Dr. Vanda Seward '01MS: A Career in Criminal Justice Built on Purpose
Dr. Vanda Seward '01MS began her Iona journey as an adult learner, balancing classes, raising a family and working full-time. Today, she is a criminologist, researcher and author serving as director of the Criminal Justice Program and professor of criminal justice at CUNY's Kingsborough Community College. With experience spanning frontline public service, senior state leadership and academic instruction, her career reflects what becomes possible when lived experience meets rigorous education.
Seward earned her Master of Science in Criminal Justice in 2001, a milestone she credits with reshaping not just her career, but her entire sense of possibility. She recently released a memoir, “This Wasn't Supposed to Be My Story,” chronicling her journey through the criminal legal system.
What do you love most about what you’re currently doing?
What I love most about what I do is the ability to turn lived experience into something that has purpose. Whether I’m teaching, writing, or working in policy spaces, I’m able to connect people to the human side of systems and help them see possibilities where there were once limitations or a lack of desire.
Why did you decide to study Criminal Justice?
I decided to study criminal justice because my life and work had already been shaped by the system long before I entered the classroom. As a young Black woman and teenage mother, I saw firsthand how deeply the criminal legal system affects families and communities. When I began working inside the system, I realized that experience alone was not enough. I wanted the tools, language, and credentials to understand how decisions were made and how change could be influenced from within. Studying criminal justice allowed me to connect lived experience with policy, theory, and practice in meaningful ways.
What advice do you have for current Iona students?
Take your education seriously, but don’t believe there is only one “right” timeline. Your path does not have to be linear to be meaningful. Use your time at Iona to build strong writing, critical thinking, and analytical skills, which will carry you further than any single job title. Seek out mentors, stay curious, and be willing to do the work both inside and outside the classroom. Most importantly, trust that growth often happens over time. Consistency, integrity, and purpose matter more than speed.
What’s your fondest Iona memory?
One of my fondest memories at Iona came from my criminal law class, taught by a sitting Westchester County judge. On the very first day, he told us that, “if we came to the class expecting to hear fifteen-syllable words, then we were in the wrong place.” He believed that speaking clearly and simply was the best way to ensure everyone understood the law. That lesson stayed with me. More than twenty-five years later, I still share it with my students. We write for the reader, and we speak for the listener. Clarity is not a lack of depth—it is a sign of respect.
How did Iona prepare you for where you are today?
Earning my degree from Iona was a pivotal accomplishment that opened my eyes to the full range of possibilities available to me. It strengthened my confidence, sharpened my critical thinking and writing skills, and affirmed that my lived experience had value in academic and professional spaces. That foundation propelled my career in criminal justice, leading to senior leadership roles focused on public safety and reentry.
Since graduating from Iona, Seward went on to earn a Master of Arts in Journalism from City University of New York Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Capella University. She served as executive director of the Kings County District Attorney's ComALERT program and statewide director of Reentry Services for the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision before retiring from the Kings County District Attorney's Office, where she led the County Reentry Task Force.
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of over 4,000 students and an alumni base of 55,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Nursing & Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona also continues to be recognized in prestigious national rankings. Most recently for 2025, Iona has been named one of the nation’s best colleges by The Princeton Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and others. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report recognized Iona as one of top for social mobility in the country, while Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) ranked an Iona degree in the top 6 percent nationally for long-term return on investment. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business, meanwhile, is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just 6 percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review once again named Iona to its “Best Business Schools for 2025,” recognizing both its on-campus and online MBA programs. Connecting to its Irish heritage, Iona also opened a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland, located on the historic 400-acre Westport House Estate. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.