Bio

Dr. Rod Brunson was appointed Dean of the School of Criminal Justice in July 2016. Dr. Brunson is an award-winning scholar, prolific author, and sought after speaker who is widely known for his expertise regarding the impact of concentrated neighborhood disadvantage, police-community relations, qualitative research methods, and youth violence – specifically, youths’ experiences in neighborhood contexts, with a special focus on the interactions of race, class, and gender, and their relationship to criminal justice practices. Since joining the faculty of the School of Criminal Justice in 2010, Dr. Brunson embraced various leadership roles at the School by serving as the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs and the Doctoral Program Director, as well as participating in university-wide committees including the New Professoriate Study Group that grew out of the RU-N strategic plan, and the Honors Living-Learning Community curriculum committee.

Over the last two decades, Dr. Brunson published more than fifty articles, book chapters, and essays. His scholarship appears in numerous prominent academic journals such as, the British Journal of Criminology, Crime & Delinquency, Criminology, Criminology & Public Policy, Gender & Society, the Journal of Quantitative Criminology, Justice Quarterly, Sociological Quarterly, and Urban Affairs Review. He is the recipient of multiple prestigious awards (New Scholar Award, American Society of Criminology, Division on People of Color and Crime, 2008; Tory J. Caeti Outstanding Young Scholar Memorial Award, Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, Juvenile Justice Section, 2010), Dr. Brunson’s scholarship continues to gain national and international prominence.