Posted: September 12th, 2022

Mock email to professor

here is an example of what the paper should sound/look like.

I see that you study gangs and drugs. I find these topics fascinating. I would like to be a professor with my criminal justice degree. After I finish up here, I plan to go to graduate school for both my masters and doctorate. I’ve seen what you guys do here and it’s inspired me to be a professor.

A reason I’m interested in gangs is that I grew up around them. I’m not from ‘the hood’ or anything like that. I’m from a middle-class suburb in San Diego. But we had gangs there. Guys who were childhood friends of mine started breakdancing in 6th grade and then these breakdancing cliques turned into gangs. By high school they were in full-blown gangs. I totally thought they were a bunch of ‘wannabes’ but then they started fighting and shooting at each other and using a bunch of crystal methamphetamine and I figured that was what gangs do. I was always interested in finding out why they joined gangs and did the things they did. It just seemed so odd to me that they joined a gang.

Crystal methamphetamine use wasn’t just limited to the gang members. A bunch of people I knew throughout high school (and some in college) got hooked on this drug and became totally different people quickly. I’ve seen first-hand what crystal methamphetamine can do to the body and mind. I was also puzzled to find that marijuana was considered similar to heroin and crystal methamphetamine in terms of its legality. Like gangs, I want to study drugs to find out more about ‘why’ people I knew used them. I also didn’t think the drug laws were right and that something could be done about this. Finally, a new drug called ‘ecstasy’ has emerged a few years, alongside a renaissance of ‘acid’ (LSD). People use these drugs at dance parties called ‘raves’, which are underground, word-of-mouth events held in discreet locations. A few friends have attended these. I would like to research drug use at raves.

I would like to meet with you, either in person or via Zoom. I want to ask you some questions about your work on drugs and gangs. I would also like to ask for a letter of recommendation eventually and figured it best for you to get to know me. My schedule is fairly flexible, so please let me know some dates and times that work for you. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks and best

here are the instructions
Tell the faculty about what part of their work interests you and why. Be clear and thorough. Tell the faculty about yourself. Where are you from? What do you want to do with your CJ degree? Why do you want to do that? Is there something about your personal history – with friends, family, a certain person or experience, or just growing up in LA – that made you want to work in the field of criminal justice?

Due to safety reason I cannot provide you the professors name but here’s their info.

research interests broadly include the development of analytical techniques used in forensic science, the pharmacology and toxicology of controlled substances, and neurocriminology. Before coming to the School of Criminal Justice, Dr. blank began his career at the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office in Phoenix, Arizona as a forensic chemist performing routine analysis of post-mortem tissue samples in the toxicology laboratory. Dr. blank’ graduate and post-doctoral research investigated the role of non-neuronal cell types in the normal and diseased brain to discover new pharmacological targets and treatments for difficult-to-treat neurological conditions.

write at least 3 paragraphs