James Marquart Named Academic Fellow Of Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Dr. James W. Marquart, professor and director of the Criminology Program in UT Dallas’ School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, has been admitted to the Academic Fellows Program of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD).

Based in Washington, D.C., FDD is a nonpartisan policy institute that, according to its web site (www.defenddemocracy.org), is devoted to “promoting pluralism, defending democratic values and fighting the ideologies that drive terrorism.” The organization pursues its goals through policy research, “democracy training,” strategic communications and investigative journalism.

Marquart will join 35 other academics from throughout the U.S. on an FDD study trip to Israel May 26 – June 6. The intensive program will include lectures by scholars, military and intelligence officials and diplomats from Israel, Jordan, India, Turkey and the U.S., who will discuss how democracies can defeat terrorist threats. The group will also visit police, customs and immigration facilities, military bases and border zones.

Marquart joined UT Dallas in 2005 to head up the university’s growing Criminology Program. His research and teaching interests include prison organizations, capital punishment, criminal justice policy and research methods.  Earlier this year, the program began offering graduate degrees in criminology, including the first doctoral degree in criminology in Texas.