David Dial of Naperville, Aurora University (AU) associate professor and chairman of criminal justice, recently was honored as Aurora University’s 2020 Marcus and Mark H. Trumbo award-winner for excellence in teaching. Nominated by students and fellow faculty members, the Award is the University’s most prestigious faculty recognition.
Dial, former Naperville police chief, was lauded as an exceptional teacher, skilled department chairman, powerful advocate for students, and enthusiastic campus citizen. He was described as caring, passionate, dedicated, and knowledgeable.
Dial joined the University in 2012 after retiring as Naperville chief of police to end a 45-career in law enforcement.
He was graduated from the FBI National Academy and the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Police. In Naperville, he attended the FBI’s Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar and became a charter member of Police Futurists International.
Dial is a former chairman of the DuPage Metropolitan Enforcement Group and a past president of the DuPage County Chiefs’ of Police Association. He is a member of the International Association of Chiefs’ of Police Community Policing Committee, a former Board member of the Illinois Association of Chiefs’ of Police, and the Illinois State Terrorism Task Force.
He was chairman of the Homeland Security Committee for the DuPage County Chiefs’ of Police Association.
Dial earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from San Jose State University and the University of Colorado, respectively, and attended the FBI national academy. In 2006, he earned a second master’s degree with a major in homeland security and defense, from the United States Naval Postgraduate School.
Inaugurated in 1976, the Trumbo Award recognizes the finest work of full-time Aurora University faculty as teachers, mentors and scholars.
—Aurora University