Meet Anthony Frongillo, professor of "Leadership & Management" in our Professional Studies concentration, Criminal Justice, MS.

• How long have you been teaching in the Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ) program? What is your background in the criminal justice world?

In 2010 I began pursuing a post-baccalaureate degree as I knew continuing education was important to me. In June of 2011 I entered the Lowell Police Academy, and I tabled my dream of medical school. Within weeks of starting the academy I knew I missed the academic rigors of higher education, and within a year of graduating from the academy I began my Master’s in Criminal Justice at the University of Massachusetts. By 2015 I had completed my master’s degree and the University offered me a fully funded fellowship to pursue my doctorate. Finding a work/school balance was a challenge, and seven years later I finished my PhD. While higher education fulfilled a desire to contextually explore the philosophical and psychological origins of human behavior, I found that my true passion was engaging in academic discourse. In 2018 I began teaching at police academies across the state as I felt that these deeper questions were critical to the development of the next generation of officers. In 2021 I was fortunate enough to be brought on board at the Fitchburg State Police Academy, and I began working with the recruits of the 5^th ROC. Impressed by their academic foundation, critical thinking, and thirst for knowledge, I began taking a more academic approach to my work in the academy. In 2022 I was asked to teach in the Fitchburg State master’s program, and it has created an opportunity to broaden those discussions to a wider range of criminological and psychological backgrounds. It has also allowed me to maintain a professional relationship with former recruits who are now police officers, but remain in the program for an additional year. Being a passenger as they grow into this career has become one of my favorite benefits to teaching.

• What advice do you have for prospective or current MSCJ students? 

Too often beliefs become the foundation for perspective, and too often we lose sight of the almost innumerable perspectives possible. Keep an open mind and have an empty cup – and if you can do that, you’ll find that you begin to listen to understand instead of listening to simply respond.

• What is the main takeaway from your classes in this program? 

The main takeaway from my classes is the ability to critically think. The information presented by students is always shaped by their own experiences and their own unique perspectives. My goal as an educator isn’t to change their mind, but to open it to the myriad of information out there. By applying the scientific method to criminological inquiries students can better filter fact from idea, and better articulate why as opposed to what.

• What energizes and excites you about this program? Why Fitchburg State?

I love the intellectual discourse that follows as a byproduct of such a diverse student body. That diversity inspires a myriad of career choices, brings to light a vast range of experiences and perspectives, and enriches the conversation to encompass a circumspect understanding of the issues that face contemporary policing.