April 17, 2024 - Dr. Jordan Babando isn’t new to teaching and he isn’t new to Laurentian. He received both his Bachelor’s of Sociology and his master’s degree from Laurentian. He then went on to complete his doctorate at Queen’s University before teaching at several Ontario Universities and for a short time at UBC, until he eventually came back to Sudbury.
“Once I had my PhD, I wanted to focus on work, growing my career, and growing as a professional,” Dr. Babando says. That’s exactly what he did, teaching and working at seven different universities throughout the course of his PhD and over the following four years.
Dr. Babando finds the experience surreal and humbling, “I get to be back here in a community I love, working at a school that I love. My colleagues are the same people that once mentored me and believed in me and now our offices are just down the hall from each other.”
Dr. Parveen Nangia, Full Professor in the Faculty of Arts, is one of the professor-turned-colleagues that Dr. Babando mentioned. Dr. Nangia supervised Dr. Babando’s master’s and has similar feelings about Dr. Babando’s return to Laurentian. “I am pleased to see Jordan back at Laurentian in a different capacity, as my colleague,” says Dr. Nangia. “He has accumulated a wealth of knowledge through his experience teaching at various universities. He has already started making an imprint in the Criminology program. Dr. Babando’s disciplined work ethic, his care for the students, and his friendly and supportive nature make him a valuable asset to Laurentian University in general and the Faculty of Arts in particular.”
This academic year, Dr. Babando is teaching courses in the Bachelor’s of Criminology program, which is offered both online and on campus. At one time wanting to be in law enforcement himself, Dr. Babando now finds himself teaching criminology to future law enforcement officers, lawyers, and social service workers. He sees the program as a great option for those in rural areas who want to study at a distance and eventually have career prospects, like policing, that are needed everywhere, not just in bigger cities.
Dr. Babando brings with him a unique teaching background in sociology and criminology, and a specialization in mental health and homelessness research. He encourages students from all disciplines to consider criminology courses for their electives, “Criminology courses are appropriate for all students. In my experience, diverse perspectives make for fascinating conversations which are very complimentary to the course content.”
As his Laurentian experience continues to evolve, Dr. Babando says that he is most excited to build a future as a researcher and professor. He is eager to help students achieve their goals, the same way his Laurentian professors did with him.