About

Dr. Mecca K. Terry is a Lecturer in the Sociology and Criminal Justice Department at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Dr. Terry graduated from Ramapo College of New Jersey with a B.A. in Law & Society, Sociology minor; Rutgers University with a M.A. in Criminal Justice; Capella University with a M.S. in Human Services, and a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice. Throughout her academic career she has taught the following courses: Criminology, Private Security, Criminal Law, Juvenile Justice, Probation, Parole, & Community Corrections, Introduction to Criminal Justice, Introduction to Criminology, Introduction to Sociology, Introduction to Psychology, Juvenile Justice Systems & Processes, Police & Society, Police in Society, Delinquency & Juvenile Justice, Crime in Different Cultures, Foundations of Addiction Counseling, and Freshman Seminar. Dr. Terry is a retired Probation Officer and has over 10 years of experience working in various sectors in the criminal justice field. This experience has afforded her the opportunity to be a member of the Collaboratory for Justice Education at the Eastern State Penitentiary History Site. She has authored one textbook Probation, Parole, and Community Corrections. Her research interests include police-community relations, pedagogy and assessment in criminal justice education, and community corrections. 

Dr. Terry is an international speaker and presenter and was a speaker at the inaugural TEDxUNCP. She is a member of several professional organizations within criminal justice and is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Additionally, she is the founder of Embracing My Natural, Inc. a nonprofit that educates and inspires the community to love and appreciate their natural hair. She recently partnered with The Crown Act/Coalition to support legislation that prohibits race-based hair discrimination in education and employment. Outside of the academic world, Dr. Terry is an avid traveler who loves to explore the world with her partner (a law enforcement officer in North Carolina), daughter, and dogs.