Southwest Association of Criminal Justice Honors Cavanaugh with Felix Fabian Award
The Southwest Association of Criminal Justice has honored Dr. Michael Cavanaugh Jr., director of the School of Criminal Justice and Criminology at UA Little Rock, with the Felix Fabian Award.
“It does mean a lot to me to receive the Felix Fabian Award,” Cavanaugh said. “It honors someone who is a pioneer in the criminal justice academia field, and it means that the service I’ve provided for the Southwest Association of Criminal Justice (SWACJ) is valued.”
The Felix Fabian Founder’s award is granted to a SWACJ member who is deserving of special recognition for their outstanding contribution to SWACJ and the profession. The award is named after Fabian, a police officer and professor who co-founded the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and later founded and served as the first president of the Southwest Association of Criminal Justice.
Cavanaugh has consistently demonstrated outstanding leadership and made significant contributions to the organization and the criminal justice profession throughout his more than 10 years as a member of the Southwest Association of Criminal Justice.
Cavanaugh joined SWACJ in 2012 when he became a full-time criminal justice professor. He has served as a member of the audit and student paper competition committees. Additionally, Cavanaugh has served in leadership positions as second vice president, first vice president, president, and immediate past president. Most recently, Cavanaugh oversaw the revision of SWACJ’s constitution and now serves as the organization’s first ombudsman.
“Michael’s contributions to SWACJ are numerous and profound,” wrote Jon Maskaly, an associate professor of criminal justice at the University of North Dakota who nominated Cavanaugh for the award. “Michael played a pivotal role in guiding the organization through one of its most challenging periods, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under his guidance, SWACJ experienced substantial growth, with new members joining and regional associations reinvigorated. These efforts have positioned SWACJ as a thriving and dynamic organization today.”
