This week on SA Voices From the Field we interviewed Dr. Scott Peska, Dr. Katie L. Treadwell, Dr. Joseph Pickering about their recent article in NASPA's Leadership Exchange magazine about Concealed Carry on Campus.

Dr. Scott Peska serves as the Assistant Vice President of Student Services and Alumni Relations at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, IL  where he oversees a number of Student Development departments, serves as the Chair of the Campus Assessment Team, and is a Deputy Title IX Officer.  Dr. Peska previously worked at Northern Illinois University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Illinois State University.    In NASPA, Dr. Peska is actively part of the Campus Safety and Violence Prevention Knowledge Community, specifically with the Enough is Enough campaign against violence. He serves as a reviewer for the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice and has previously served as the Region IV-E Public Policy Division Representative, Region IV-E Community College Division Representative, and a member of the 2017 Annual Conference Planning Committee. 

Dr. Katie L. Treadwell researches and writes extensively about the aftermath of university crises and the subsequent experiences of campus first responders. Katie developed her professional identity in higher education through roles in Oklahoma City, Waco, Texas, and New York City, three cities deeply altered by terrorism and the aftermath of disaster. Inspired by her own experience with campus and community tragedy, Katie primarily researches the personal experiences of higher education administrators who encounter high-profile campus disasters. Her research portfolio includes in-depth investigations of intentional violence, terrorism, natural disasters, and accidents that forever change a campus community. Katie’s work appears in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Encyclopedia of Strategic Leadership and Management, Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, About Campus, and other higher education publications. She frequently consults with campus leaders on issues of preventing violence and improving campus safety. In collaboration with higher education leaders across the country, Katie co-edited Crisis, Compassion, and Resiliency in Student Affairs. Katie currently serves as Assistant Vice Provost for Student Affairs at the University of Kansas, as well as chair of the NASPA Campus Safety and Violence Prevention Knowledge Community.

Dr. Joseph Pickering is a student affairs professional with 15 years of experience in the field. His ongoing research portfolio focuses on the impact of concealed carry legislation on Texas universities and colleges, particularly campus leaders’ and law enforcement perspectives. Dr. Pickering is a triple Gator, graduating with his B.A. in History, Masters in Student Personnel in Higher Education, and his Doctorate in Higher Education Administration, where his research focused on the impact of concealed carry legislation in the state of Texas. Dr. Pickering comes from a family of Law Enforcement officers, his grandfather helped start the police department at Rutgers University, his father served as a Military Police Officer and a police officer. Dr. Pickering is also an alumnus of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the site of a tragic 2018 Valentine’s Day shooting. Dr. Pickering remains connected with students and fellow alumni from Stoneman Douglas and continues to support a variety of efforts to help schools and institutions learn from and better prepare for mass casualty/safety incidents.

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