On October 10, 2002, Dr. Roslyn Muraskin, professor of criminal justice and security administration at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, will be awarded the "Woman of the Year: Excellence in Academia" award by Women of Substance, Inc. (WOS), a non-profit women’s advocacy organization based in Lindenhurst, NY.

Dr. Muraskin, a resident of Middle Island, NY, was nominated by her adult daughter Tracy Birkhan. In her nomination letter, Birkhan wrote about how her mother raised three children while working full-time as a professor and earning her doctorate in criminal justice. "Mom was able to write 10 college textbooks, volunteer at various organizations, and run student activities, but still she took me shopping, was there for all of my social triumphs and tragedies, and managed to get a meal on the table each night," Birkhan said.

When Dr. Muraskin was diagnosed with breast cancer eight years ago she taught her daughter the most important lesson of all. "She taught me that just because life may throw you curve balls, it doesn't mean you strike out," wrote Birkhan.

"The idea behind these awards is to give back to women," said Mary M. Elberfeld, president of Women of Substance, a domestic violence resource center. "We wanted to recognize women who were making a difference, who could be role models for women experiencing domestic violence."

In addition to her teaching, volunteer and family activities, Muraskin is the founding director of the Long Island Women’s Institute, located on the C.W. Post Campus in Brookville. The Institute serves as a resource for women, helping to prepare them for management and leadership positions in every arena of both the public and private sectors, and supporting them in those roles.

Dr. Muraskin received her B.A. from Queens College, her M.A. from New York University and her Ph.D. from the Graduate Center at City University of New York (CUNY). She was recently elected to the Executive Board of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences as Trustee for the northeast region. She is a past President of the Northeastern Association for Criminal Justice Sciences, and also served as Vice-President for the Criminal Justice Educators of New York State. She is the editor-in-chief of The Justice Professional, a quarterly reference journal. Her publications include Visions of Change: Crime and Justice in the Twenty-First Century; It’s a Crime: Women and Justice (Third Edition, Spring 2002); and Morality and the Law. She is currently working on a text about the field of corrections for Prentice Hall.

Dr. Muraskin, along with 175 other nominees will attend the Women of Substance Third-Annual Awards Dinner at 6 p.m. on October 10 at the Huntington Town House. The awards celebration, which features a banquet dinner, includes 16 main awards and eight special honors including "Woman of the Year," "Outstanding Achievement in Personal Triumph," "Outstanding Mother-in-Law," and more. Judges include Ken Braun of Lounge Lizard Worldwide Media and Honorable Lynda Distler, Mayor of Lindenhurst, NY.

Tickets for the awards ceremony are $100 per person. Call (631) 226-0314 for more information.