Jay P. Kennedy '01

by Ashley Hutcherson

Jay P. Kennedy
 Jay P. Kennedy
Jay P. Kennedy

 Jay P. Kennedy

A love of community led Jay Kennedy to EMU. Jay believes in creating relationships, and he found that with ease at Eastern. Before graduating from Eastern in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science in Criminology, Jay was firmly invested in campus life. He was a part of housing staff for residence life, a member of the Varsity Rifle Team, a member of Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity and a member of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.

“I wanted to go to school at a place that I could feel connected to the university,” said Jay.

Jay is currently an Assistant Professor at the Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection in the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University. Aside from teaching, Jay is a researcher and writer, having published six articles and chapters on issues involving crimes against business.

Preparing for Future Success

He views earning his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati as his biggest achievement. Jay is also proud pf the research he has led, the several fellowships he has earned and having earned the respect of his peers and mentors. He said, “I feel that entire journey is one big accomplishment.”

Jay acknowledges Dr. Paul Leighton, Professor Ronald Woods, Dr. Karen Sinclair, Dr. Morgan Milner and Dr. Gregg Barak, as faculty that made an impact on him He appreciates the time they invested in him. He also says,

“My mentor at EMU was Larry Smith, former VP of University Marketing and Student Affairs. He is still a very close friend and I credit much of what I have done to his support and guidance.”

Paying it Forward

Jay is an Eagle Scout! With over 17 years of experience in Boy Scouts of America, he prides himself on his dedication to the organization. From 2001 to 2004 he was the Senior District Executive for the organization. In his role, Jay provided service to several districts and carried out council-wide responsibilities such as leadership and maintaining volunteer opportunities.

When Jay manages to pull away from his research and organizations, he spends time with his daughter, Jaime and enjoys building scale model WWII German armor.