The School Psychology Professional Development Event, sponsored by the Graduate Programs in School Psychology and the Department of Psychology, will be presented Dr. Charles Bell on Friday, October 7, 2022, from 1–2:30 p.m. in DeGarmo Hall Room 0206. Bell will present “What is Violence? Exploring the Consequences of Pervasive School Punishment and Failed Safety Measures.”

Bell is an assistant professor in the Department of Criminal Justice Sciences at Illinois State University. He received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wayne State University and his master’s degree in school psychology from Michigan State University. He returned to Wayne State University to earn his Ph.D. in sociology.

Bell’s research explores students’ and parents’ perceptions of out-of-school suspension, school safety measures, and law enforcement officers. His work has been published in several outlets, such as Urban Education, Children and Youth Services Review, Journal of Crime and Justice, The Conversation, and Sociology Compass. The Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP) selected his book Suspended: Punishment, Violence, and the Failure of School Safety (Johns Hopkins Press, 2021) as a finalist for the 2021 C. Wright Mills Book Award. Bell is also a recipient of the 2021–2022 CAST Outstanding Teacher Award, the 2019 Midwest Sociological Society Research Grant, and the Illinois State African American Studies Summer Research Initiative award.