Raven Coleman

Raven I. Coleman joined North Carolina Central University (NCCU) in Fall 2025 as a Criminal Justice adjunct faculty member. She brings nearly 10 years of higher education teaching experience and more than 25 years of professional experience across corrections, community corrections, and forensic death investigations.  Prior to joining NCCU, Professor Coleman served as Criminal Justice program coordinator and faculty at Shaw University and previously taught at North Carolina A&T State University, Wake Technical Community College, and ITT Technical Institute. Across these roles, she has taught courses including criminal procedure, corrections, criminology, forensic science, juvenile delinquency, constitutional law, and research methods in both traditional and online learning environments.

Professor Coleman is dedicated to connecting classroom theory to real-world criminal justice practice. She is passionate about helping students understand the system holistically while identifying their professional pathway within criminal justice and forensic careers. Her teaching philosophy centers on applied learning, professional readiness, and critical analysis of justice system structures and outcomes.  Her professional background includes service as a corrections officer at the county, state, and federal levels, as well as experience as an adult and juvenile probation and parole officer. She also worked as an autopsy technician and death investigator.

Additionally, she is a U.S. Air Force veteran and former EMT-Basic, bringing emergency response and public safety experience into her academic instruction. In addition to academia, Professor Coleman is a serial entrepreneur and owner/operator of two specialized service companies:  4C: Central Carolina Cleaning Company, Inc. — biohazard and crime scene decontamination Final Passage Transport — 24/7 end-of-life removal and mortuary transport services  Through these businesses, she has supported workforce development by mentoring and supervising student interns pursuing careers in death care, forensic services, and criminal justice fields. Her research and professional interests include death investigation systems, forensic evidence and practice, racial disparities in criminal justice outcomes, officer-involved shootings, and the impact of forensic media (the “CSI Effect”) on juror decision-making. She maintains active membership in several professional criminal justice organizations.

Crime Scene Technician Certification Perdue Global 2006