Marleigh Strait

Biography

While I was born and raised in Northern New Jersey, I moved to Western Mass for college and never left! I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, minors in Political Science and Sociology, Certificate in Criminology and the Criminal Justice System from University of Massachusetts Amherst in spring 2017. After college, I went to the Northern Essex Community College-Methuen Police Academy and graduated in February 2018. I worked as a Police Officer at UMass Amherst from then on until I hopped over to Amherst College in October 2018. I became a Detective in October 2021 and was then certified in Crisis Intervention as well as in Sexual Assault Investigations. I also became a Rape Aggression Defense Systems Instructor. Additionally, I was partnered with my dog, Moose, to work as a therapy team in training. We worked together for about 2.5 years until I retired her from police work so I could come to Westfield State Human Resources as the Senior Investigator- Title IX/Equal Opportunity & HR Compliance Programs.

In my free time, I enjoy distance running, hiking with friends, listening to Noah Kahan, and hanging out with my husband and our four big dogs.

Education

  • Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, minors in Political Science and Sociology
  • Certificate in Criminology and the Criminal Justice System from University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2017
  • Northern Essex Community College-Methuen Police Academy, 2018