Gary Rabe, professor of criminal justice, has been named executive director of the Rural Crime and Justice Center, according to Lenore Koczon, Minot State University vice president for academic affairs. Rabe, who will continue to teach, was the center's original executive director from 1999 to 2005. The Rural Crime and Justice Center is a self-contained research organization located on the MSU campus.
"The challenges facing rural communities in North Dakota and across the country are as pronounced as I have ever seen them. Demographic shifts and economic uncertainty, coupled with the reduced federal resources to address crime problems, leaves a larger responsibility to local communities. There is a unique nature to rural crime. Policy responses that work in urban settings will not work in rural communities. Assisting rural communities in assessing crime and developing effective strategies to address it are at the heart of RCJC's mission. It's very gratifying to be back at RCJC," Rabe said in a press release.
Rabe joined Minot State in 1993 and held various positions, including department chair and interim College of Arts and Sciences dean. Under his leadership, the criminal justice department redesigned its master's program and collaborated on the development of a doctorate in criminal justice with the University of North Dakota.
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From 1999 to 2001, Rabe directed the Rural Law Enforcement Education Project, which was instrumental in the Rural Crime and Justice Center's creation. The center was established in 1999 to explore the unique characteristics of rural crime and deviance. In February 2002, the State Board of Higher Education approved the center as a Center of Excellence. The Rural Crime and Justice Center's role evolved to include research and evaluation of various aspects related to criminal justice and has secured more than $10 million in grants and contracts.
Rabe left the Rural Crime and Justice Center when he became the interim vice president for academic affairs and then vice president for academic affairs in 2006. He returned to the classroom in August 2010.
Rabe earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Minot State University in 1987, a master's degree in criminology and corrections from Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas, and a doctoral degree in criminology from the University of Delaware, Newark.