degree (English), West Chester University of Pennsylvania
  • Master of Science Degree (Criminal Justice), West Chester University of Pennsylvania
  • Doctor of Philosophy Degree (Criminology and Criminal Justice), University of South Carolina

Dr. Ferdik has been teaching in higher education for over ten years. He teaches a range of courses, consisting of Introduction to Criminal Justice, Research Methods, Quantitative and Qualitative Data Analysis, Homeland Security, Terrorism, Policing, and Corrections. With his Master's degree in English, Dr. Ferdik has also taught Introduction to Literature courses. He currently serves as the internship coordinator for the Department of Criminal Justice where he supervises intern work, and networks with agencies in Tennessee to place interested students in agencies of their choice.

Currently, he has 26 peer-reviewed publications in top-ranked journals, including Criminal Justice and Behavior, and Crime and Delinquency. He is the recipient of various extramural and intramural grants totaling over $100,000. He has also presented his research at various regional, national, and international conference venues, including the Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology conference, and the European Society of Criminology conference. Dr. Ferdik has networked extensively with correctional practitioners in the state of Tennessee, where he plans to leverage these relationships for future research collaborations.

•Risk in Criminal Justice
•Criminal Justice Practitioner Decision-Making
•Perceptual Outcomes
•Corrections
•Criminological Theory
•Research Methods
•Quantitative and Qualitative Methods
•English Literature and Composition
  • Ferdik, F., Smith, H.P., & Dunton, C. (2024). A mixed-methodological inquiry of correctional population responses towards the Prison Rape Elimination Act. Criminal Justice and Behavior.
  • Smith, H.P., Slade, K., Ferdik, F., Potter, A., & Baguley, T. (2024). Sentinel events in prison: Surveillance of dual-harming incarcerated populations. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation. 1, 1-20.
  • Ferdik, F. (2023). Citizen satisfaction with the police and college-based informal social controls: An unexpected finding. Journal of Criminal Justice. doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2023.102088.
  • Ferdik, F., Frogge, G., & *Doggett, S. (2023). Problem-Solving Covid-19: A qualitative inquiry into how correctional administrators and officers have responded to the dynamic problems of the coronavirus pandemic. Psychology, Public Policy and Law.
  • Ferdik, F. & Pica, E. (2023). Correctional officer turnover intentions and mental illness symptom: Testing the potential confounding effect of resilience. Psychology, Public Policy and Law.
  • Gist, J., Ferdik, F., & Smith, H.P. (2023). A qualitative inquiry into the sources of resilience found among maximum security correctional officers. Criminal Justice Policy Review.
  • Smith, H.P., Ferdik, F.., Dunton, C., & *Bolaji, Q. (2023). An assessment of the knowledge, support and behavior surrounding the implementation of the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). Criminal Justice and Behavior.
  • Dunton, C., Smith, H.P., & Ferdik, F. (2023). Examining correctional administrator perceptions of the prison rape elimination act (PREA). Prison Service Journal.
  • Ferdik, F., Frogge, G., & *Doggett, S. (2022). ‘It’s like the zombie apocalypse here’: Correctional officer perspectives on the deleterious effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Crime and Delinquency. DOI: 00111287221131038.
  • Ferdik, F, Frogge, G.., & Cooney, M. (2022). Exploring further determinants of citizen satisfaction with the police: The role of strain. Journal of Criminal Justice, 11, pp. 1-11.
  • Smith, H.P., Ferdik, F., *Crawford, A., & Radcliffe, S. (2022). An evaluation of a yoga program for correctional administrators and officers. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation. DOI: 10.1080/10509674.2021.2017385
  • Goulette, N., Denney, A., Crow, M., & Ferdik, F. (2021). ‘Anything can happen at anytime’: Perceived causes of correctional officer injuries. Criminal Justice Review. DOI: 10.1177/0734016820952521.
  • Herzog, J., Ferdik, F., Scott, D., Denney, A., & Britt, C. (2019). Effects of veteran treatment court participation: Findings from a qualitative exploration. Journal of Veteran Studies. Vol. 8, pp. 99-122.
  • Ferdik, F., Gist, J.*, & Evans, S. (2018). Deviant peer associations and perceived police legitimacy: Is there a connection? Criminal Justice Policy Review.
  • Ferdik, F. (2017). Correctional officer risk perceptions and professional orientations: Examining linkages between the two. Criminal Justice and Behavior. DOI: 10.1177/0093854817733496.
  • Ferdik, F., & Hills, P*. (2017). Analyzing further predictors of correctional officer professional orientations: The role of turnover intentions. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology. DOI 10.1177/0306624X16684567.
  • Herzog, J., Fleming, T., Ferdik, F., & Durkin, D. (2016). The association between secondary trauma and mental health outcomes among adolescents: Findings from a nationally representative cross-sectional survey. Traumatology. Vol. 22 (4), 307-313.
  • Ferdik, F. (2016). An investigation into the risk perceptions held by maximum security correctional officers. Psychology, Crime and Law. DOI 10.1080/1068316X.2016.1194985.
  • Ferdik, F., & Smith, H.P. (2015). Maximum security correctional officers: An exploratory investigation into their social bases of power. American Journal of Criminal Justice. DOI 10.1007/s12103-015-9307-5.
  • Ferdik, F., Gist, J*., & Blasco, N*. (2015). Perceived police legitimacy: Investigating its association with college-based informal social controls. Psychology, Crime and Law. DOI: 10.1080/1068316X.2015.1085982.
  • Ferdik, F. (2014). The influence of strain on law enforcement legitimacy evaluations. Journal of Criminal Justice. Vol. 42, p. 443-451.
  • Ferdik, F., Kaminksi, R.J., Cooney, M., & Sevigny, E. (2014). The influence of agency policies on conducted energy device use and police use of lethal force. Police Quarterly. DOI: 10.1177/1098611114548098.
  • Ferdik, F., Smith, H.P., & Applegate, B. (2014). The role of emotional dissonance and job desirability in predicting correctional officer turnover intentions. Criminal Justice Studies. DOI 10.1080/1478601X.2014.938741.
  • Ferdik, F., Wolfe, S., & Blasco, N. (2013). Informal social controls, procedural justice, and police legitimacy: Do social bonds influence evaluations of police legitimacy? American Journal of Criminal Justice. Vol. 39 (3), p. 471-492.
  • Ferdik, F., Rojek, J., & Alpert, G. (2013). Citizen oversight in the United States and Canada: An overview. Police Practice and Research: An International Journal. Vol. 14 (2), p. 97-111.
  • Sevigny, E., Fulehan, B., & Ferdik, F. (2013). Do drug courts reduce the use of incarceration?: A meta-analysis. Journal of Criminal Justice. Vol. 41(6), p. 416-425.