Meet Our Professors: Dr. Kevan Jacobson, Criminal Justice
Posted: May 11, 2017 | Author: Abigail Wyatt | Read Time: 2 minutes
As a retired army colonel who served more than 30 years as a lawyer in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, Dr. Kevan Jacobson’s expansive knowledge and experiences influences his approach to teaching.
Jacobson joined the criminal justice faculty at Southern Utah University in 2015 shortly after his military retirement.
Jacobson teaches the following classes:
- CJ 1330 Criminal Law
- CJ 2350 Laws of Evidence
- CJ 3320 Criminal Procedure
- CJ 4740 Terrorism & Homeland Security
- POLS 1100 American National Government
Throughout Jacobson’s military career, he was cast into many informal and formal leadership roles. He was repeatedly assigned to lead many of the Army’s largest and most complex legal operations, often involving the supervision of hundreds of attorneys and legal professionals.
“As long as I can remember, I aspired to serve my country in uniform as an officer in the army,” said Jacobson. “It was a happy coincidence to be able to combine my two passions, law and military, to serve a cause far greater than myself.”
He also taught criminal law and served as an associate dean at the Army Judge Advocate General’s School. This gave him plenty of opportunities to coach, train and mentor the next generation of leaders, which were some of his most rewarding moments in his military career.
“I’ve had the great blessing to adopt what I call a legion of stepsons and stepdaughters across the world and help them develop personally and professionally,” said Jacobson. “When the time came for me to retire I wanted to continue teaching and shaping growing generations.”
In the classroom he places high value on discussion and interaction. Jacobson uses everything and anything to help illustrate difficult legal principles including literature, math, science, history and music. Each semester he tells his students he’s willing to do anything to facilitate their learning experience shy of interpretive dance.
“I strive to teach in a straightforward way so my students can learn and address legal concepts,” he said. “Though not all my students will pursue a legal career, I try to provide them with the firm educational foundation they need.”
Jacobson enjoys spending time with his family and being outdoors. He also likes all things historical and is always reading about military history. Although he enjoyed serving in the military and traveling around the world, he’s grateful to be able to settle down in rural Utah close to Delta where he and his wife grew up.
Jacobson earned his Bachelor in Political Science from Utah State University. Later, he earned a law degree from Brigham Young University, an LL.M. from The Judge Advocate General’s School and a Master in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College.
He received several awards for his service including the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal and the Iraqi Campaign Medal.
This article was published more than 5 years ago and might contain outdated information or broken links. As a result, its accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
Tags: Criminal Justice College of Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty
