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Jason Waller - Faculty Bio.Office Location: Pirtle Technology Complex # T-331 Office Phone Number: 903-510-2539 TJC Email Address: jwal@tjc.edu Other Address Information you want given to students/public: N/A Links to your own website(s): N/A Academic Credentials:
Course Teachings:
Number of Years at TJC: I have taught full time since 2001 and had previously been an Adjunct Professor at T.J.C. from 1994 to 1998. I have also taught periodically at the Tyler Junior College Law Enforcement Academy for more than 10 years. Teaching Philosophy: I spent over 20 years in full-time law enforcement and simply loved everyday I worked. I did not approach criminal justice as just a “job.” I looked at it as my “profession;” my chosen profession and something I was going to do everyday and that I wanted to be the best that I could be at my profession. That’s my teaching philosophy. To encourage my students to love being a part of the criminal justice system, no matter what specific field in which they chose to work; to be the best that they can be; and to not just treat it like a job – but to treat it like the honorable profession that it is! Greeting to Students: First of all, “Welcome to Tyler Junior College!” Welcome to the best junior/community college in Texas, if not the nation! I am so honored that you have chosen to study the exciting field of criminal justice and that you have selected one or more of the interesting courses of study which I teach here at TJC. My job is to not only teach you the basis of knowledge that you are going to need to work in the criminal justice field, it is also to motivate you into completing your studies with a baccalaureate degree once you’ve graduated from Tyler Junior College, and finally, to strive to become the best criminal justice professional you can possibly become. Now, unlike some colleges and universities at which a student may find themselves – the criminal justice faculty here at TJC have all “been there” – and we all have over 20 years of full-time law enforcement and we bring that knowledge and experience into the classroom. I think you will find my courses not only informative and motivating, but also enjoyable. And hey, isn’t that what college is supposed to be about – learning AND having fun! Statement of usual method of evaluation of students (number of tests, essay paper, book reviews, etc.): Typically, each of my courses involves a lecture, based on the materials in the assigned textbooks. I found out early on that I am a multi-modal learner – meaning that I understand things better when I can hear, see, and have hands-on instruction. That is also the type of instructor I try to be – not only providing a lecture, but to also utilize teaching aids (i.e. Powerpoint presentations, hand-outs, and video) to help my students become better learners. During the semester, a student can expect between four and five examinations, based on the chapters we study in the textbook. I also have periodic “quizzes” based on the chapters we read. These quizzes add up into a full examination grade that is used to also average the student’s grade. I also typically assign a short (three to five page) research paper in each of classes which is tied into the course topic. Finally, at the conclusion of the semester, we have a final examination. Professional Associations: I am a member of a number of professional organizations, some within the criminal justice field and others outside it. They include:
I have also been a previous member in many other professional organizations or societies, based on the duties I had when I worked full time in law enforcement. These associations included:
I still hold a commission through the Smith County Sheriff’s Office as a licensed Peace Officer, where I serve as a non-paid peace officer. I continue to periodically provide services in various areas for the Sheriff’s Office. I actually started my law enforcement career here at Tyler Junior College, working in the Campus Police Department from 1982 to 1984. I then worked as a Police Officer for the Tyler Police Department from 1984 to 1987, before moving over to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office in 1987. I worked at the Sheriff’s Office in several capacities, until I left in 2001 to become a professor at T.J.C. I have developed and taught continuing education courses for Texas Peace Officers in crime scene investigations, fingerprint recovery and comparisons, domestic violence investigations, interview and interrogations, courtroom testimony, cultural diversity, general criminal laws, arrest and search warrant preparation, and search and seizure laws. I am considered an expert in several subjects related to criminal justice, including forensic investigations, death/homicide investigations, domestic and sexual violence, along with search and seizure issues. I have also been certified to testify and have testified in state and federal courts (for both the prosecution and for the defense) in Texas as an expert in fingerprints, crime scene investigations, blood spatter interpretation, and composite facial reconstruction. I have testified in state and federal courts throughout Texas, along with courts in Arizona, Georgia, and Florida on murders cases in which he was involved. I also operate Jason Waller Forensic Services, a part-time job away from the college, where I am available to testify on behalf of both prosecution and defense attorneys in the field of homicide, forensics and crime scene related issues. I have made presentations for several law enforcement and non-law enforcement groups including: the Community College Criminal Justice Educators of Texas, the Homicide Investigators of Texas Association, the East Texas Peace Officer’s Association, the Texas Association of Women in Law Enforcement, the Chief Deputies Association of Texas, the East Texas Crisis Center and the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services – Adult & Child Protective Services. While serving as an active law enforcement officer, I worked as a Patrol Officer, a Field Training Officer, a Communications Training Officer, a Criminal Investigator and finally as a Detective Lieutenant. As an Investigator, I specialized in the investigations of homicides, robberies, forensics, and sex crimes. I worked on over 120 murders in Smith County, most of them as the Lead Investigator and worked on and consulted on over 100 other murder cases around Tyler and the East Texas area. He has experience in having investigated thousands of death scenes and scenes of violence. I am a former President of Homicide Investigators of Texas (the state homicide association – where I served for seven years as their Secretary-Treasurer and two years as a Regional Director), along with being a past-president of the Smith County Peace Officer’s Association. Being the president of our state homicide investigator’s organization has been one of my greatest honors; to be recognized by your peers from across the state of Texas in the field of homicide investigation. I am very honored to have been previously awarded the Murdock Memorial Award in Forensic Sciences, by the East Texas Peace Officer Association in 1995 and to have been presented with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Education (TCLEOSE) Academic Recognition Award in 2001. I was also the first recipient of the Outstanding Young Law Enforcement Officer in Tyler, Texas in 1994, presented by the Jaycees organization. Because of his work in cases assigned to him, I have been interviewed and featured in Vanity Fair magazine, Detective Dragnet magazine, Detective Cases magazine, ABC's Primetime Live news magazine, Discovery Channel's Justice Files, and recently on A&E network’s Cold Case Files. The investigative work that I participated in has also been featured in the BBC television documentary film, Lone Star Hate, and an independent documentary film, License To Kill, (which won a Sundance Film Festival’s top documentary award), along with numerous local, state, and national newspaper articles and television broadcasts related to case investigations. Besides being a big fan and supporter of the T.J.C. Apache athletic teams, I am a Die Hard fan of the Chicago Cubs baseball team! During football season, I officiate high school football, which I thoroughly enjoy doing. I grew up in Gladewater, Texas (30 miles north of Tyler) and attended Tyler Junior College on Choir and Band scholarships. While at T.J.C, I was an active member of the Apache Band, the Concert choir, Student Senate, Kappa Kappa Psi honor fraternity, the Law Enforcement Students Association (LESA), and several other campus organizations. After receiving his Associates degree from T.J.C., I completed his Bachelor’s of Science degree at the University of Texas at Tyler. Since becoming a member of the full time faculty here at T.J.C. , I returned to U.T. Tyler to work on his Masters degree in Criminal Justice in 2002. I was the first person to graduate from U.T. Tyler with a Masters of Science in Criminal Justice degree and did so while maintaining a 3.91 GPA. I was also the first person to write a thesis for the Criminal Justice program at U.T. Tyler. My thesis Domestic Violence: Do Better Investigations Equal More Punitive Prosecutions has been published and can be found in both the U.T. Tyler and T.J.C. libraries. |
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