The International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life of Brandeis University has selected Professor James D. Slack (Ph.D., Ph.D.), as one of its inaugural Faculty Fellows in the Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation (ENACT) program. The program is designed to be a strategic information hub to stimulate young people to acquire the types of personal interaction that will inspire them to adopt Supreme Court Justice Brandis' belief that the "most important political office is that of the private citizen." ENACT serves to connect participants with their counterparts throughout the country. The program is funded by Mr. and Mrs. Norbert Weissburg. One of the selection criteria is for the recipient univeristy to be at or near a state capital city. Jackson State University is one of 15 institutions selected for ENACT participation.
Each ENACT Faculty Fellow focuses on a particular public policy. For more than a decade, Professor Slack’s scholarship has focused on Death Policy (murder, executions, and abortion). His book, Abortion, Executions, and the Consequences of Taking Life (Transaction Publishers) is now in its second edition,
Over the next four years, Professor Slack will integrate Jackson State University students in hands-on application in research and courses pertaining to the death penalty in Mississippi, with the goal of bringing consequences of murder and consequences of capital punishment to the forefront of policy makers, advocacy groups, and citizens in the state. Each student will work with a legislative mentor and an advocacy group mentor.
Professor Slack notes, “I am truly honored to represent the Department of Public Policy and Administration, the College of Public Service, and Jackson State University in this important initiative. In the field of public administration, the streets of Jackson and the surrounding agencies are laboratories for our students. To be effective citizens and future policy actors, students must learn to see, hear, touch, smell and even taste the intimate consequences of public policy and policy change. This initiative gives our students an opportunity to gain much experience.” Interested JSU undergraduate and graduate students should contact Dr. Slack at james.d.slack@jsums.edu.
“The awarding fellowships like this bring national recognition to our institution and graduate program and most important, new opportunities for our students to study policy issues", said Ricardo Brown, Dean of the College of Public Service.
Congratulations, Professor Slack, on being selected as an inaugural Faculty Fellow in the ENACT Program.
