Broken Arrow Chief of Police, Berryhill, joins NSU Criminal Justice faculty

NSU criminal justice educators bring over 150 years of field experience to top-rated program

BROKEN ARROW, Okla. – Brandon Berryhill joined the Northeastern State University ranks as an assistant professor on Nov. 1. Berryhill brings more than 32 years of law enforcement practice to his new position, including three decades of service with the Broken Arrow Police Department where he spent seven of those years as Chief of Police.

As the BA Chief of Police, Berryhill was responsible for overseeing 200 department personnel, a $32M budget, created and conducted numerous public forums on domestic violence, mental health reform, crime prevention and human trafficking. He also went on to create the first Citizens Police Academy in Spanish in Oklahoma and secured funding to form a critical response team of mental health professionals and officers.

Berryhill, who is a member of the Chickasaw Nation, is eager to share his criminal justice experience and vision with students who will soon enter the workforce.

“The criminal justice field is ever-changing and my first-hand knowledge will prepare students for a career in criminal justice,” Berryhill said. “I serve on (several) national committees and I am currently chairman of the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training for the State of Oklahoma. There is not a current topic in law enforcement that I have not experienced during the course of my career.”

Berryhill received his bachelor's degree in criminal justice from the University of Central Oklahoma and went on to earn a master's degree in criminal justice from Northeastern. Additionally, Berryhill earned credentials from various institutions and has completed training with notable organizations that focus on leadership development for law enforcement professionals, like the Senior Management Institute for Police at Boston University.

He is a graduate of the 219th session of the F.B.I. National Academy and attended the Rocky Mountain Leadership Program at the University of Colorado. Currently, Berryhill is the chairman of the Council of Law Enforcement Education and Training and an advisory board member in the Oral Roberts University Criminal Justice Program.

According to Brett Fitzgerald, Department Chair of Criminal Justice and Sociology, NSU graduates, like Berryhill, have gone on to enter law enforcement in offices and bureaus across the United States.

Fitzgerald credits this placement success in part to the criminal justice program’s structure, which has well-rounded faculty members, mentorship for students and offers learning opportunities outside of the classroom, primarily through internships.

“Brandon Berryhill is a major contribution to this university,” Fitzgerald said. “He compliments our present faculty and program vision. In law enforcement and criminal justice, you really need people who know how the system works.”

With over 150 years of collective practical experience, NSU criminal justice faculty members share their well-earned knowledge with their criminal justice students. As with other majors, students are disciplined to transcend industry landscape changes and encouraged to become industry leaders. In degree program internships, students apply what they have learned in the classroom with practical experience, learning more about the many career opportunities in the field from courthouse to patrol.

“At NSU, we pride ourselves on our ability to offer our students a workforce-ready education taught by qualified faculty members who are invested in the academic and career success of our students,” NSU President Rodney Hanley said. “We are honored to welcome Brandon Berryhill to the NSU family and look forward to the wisdom he can impart as a well-respected member of the law enforcement community.”

For more information about NSU’s criminal justice degree programs, visit nsuok.edu.

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