Lea Wandling
Lea Wandling ’98 played an instrumental role in the creation and implementation of the new Criminal Justice program at Hocking College and now serves as its Director as well as Chair of the Public Safety Services Department.
She earned a B.A. in Sociology-Criminology with a minor in Psychology from the College of Arts & Sciences at Ohio University and a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati.
Wandling serves as an academic adviser for the Criminal Justice program students at Hocking College and on the Wellness Committee and Student Success Committee. She is also the co-adviser of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor’s Fraternity.
Challenge and Reward
Wandling has taught numerous classes including, Incarceration Issues, Thinking Errors, Introduction to Counseling, and Capstone Justice Administration.
She also teaches UC 1000: Mastering the University Experience at Ohio University’s Athens campus during fall semester.
“I didn’t come from an education background, so walking into the classroom to teach was a very new and intimidating experience for me,” Wandling explains. “I am still learning and always trying to do things a new way to see what works best. I absolutely love teaching and being in the classroom with the students. I love sharing my experiences and my expertise with them. I like to challenge students to make them think critically about what they are learning in the classroom and how to apply what they learn to real-world situations.”
Broad Experience
Prior to joining the college, Wandling spent 13 years working for Athens County Municipal Court in various positions, such as the Intensive Supervision Program Director/Probation Officer, Drug Court Program Director/Probation Officer, Bailiff and Chief Probation Officer.
Wandling also worked as a process server for the court and did some work as a Guardian ad Litem for Athens County Juvenile Court. She also spent four years working at O’Bleness Memorial Hospital as the Assistant Director and Director of the Safety and Security Department.
In her spare time, she loves to read and spend time with her family.
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