Kenneth M. Quick, Ph.D.
Dr. Kenneth Quick is a subject matter expert on police organizational culture, leadership, officer wellness, and assistant professor of crininal justice at DeSales University. As a recently retired and accomplished police executive, Kenneth was called to academia out of his desire to improve the current state of policing through teaching and responsible, rigorous research. He advocates for police reform through advancing evidence-based practices and theorizes that the best path to reform is through positive reinforcement, addressing officer wellness, and driving organizational culture change.
Ken is a translational criminologist who prides himself on bridging the gap between academics and practitioners. His research focuses on the effect of officer morale and well-being on agency performance and community satisfaction with the police. He uses mixed-methods to address longstanding police problems, such as cynicism, burnout, and mental health stigma, by building on classical literature through an organizational culture lens. One particularly promising area where Kenneth is at the forefront is the use of professionally trained dogs to address officer wellness. He engages in both domestic and international research projects, several of which are funded through public grants. He continuously strives to advance the state of policing by regularly publishing in scholarly journals, presenting at conferences, and continuously working with criminal justice practitioners through a variety of platforms.
Kenneth also has a passion for teaching future generations of criminal justice professionals to be conscientious and responsible champions for evidence-based practices. His goal is to provide a practical and engaging learning experience that helps students build critical thinking and analytical skills that are crucial to their future success. Having served the public in uniform for over two decades, Kenneth now uses his experience and academic knowledge to prepare students to go forth and serve society.
"This Professor was one of the best teachers I've had this semester. I truly enjoyed his class, and I always looked forward to his class. He is a great professor!" - Undergraduate student evaluation
"Professor Quick was one of the best professors I've had throughout my studies in the ICJ program. He is genuine, understanding, and challenges all of us to think intelligently and competently. I have no doubt that the material I learned in his class will come in handy throughout my career post-graduation." - Graduate student evaluation
"Professor Quick is a dynamic and effective instructor who respects his students and cares that they achieve success in his class." - Faculty evaluator
For more information, please email Kenneth at kenneth.quick@DeSales.edu