The Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice is pleased to announce that Dr. Wade Jacobsen has been appointed the University of Maryland’s next Graduate Student Ombuds Officer. He will begin this role on January 5, 2026.

Dr. Jacobsen joined the department in 2017 and is an associate professor and the director of graduate studies. He has held a range of leadership and service roles, including serving as co-director of the department’s undergraduate honors program and acting associate director of the Maryland Population Research Center.

Dr. Jacobsen also holds appointments with the Maryland Population Research Center as a faculty associate, the Maryland Longitudinal Data System Center as a research scholar, and the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law in Germany as a research affiliate. His research focuses on how youth behaviors are shaped by social networks such as families and peer groups, as well as by institutions including schools and the criminal justice system. His work has been published in leading journals in criminology and sociology.

As Graduate Student Ombuds Officer, Dr. Jacobsen will serve as a confidential, independent resource for graduate students seeking guidance on concerns related to their academic and professional experiences at the university. The department congratulates Dr. Jacobsen on this appointment and is proud to see one of its faculty members take on this important university-wide role.