Dana Brooks Honored with Belle K. Ribicoff Prize

Dana Brooks ’22, a criminal justice major in the College of Arts and Sciences, is the 2022 recipient of the Belle K. Ribicoff Prize.

It is awarded annually to an exemplary graduating senior who has demonstrated academic excellence, intellectual curiosity, originality of thought, and a commitment to extracurricular activities and community service.

Brooks attributes her success to a strong work ethic, love of education, and an eagerness to further her knowledge.

She maintained her stellar grades while combining coursework for her criminal justice major with degree-related projects, internships, and leadership roles on campus.

Her honors thesis, “Perceptions of Zero-Tolerance Policies in High School,” investigates how college students of different races, genders, and disability status perceive the effectiveness and consequences of zero-tolerance policies. Brooks hopes that her findings can be used to prevent future misuse and misapplication of those policies.

Other projects, some related to her Spanish and sociology minors, include exploring police procedures for missing people and homicide investigations, and assessing the differences between prison systems in the United States and Spain.

Brooks has also been a residential assistant, College of Arts and Sciences ambassador, and Honors Program  ambassador.

Making time for community service is one way that Brooks gives back to her community. She is president of the Rotaract Club on campus, which partners with local outreach groups to address the needs of the Hartford and West Hartford communities; she also founded her own scholarship to assist students from her high school.

Last year, Brooks interned with a public defender and observed the working methods of attorneys, social workers, and investigators. She says it was a learning opportunity that bolstered her resolve to become a criminal defense attorney.

“In the time I have known Ms. Brooks, she has impressed me with her ambition, dedication to service, and pursuit of knowledge and justice,” says Criminal Justice Program Director Kelly McGeever, assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice. “She is a standout student and has participated in many activities beyond the classroom. She has a scholarly aptitude, a charismatic leadership style, a commitment to service, and the exemplary character that the Belle Ribicoff Prize seeks to acknowledge.”