Madison County Criminal Justice Student Receives Scholarship and Assistantship

September 23, 2019

Jonathan Eatmon, a Mars Hill University graduate with a degree in sociology, is the first recipient of an award which is allowing him to pursue graduate studies at the university. The Blackwell Endowed Scholarship and Assistantship for Criminal Justice is enabling the Madison County resident to work toward his Master of Arts in Criminal Justice (M.A.C.J.) degree.

Barb Sims, Ph.D., chair of the criminal justice department, says Eatmon is a good recipient of the inaugural award. “Jonathan continues to demonstrate his commitment to graduate education both in the classroom and through his work on an important research project that examines the efficacy of programming aimed at reducing domestic violence,” says Sims. “We welcome Jon back to campus and look forward to working with him as he makes progress toward the M.A.C.J. degree.”

Sims says the award will have long-term positive impact on the criminal justice program at Mars Hill University, “The Blackwell Endowed Scholarship and Assistantship for Criminal Justice is a remarkable gift. It will enable the Department of Criminal Justice to better recruit students into the Master of Art in Criminal Justice.” The M.A.C.J. is one of three graduate degrees offered by the university. The others are the Master of Education and the Master of Management.

The award is part of the overarching Robert R. and Virginia Blackwell Scholarship Endowment Program. The program was established through an initial gift from the estate of the Blackwells. Robert Blackwell was a graduate of the Mars Hill class of 1948.