Cynthia Burke moved to California to earn a doctorate in experimental psychology from USCD. Although she graduated, she knew a future in academia wasn’t for her.

“It was interesting but it didn’t have much relevance to what I wanted to accomplish,” says Burke, 39. “I felt like what I was doing wasn’t making the world a better place.”

Since 2003, Burke has been director of Sandag’s criminal justice research division, the only one of its kind in the nation, which conducts needs assessments and program evaluations for public health and safety programs.

She says the work she does there with her staff of 15 is the kind of vital effort she sought post-university.

“We have the technical expertise to conduct research that makes a difference,” she says. “The information we collect helps policy makers and practitioners do their jobs more effectively and efficiently. By documenting needs, we can bring in funding to match the requirement instead of spending limited funds in the wrong places.”

Burke, a mother of two toddlers, has been recognized nationally for her cutting-edge work, earning the 2007 American Probation and Parole Association award for significant contributions to the field of criminal justice research.