Northwest Nazarene University announced Dean Matlock joined the faculty as associate professor of criminal justice. Matlock is an NNU alumnus with a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and religion. He also holds a Master of Arts in communication from Boise State University. He originally intended to become a pastor, but soon realized that God was calling him to serve the community in a different capacity.

He began a law enforcement career in 1983 and served for more than 31 years, almost all of which were with the Idaho State Police. He retired in 2014 from his role as Idaho's first state impaired driving coordinator. This role was a culmination of a career's worth of experience in the area of detecting impaired drivers in duty assignments, ranging from metro patrol officer to training instructor to patrol and training sergeant.  

Matlock has been involved with NNU's Department of Psychology, Sociology and Criminal Justice for a number of years and is excited to focus on teaching full time. He served as an advisor to the program when it was first created while he was still working in law enforcement. Matlock became an adjunct professor in 2009.

"We need people of faith to be part of our criminal justice communities—people who will treat sinners with mercy, not just justice," Matlock said. "I believe NNU prepares students to do that, and I wanted to have a part in their preparation." 

Matlock invested himself in NNU because he believes the university offers students something unique compared to other criminal justice programs. Two elements of the program stand out: the breadth of abilities the program covers and the focus on critical thinking skills.

"At NNU, we do so much more than prepare students for one branch of the criminal justice system," Matlock said. "The classroom cannot always prepare you for the unique situations in which criminal justices employees, particularly law enforcement officers, are placed—places that require you to apply your skills in critical situations in the most effective way. At NNU, every student is encouraged to think critically and ethically, whether in a criminal justice class or one outside of that major. This is essential for success in the field."
--Northwest Nazarene University