Tara Opsal, a professor and current chair of the Department of Sociology in the College of Liberal Arts, has been named the William E. Morgan Endowed Chair in the College. A nationally respected public sociologist, Opsal advances community-engaged reform in the criminal legal system, examining how it produces harm and inequality and developing pathways for change. She is also the director of the Criminal Justice and Victimization Institute at Colorado State University. As Morgan Chair, Opsal will use dedicated time and resources to expand CJVI as a hub for community-engaged, interdisciplinary justice research across Colorado.
“I created CJVI to address a persistent gap in our field,” Opsal said. “We are very good at documenting harm and inequality—pervasive features of the legal system and the experiences of victims—but much less equipped to translate that knowledge into meaningful change. CJVI builds the infrastructure to do that work, bringing together faculty, students, and community partners to co-develop projects, stay engaged through implementation, and produce work that is rigorous, usable, and reduces harm.”
The institute itself was built collaboratively. After being awarded a Quarterly Investment from the CSU Office of the Vice President for Research in Fall 2024, Opsal convened a group of faculty, research staff, and graduate students from across disciplines to design CJVI together and engaged community organizations across Colorado early in the process to understand what they wanted—and did not want—from research partnerships. Those conversations fundamentally shaped the institute’s direction, ensuring that its work is responsive, grounded, and aligned with community needs.
Still in its early stages, CJVI is already emerging as a convening space for faculty and students across the university reflecting broad interest in law, justice, and victimization. It is building interdisciplinary collaborations, including with Political Science, Social Work, Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, and developing partnerships with organizations across the state.
Opsal said that the Morgan Chair will allow CJVI to expand its reach into rural and underserved communities across the state. “We will be able to build relationships with organizations that are not often at the table and co-develop work that reflects their priorities,” she said. “In doing so, we will position CJVI to produce stronger research as well as workforce development and training initiatives that bring together different forms of expertise—academic, professional, and lived—and emerge directly from community-identified needs.”
“Tara Opsal is a tremendous colleague in the College of Liberal Arts—both as a scholar and a leader,” said Kjerstin Thorson, dean of the College of Liberal Arts. “Her work with CJVI will help create meaningful change in our justice systems. That change will emerge in partnership with our communities—as it should—representing the very best engaged scholarship that emerges from our disciplines and reflecting the legacy of President Morgan’s vision for CSU.”
The William E. Morgan Endowed Chair honors its namesake, who served as the 8th President of CSU from 1949-1969. Created to support the arts and cultural viability at CSU and in the Fort Collins community, the Morgan Chair is the highest faculty honor in CLA. Previous Morgan Chairs have utilized their time in the role to create, build and expand a variety of initiatives that have indelibly shaped both CLA and CSU. These include:
- The Public Lands History Center (now the Public and Environmental History Center) founded by former History Professor Mark Fiege
- The ACT Human Rights Film Festival founded by Communication Studies Professor Scott Diffrient
- The Regional Economic Development Institute founded by Economics Professor Stephan Weiler
- The Colorado State Sustainable Teaching and Learning Collaborative founded by English Professor Cindy O’Donnell-Allen
- The Joe Blake Center for Engaged Humanities led by Communication Studies Professor Greg Dickinson.
“I’m incredibly honored and grateful to have been selected as the Morgan Chair,” Opsal added. “Building CJVI alongside colleagues, students, and community partners has been one of the most meaningful parts of my work, and this support allows us to expand our reach and deepen our impact.”
Opsal will step into the Morgan Chair on July 1, 2026 and hold the title through June 30, 2029. The College will call for applications for the next Morgan Chair during the fall 2028 awards cycle.
