Immediate:  February 10, 2023

Nassau Community College Professor Robert Costello Promoted to SUNY’s Highest Academic Rank of Distinguished Teaching Professor

Sixth NCC Faculty Member to Receive Distinguished Honor

February 10, Garden City, NY – Dr. Robert Costello, Chair of the Criminal Justice Department at Nassau Community College (NCC) of the State University of New York (SUNY), has been promoted to the highest academic rank in the SUNY system of Distinguished Teaching Professor by the State University Board of Trustees.

"While teaching is both an art and a science, good teaching is found mostly in the heart," said Dr. Costello.  "I benefitted from colleagues who showed by example teaching is the vocation of service and from students who taught me learning occurs in relationships.  This promotion to Distinguished Teaching Professor honors them both."

SUNY’s Distinguished Faculty Rank Programs demonstrate the groundbreaking scholarship, exceptional instruction and breadth and significance of service contributions of its faculty. The Distinguished Teaching Professorship is conferred upon instructional faculty for outstanding teaching competence at the graduate, undergraduate or professional levels. Teaching mastery is consistently demonstrated over multiple years at the institution where the Distinguished Teaching Professorship is bestowed.

“Dr. Costello is well deserving of this honor for his excellence in teaching and instruction, innovative research and contributions to the community. We congratulate Dr. Costello and all members of the most recent class of SUNY distinguished faculty,” said Dr. Genette Alvarez Ortiz, Acting Vice President of Academic Affairs at NCC.

More information about SUNY’s distinguished faculty ranks can be found on SUNY’s website.

About Dr. Robert Costello
Dr. Robert Costello is a Professor of Criminal Justice at Nassau Community College and Chair of the Department for the last 19 years. During his chairmanship, the Department created two new degree programs in Fire Science and Emergency Management. Dr. Costello also worked on grants totaling $2.5 million for classroom technology, which transformed the educational experience for students.

Author of over 60 publications, Dr. Costello has authored or edited three textbooks on law and criminal justice used at various colleges with all proceeds paid directly to three non-profit charities. He received a Fulbright Scholar’s Award to lecture at the University of Malta Faculty of Law and was a visiting scholar at the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Criminology. From 2016-2022, his column for the American Bar Association Criminal Justice magazine bridged the gap between legal education and social science education.

Dr. Costello is the 2020 recipient of Nassau's Faculty Award for enhancing the college experience of students with disabilities, and the 2002 Faculty Appreciation Award for outstanding work with students from Hispanic origins.  In 2003 and 2011, he received Nassau's Academic Affairs Distinguished Faculty Award, and in 2013, he was honored with the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Dr. Costello earned a Doctor of Education from Dowling College, a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice from SUNY Albany, a Master of Arts in Sociology and a Juris Doctorate both from St. John’s University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from Hofstra University which he earned in three years.

Dr. Costello is a resident of Mineola.

Media Contact:  Lindsey Angioletti | lindsey.angioletti@ncc.edu | C:  (516) 320-0695

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About Nassau Community College

Nassau Community College, a campus of the State University of New York, provides a comprehensive public college experience designed to transform lives through higher education. Serving 14,000 full-time, part-time and continuing education students, NCC offers more than 80 programs that lead to the associate’s degree or certificate. Through on-campus and online offerings, the College educates local and international students, and boasts 168,000 alumni. Situated on 225 acres in Garden City, Long Island, the college grounds reside in historic Nassau County, one of the most desirable locations to live in the United States and an epicenter for business and careers. Since 1959, NCC has earned a nationwide reputation for academic excellence, affordability, and ease of transferability to four-year schools.