Dr. Joan Neff
Professor of Criminal Justice
Expertise: criminal behavior; delinquent behavior; victimology; criminal justice system; juvenile justice system
Dr. Neff oversees the institution’s academic efforts, working alongside the academic deans and faculty to maintain and enhance the quality of academic programs, implement innovation in the classroom and encourage the professional development of WVU Tech’s instructors.
She came to Tech after serving as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. Before her tenure at Longwood, she worked at the University of Richmond for more than 30 years, moving from professor to associate dean to department chair and eventually serving as assistant provost.
Neff earned her undergraduate degree in sociology at the University of Delaware and both her master’s and doctorate in sociology at The Ohio State University. Her scholarly work includes detailed research and publications in criminology. In 2014, Neff received the Outstanding Victim Services Award from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice for her work in training service providers to assist and support victims of crime.