Sep. 8, 2026
This is part of a series of Q&As introducing faculty who have joined the College of Health Sciences for the 2026–27 academic year. Meet all of our new faculty members.
Joe Armistead
Assistant teaching professor, Criminal and Justice Studies
What classes are you teaching this semester?
- Intro to Criminal Justice Professions
- Delinquency, Corrections and Social Treatment
- CJS Experiential Learning
Tell us a bit about yourself and your background.
I am an assistant teaching professor in the Criminal and Justice Studies Program at the University of Missouri and recently retired as a captain with the Missouri State Highway Patrol on Aug. 1. With 30 years of service to the state of Missouri, I bring extensive law enforcement experience and more than a decade of college-level teaching, leadership development and curriculum design to my work with students.
Before joining the University of Missouri, I served in a variety of leadership positions with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, including captain of the Training Division. In that role, I oversaw statewide training initiatives, instructor development programs and leadership development efforts. Throughout my career, I worked in training, professional standards, budgeting and procurement, investigations and field operations. These experiences allow me to provide students with practical insights into the challenges and complexities of modern criminal justice organizations while connecting academic concepts to real-world application.
Since 2015, I have served as an adjunct professor and course director for the School of Police Staff and Command at Northwestern University’s Center for Public Safety. I teach courses focused on leadership, organizational behavior, strategic planning, employee relations, budgeting, human resources, decision-making and training management.
I am also a frequent presenter at professional conferences and have spoken at the International Association of Chiefs of Police annual conference on innovative approaches to law enforcement education and recruit training. Additionally, I serve as a subject matter expert and manuscript reviewer for Police Chief magazine, contributing to the advancement of scholarship and professional practice in the criminal justice and law enforcement fields.
What drew you to your field — and what brought you to Mizzou?
What brought me to Mizzou was the opportunity to help build and grow the new Criminal and Justice Studies program. Mizzou has a strong tradition of academic excellence, and the creation of this program provides a unique opportunity to prepare the next generation of criminal justice professionals through an interdisciplinary approach that goes beyond traditional criminal justice education.
For me, joining Mizzou represented the perfect opportunity to combine a lifetime of public service, leadership experience and teaching into a role where I can help shape the future of the criminal justice profession while contributing to the growth and success of an innovative new academic program.
What are your research or professional interests?
My teaching and research interests include criminal justice systems, recruitment and retention, policing, leadership and ethics, organizational behavior, strategic planning, policy development, training and instructional design, juvenile justice and community partnerships through experiential learning.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
What I enjoy most about my job is the opportunity to work with both students and faculty every day. There is nothing more rewarding than helping students develop new skills, expand their perspectives and gain confidence as they prepare for their future careers. I especially enjoy connecting classroom concepts to real-world experiences and watching students make those connections for themselves. I also value the collaborative environment within the School of Social Work.
What are you looking forward to this semester?
I am especially excited to work with students in the Criminal and Justice Studies program as they examine important issues facing the field today and connect classroom learning to real-world challenges.
What can students expect from your classes?
My goal is to help students understand not only how criminal justice systems operate but also why they function the way they do and how they can be improved. Whether students aspire to careers in law enforcement, corrections, courts, victim advocacy, public administration, policy development or graduate and law school, I want them to leave Mizzou with the knowledge, skills and perspective necessary to make a positive difference in their chosen profession.
Share a memorable moment from your time teaching.
One of the most memorable moments of my teaching career occurred early on when I was instructing vehicle stops training at the police academy. This course focuses on the many aspects of conducting safe and effective traffic stops and relies heavily on realistic, scenario-based exercises designed to prepare recruits for situations they may encounter in the field.
A short time after one recruit graduated and completed his probationary period, he sent me an email that I have never forgotten. He shared that during his first week on solo patrol, he encountered a traffic stop that unfolded almost exactly like one of the scenarios we had practiced in training. Because he recognized the warning signs and followed the techniques he had learned, he was able to safely manage the encounter and avoid a potentially dangerous outcome.
He thanked me for the training and told me he believed it had saved his life. As an instructor, there is no greater reminder of the importance of education and preparation. That moment reinforced for me that effective teaching is about much more than delivering information. It is about equipping students with the knowledge, skills and confidence they may one day rely on when it matters most. It remains one of the proudest and most meaningful moments of my career.
What’s one fun hobby or activity you enjoy outside of work?
I like to play golf, or at least attempt to play!
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received, and who gave it to you?
The best piece of advice I’ve received is a quote from Ryan Blair: “If it’s important, you’ll find a way. If it’s not, you’ll find an excuse.”