Ms. Rosalyn R. Cotton School of Criminology and Criminal Justice Scholarship

Rosalyn “Ros” Cotton served the state of Nebraska for 30 years in law enforcement and corrections. Among her many accomplishments, Rosalyn started her career as an officer and progressed through the ranks, including spending time as a unit case manager and as a senior parole officer. Ms. Cotton holds a bachelor’s degree in pre-law and sociology from Wayne State College and a master’s degree from UNO. She has taught criminology and sociology courses for several local universities. Ms. Cotton was appointed to the Board of Parole in 2005, appointed chairperson of the board in 2015 and 2020, and retired from that role in 2025.