Sociology, Criminology Professor Receives Highest ESU Faculty Award
Emporia, KS (03/25/2026) — Those who nominated Emporia State's 2026 Roe R. Cross Distinguished Professor consistently mentioned "field trips" as a way to relate classroom teaching to the real world. So it was fitting that the announcement delegation crashed a field trip rather than a classroom session to present the award to Dr. Rebecca Rodriguez Carey.
Rodriguez Carey is associate professor in applied sociology and applied criminology in ESU's School of Humanities and Social Sciences.
The Roe R. Cross Distinguished Professor Award has been given since 1979 to the ESU professor who best demonstrates teaching excellence, professional activities, fostering of intellectual atmosphere, service to the university outside the classroom and status as a student mentor. The award includes $1,000 to be used for professional activities.
After plans were made to honor Rodriguez Carey, organizers discovered that she and her class would be at Journeys, an agency in Emporia that helps adults with developmental disabilities by "focusing on abilities."
"She teaches many students at a variety of course levels and always provides an applied learning experience that includes, among other efforts, field trips to local and state correctional facilities and course assignments related to local and state social services," explained Mark Meister, dean of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Meister traveled with ESU President Matt Baker and Provost R. Brent Thomas to Journeys on Wednesday, March 25, to surprise Rodriguez Carey with the announcement.
"You represent all the things that we cherish at Emporia State University," Thomas told Rodriguez Carey in front of her class. "We value students, we value community and since your very first day at Emporia State University, you have lived up to and honored those values and have moved the institution forward.
"You have had a lasting impact on countless students since Day One," he concluded.
Rodriguez Carey earned her bachelor's degree in sociology with a minor in criminal justice from Wichita State University and both her master's and Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Missouri, completing her education in 2018. That same year she was hired at ESU as assistant professor. She was promoted to associate professor in 2024.
During her time at ESU, Rodriguez Carey received the Blue Key Faculty Leadership Award in 2024, the Ruth Schillinger Faculty Award in 2023 for extraordinary contributions to the women of ESU and the Assessment Champion Award in 2022 for outstanding assessment reporting and student learning outcomes.
One of her research interests continues to be pregnant women in prison, the topic of her doctoral dissertation. In 2025, that research resulted in a book, "Birth Behind Bars: The Carceral Control of Pregnant Women in Prison," published by New York University Press.
As the Roe R. Cross Distinguished Professor for 2026, Rodriguez Carey is scheduled to present the address at baccalaureate commencement in December.
About Emporia State University
Emporia State University offers a range of academic programs through its seven schools: Applied Health Sciences, Business and Technology, Humanities and Social Sciences, Library and Information Management and Library and Archives, Science and Mathematics and Visual and Performing Arts, along with The Teachers College.
ESU stands out for its innovative education practices. It ensures accessible education by offering in-state tuition rates to full-time undergraduate students from all lower-48 United States. Additionally, full-time undergraduates benefit from flat-rate tuition - students enrolled in 12 or more credit hours with at least one credit hour on campus pay a flat rate.
For more information on how to build your future at Emporia State University, please visit www.emporia.edu.
Media Attachments
Rebecca Rodriguez Carey, center, stands with Mark Meister, dean of ESU's School of Humanities and Social Sciences, left, and R. Brent Thomas, provost. The two administrators surprised Rodriguez Carey, associate professor of sociology and criminology, with the 2026 Roe R. Cross Distinguished Professor award, the highest honor for an ESU professor.
Emporia State University
Gwendolynne Larson, ESU director of media relations, (620) 341-5528, glarson1@emporia.eduShare this Story
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