Siena College is honored to recognize the accomplishments of Annie Rody-Wright, J.D. as the recipient of the Academic Year 2022-22 award.

Annie Rody-Wright, J.D. is the first non-tenured recipient of the Walton award. She first joined Siena as an adjunct professor in the Sociology department and has leveraged her years doing legal advocacy to transform Siena’s offerings in Criminal Justice. She has been the driving force behind the development and ratification of Siena’s first-in-the-nation undergraduate criminal justice-restorative justice major and now serves as the program’s coordinator. The unique interdisciplinary program is emblematic of Siena’s Franciscan mission and challenges students to envision what the criminal justice system could look like if restorative practices were utilized.

Professor Rody-Wright’s work and teaching emphasize the immense potential for the criminal justice system to become more humane and equitable. She loves engaging with students to nurture their passions in the fields of criminal, restorative, and transformational justice, forever urging them to think critically and courageously. Colleagues describe her teaching and mentoring style as “always upbeat and positive.” She is known for meeting students where they are at and for inspiring and pushing them to do their best. As one former student noted, “Professor Rody-Wright is constantly and consistently supporting her students inside and outside of the classroom and healthily pushing us to be the best versions of our academic selves.” According to the Walton Nominating Committee, “The way that she educates her students on the world and the justice system makes them not only better students, but better people."  

Before coming to Siena, Professor Rody-Wright served as the Legal Director at the Center for Law and Justice for 15 years. She has presented at numerous national conferences with students and has taken them with her to teach behind bars. In 2018, Professor Rody-Wright won the School of Liberal Arts Excellence in Teaching Award for non-tenured faculty and this past summer, was selected as one of a handful of Americans to attend an international fellowship on restorative justice. Outside of the classroom, she serves on the Student Conduct Review Board and Career Readiness Committee at Siena and numerous non-profit Boards in the region. 

Professor Rody-Wright received her B.A. in Urban Studies and English from Columbia University and her J.D. from Fordham Law School.