Shelly Stroud

Dr. Stroud became a full-time faculty member in 2013. Courses she teaches include: criminal law, criminal procedure, criminology, correctional procedure and crisis intervention.

As an associate professor, Dr. Stroud was instrumental in planning and staging a mock crime scene and mock trial for Olivet students in 2012 — in cooperation with the Bourbonnais Police Department and the Kankakee County public defender’s office, and it continues to be an opportunity for students. The goal of these role play exercises was to provide students with a hands-on learning opportunity for concepts they were learning in the classroom. They also had the opportunity to learn from local law enforcement and legal professionals.

Since 1996, she has served as a mental health professional, assisting with crisis and case management in a variety of settings. She also advocated in the courts and correctional systems on an as-needed basis for appropriate placement of the mentally ill and those with co-occurring disorders. Her career has given her many opportunities to work closely with probation, parole and courts officers, as well as community providers. During her five years with Catholic Charities, she was an elder abuse caseworker.

As a volunteer with Kankakee County Renewed Opportunity (KCRO), a not-for-profit organization that works jointly with the Kankakee Sheriff’s Department, she is committed to reducing recidivism. KCRO’s goal is to empower persons who have been released from prisons or other correctional facilities to reach their potential as human beings, and to take their rightful places as contributing members of the communities where they live and work.

She also volunteers with Kankakee County Teen Court, an alternative to traditional juvenile court programs. This program is based on the premise that young people respond positively to the influences of their peers. It is a voluntary program that assists first-time, non-violent teenage offenders in assuming responsibility for their behavior through involvement in the judicial process and work in the community.

She is currently serving on the boards for Kankakee County Teen Court, Child Network, Kankakee County Renewed Opportunities, and The Kankakee and Iroquois County Human Trafficking Task Force.

Dr. Stroud is an active member of the Manteno Church of the Nazarene, where she and her family have attended since 1990.

She and her husband, Mike, are the parents of two sons, Lucas and Conner, and a daughter, Rylie. Spending time with them is both a priority and a pleasure for her. They enjoy boating, swimming, and just being outdoors together.