This award recognizes outstanding achievement in teaching and mentoring among scholars and educators specializing in policing. He will accept the award in Chicago at the Annual Division of Policing Meeting in November.

The American Society of Criminology (ASC) describes itself as “an international organization whose members pursue scholarly, scientific and professional knowledge concerning the measurement, etiology, consequences, prevention, control and treatment of crime and delinquency.” Its division of policing is interested in advancing policing and public safety through research and evaluation. Mrozla first became involved with ASC by presenting research at their annual conference.

This teaching award is not Mrozla’s first. In the past, Mrozla—who is originally from Fargo, North Dakota, and has been teaching at USD since 2018—has won other teaching and mentorship awards, such as the 2025 USD Belbas-Larson Award for Teaching and the 2023 Cutler Award for the Liberal Arts in the USD College of Arts and Sciences. His teaching in policing emphasizes the complex relationship between law enforcement, communities and public expectations, encouraging students to critically examine the challenges facing modern policing. During his tenure, Mrozla has worked with hundreds of students and taught a wide range of courses, including introductory and advanced courses on policing, criminology, information literacy, serial killers and gangs.

Mrozla reflected on his achievement by saying, “Teaching and mentorship are probably the parts of my job that mean the most to me, so being recognized for that work by colleagues in the field was especially meaningful. I am grateful to my students and colleagues, as well as the mentors I have learned from throughout my career. I see an award like this as a reflection of all the people who have helped shape me as a teacher, mentor and scholar.

“My teaching philosophy centers on making students active participants in their education rather than simply asking them to memorize information,” Mrozla continued. “I want students to understand the material, but more importantly, I want them to be able to question it, apply it and connect it to the world around them. That means my courses tend to incorporate discussion, real-world examples, research, activities and opportunities for students to work through problems themselves. Criminal justice involves complicated issues without easy answers, so I try to create a classroom where students can wrestle with those complexities, disagree respectfully and become more comfortable supporting their conclusions with evidence. I also think teaching extends beyond the classroom. Helping students identify career paths, find internships, participate in research, attend conferences or simply figure out what they want to do next is an important part of the job.”

Eric M. Jepsen, Ph.D., Odeen-Swanson distinguished professor and chair, said, “It is no surprise that Dr. Mrozla was named as the recipient of this prestigious national teaching and mentoring award. He has been an impactful professor for many hundreds of students during his time at USD, teaching courses on methods, policing and various criminal justice topics.”

Outside of the classroom, Mrozla is currently editing “Policing and Politics: Power, Accountability, and Democratic Governance,” which is under contract with Routledge. The volume brings together scholars from several disciplines to examine policing as a criminal justice and political institution.

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