Campbell’s Catherine Cowling, instructor of Criminal Justice, was nominated to attend the 2006 Oxford Roundtable at Oxford University, England, in March. Oxford is the oldest English-speaking university in the world. Founded in 1096, it became a center for controversial issues and lively disputes. In 1530 King Henry VIII forced the university to accept his divorce from Catherine of Aragon. In the late 17th century Oxford philosopher John Locke had to flee the country because he was suspected of treason. And while a math professor at Oxford, author Lewis Carroll wrote a story that would become a children’s classic, “Alice in Wonderland.” In the spirit of these events, the Oxford Roundtable convened in 1989 for the first time to consider major issues in contemporary educational policy throughout the world. Over time, the Roundtable expanded its purpose to encompass current issues facing state and national systems and public policy. Today, the Roundtable invites selected leaders and scholars from both public and private sectors and several countries to participate in the forum. The focus of this year’s forum was Criminal Justice and included the presentation of approximately 20 papers on issues such as domestic violence, terrorism and combating drug use. Cowling, a graduate of Campbell’s Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, specializes in domestic violence. She said she will integrate much of what she learned into her Criminal Justice classes. “I’ve never been abroad before, and the whole experience of the English culture was new and fascinating to me,” she said. “I’ve been back a month, and I’m still processing it all in some ways. Some of the memories are fading and some of what I took in at the conference; I’m just beginning to understand.” Cowling said many Muslim countries have no laws against domestic violence, and she was able to gain new insight into the problem by looking at issues from the various perspectives of lawyers, law enforcement officers, law professors and others who attended the forum. “The most important information I brought back with me is a better understanding of domestic violence around the world,” Cowling said. Prior to becoming a full-time member of the Campbell faculty, Cowling served as a domestic violence attorney for the Cumberland County Legal Aid organization and as an adjunct professor of criminal law and mock trial coach to Criminal Justice majors at Campbell. In addition, Cowling has served as a child support attorney for the Moore County Child Support Enforcement Agency, a law clerk for East Central Community Legal Services and as a sixth-grade teacher at Dunn Middle School in Dunn, NC. A Campbell alumna, she received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1993, a Master of Education in 1996, and a Juris Doctor from Campbell’s Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law in 1999. She is a member of the North Carolina State Bar and is certified to teach social studies, grades 6-9 and 9-12, in the state of North Carolina. While in law school, Cowling served as secretary of the Student Bar Association and as president of the Women-in-Law organization. She was also a member of the Christian Legal Society and a case summary writer for the Campbell Law Observer, a student publication of the law school. Cowling is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society and served as women’s campus president.Photo Copy: Criminal Justice instructor, Cathy Cowling, in front of Buckingham Palace in London.
A yank at Oxford: Cowling attends famous Roundtable