Dr. Perry Lyle is a Criminal Justice instructor at Columbia College who teaches in the Online Program.
Lyle has been a member of the CC faculty for more than 11 years and is highly regarded for helping students connect theory to practice.
Get to know Lyle in a Q&A with CC Connected below!
Tell us the story of how you first started teaching at Columbia College.
I began teaching at Columbia College after learning of an instructional opportunity at the Columbia College-Orlando campus and the Patrick Air Force Base branch in Satellite Beach, Florida. At the time, I had relocated from Miami to Central Florida to be closer to family. In my prior employment, I had been serving as Chair of Crime Scene Technologies and Forensic Science at Keiser University in Fort Lauderdale. After researching Columbia College, I immediately recognized a strong alignment with my academic philosophy and professional background. I was drawn to the institution’s long history as a private, nonsectarian college founded in 1851, as well as its extensive nationwide presence supporting military and adult learners. Following the interview and hiring process, I was nominated to teach my first course, Multicultural Diversity in Law Enforcement. Since then, Columbia College has become an academic home. While completing my Ph.D. in Public Safety Leadership, I grew alongside a dedicated community of educators, blending real-world law enforcement experience with contemporary challenges in criminal justice — an effort that continues to be a labor of love.
What are some highlights of your professional career outside of Columbia College?
I earned my undergraduate and master’s degrees in criminal justice from Rollins College, which laid the foundation for a career spanning public law enforcement, private security and intelligence work. Following my law enforcement service, I joined the legacy Wackenhut Corporation, an international security corporation, rising from area manager to Vice President for Operations. In 1980, I was recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy for successfully launching the security piece for the Gas Centrifuge Enrichment Plant in Piketon, Ohio. Later, as Wackenhut’s national account executive, I supported Bank of America, the company’s largest client, and was recognized in 1999 as the top-tier provider for the bank’s Multicultural Diversity Program. In 2010, I completed graduate studies in counterterrorism at Reichman University in Israel, broadening my global perspective. In 2015, I earned my doctorate in Public Safety Leadership, one of my proudest professional accomplishments.
How does your career experience influence the way you teach your students?
My professional experience strongly shapes how I engage with students. Each learner brings unique life, academic and career experiences, and I strive to meet students where they are. Grounded in both pedagogical and andragogical principles, my teaching emphasizes critical thinking, empathy, curiosity and open-mindedness. Having spent much of my career in service-oriented leadership roles, I encourage students to connect theory to practice while thoughtfully navigating the complex realities of criminal justice and public safety.
What do you take the most pride in with your teaching at Columbia College?
The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges for higher education. I take great pride in how Columbia College responded — demonstrating leadership, adaptability and commitment to maintaining high-quality learning through both in-person and virtual modalities. On a personal level, the most rewarding moments occur when students return after completing a course or nearing graduation to seek guidance on advanced education or career opportunities. Those post-conversations and continued involvement reaffirm the lasting impact of teaching.
Why is teaching important to you?
Teaching is important to me because it connects knowledge to lived experience and past and present issues of justice. In the criminal justice classroom, education challenges simplistic narratives about crime and punishment and helps students understand how law, policy and power function in real-world contexts. By encouraging students to question assumptions and connect theory to practice, teaching becomes a form of civic engagement. Ultimately, it is about helping students develop a reflective, critical mindset they can carry into their professional roles and broaden society.
