Sondergaard named
2008 Distinguished Faculty recipient

	President Wood, and Dean O'Connell present Steven Sondergaard with the 2008 Distinguished Faculty Award.

Steven Sondergaard, professor of criminal justice, was awarded the 2008 Distinguished Faculty Citation during the College’s annual Honors Convocation held Sunday.

Sondergaard, who has been on the faculty of Defiance College since 1993, was acknowledged for his outstanding work both in and out of the classroom. He was recognized for his classroom teaching, student advocacy, and community engagement.

He earned an associate degree in law enforcement from Terra Technical College in 1978 and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Pfeiffer College in 1987. The juris doctorate degree was conferred on him at the University of Dayton School of Law in 1990, and he was admitted to the Ohio Bar in 1991.

His experiences as a police officer, practicing attorney, and assistant prosecutor prepared him for his role as associate professor of criminal justice at Defiance College where he arrived in 1993. He was granted tenure in 1999 and promoted to the rank of professor in 2006. He has served on numerous committees and has been the faculty representative to the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Association.

Sondergaard spearheaded a task force to explore a forensic science program at Defiance College and played an integral role in development of the computer forensics program. He has chaired the Division of Behavioral and Applied Social Sciences for six years.

In the community, he serves as guardian ad litem for the Defiance County Juvenile Court. He frequently provides training to state and local judicial and law enforcement personnel. He has taken integral roles in obtaining grants for training of Northwest Ohio law enforcement officers.

He is a member of numerous professional organizations. In 2002, Terra State Community College recognized him with its Distinguished Alumni Award, and in 2003 he was the college’s commencement speaker. In 2005, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Ohio Association of Community Colleges.

Sondergaard and his wife, Marsha, reside in Defiance with their daughters, Carrie and Emma.