Nancy R. Rodriguez

Nancy Rodriguez, a professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, part of the College of Public Programs, has been appointed by President Barack Obama to be the next director of the Department of Justice’s National Institute of Justice. Rodriguez is a nationally recognized scholar in the areas of race, crime and juvenile justice. Her research interests include inequality (race/ethnicity, class, crime and justice) and the collateral consequences of imprisonment. “Dr. Rodriguez is an outstanding choice to lead the National Institute of Justice. This is a time when criminal justice agencies, nonprofits and the public are calling for increased evidence-based solutions to crime and criminal justice,” says Scott Decker, Foundation Professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. “No one is better versed in applying research to problems and reaching solutions. Nancy’s long and successful history of working with agencies will be a model for NIJ and the nation to follow.” Jonathan Koppell, dean of the College of Public Programs, says, “Dr. Rodriguez has an impressive record of both high-quality empirical research and strong partnerships with public and private organizations to put that knowledge into practice.” “I can think of no one more qualified to lead the National Institute of Justice. Dr. Rodriguez has devoted her career to use-inspired research and has worked with agencies at all levels of government to implement evidence-based practices and to evaluate policies and programs. NIJ will indeed be in good hands during her tenure,” adds Cassia Spohn, director of the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Rodriguez recently completed an assessment of minority youth overrepresentation in the Arizona juvenile justice system. Currently, she is conducting a longitudinal study of families affected by maternal and paternal incarceration. Her work has been supported by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Rodriguez joined Arizona State University in 1998 after receiving her doctoral degree in political science from Washington State University. Among her many honors, Rodriguez has received the Coramae Richey Mann Award from the American Society of Criminology and the W.E.B. DuBois Award from the Western Society of Criminology. She is the co-author of Just Cause or Just Because? Prosecution and Plea-bargaining Resulting in Prison Sentences on Low-level Drug Charges in California and Arizona and co-editor of Images of Color, Images of Crime: Readings. Her recent work has appeared in journals including Criminology, Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, Criminal Justice and Behavior, and Justice Quarterly. Dr. Nancy Rodriguez is a nationally recognized criminologist and professor in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society at the University of California, Irvine. With an academic career spanning more than two decades, Dr. Rodriguez has established herself as a prominent scholar in the areas of racial and ethnic disparities in justice, mass incarceration, and sentencing policies. Her career is marked by an unwavering commitment to equity, justice, and the practical application of research to reform public systems. She earned her B.A. in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University in 1992 and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Washington State University in 1998. Upon completing her doctoral studies, Dr. Rodriguez joined the faculty at Arizona State University, where she taught for nearly two decades. In 2015, she was appointed by President Barack Obama as the Director of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the research, development, and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. During her tenure at NIJ, she prioritized evidence-based practices and policies, emphasized the importance of practitioner-academic partnerships, and advocated for research that promotes social justice. Dr. Rodriguez’s research is broadly situated at the intersection of race, ethnicity, and justice. Her work has examined substance abuse, juvenile court decision-making, and restorative justice, with a special focus on the collateral consequences of incarceration for families. One of her notable contributions is a longitudinal study of families affected by both maternal and paternal incarceration. Through rigorous empirical methods, she has brought to light the compounding disadvantages faced by communities of color in the criminal legal system. Currently, Dr. Rodriguez leads several large-scale, multi-state research initiatives. These include a MacArthur Foundation-supported study on Latino experiences and disparities within local justice systems and two projects funded by Arnold Ventures that explore the causes of prison violence and the role of family engagement in the lives of incarcerated individuals. These projects highlight her unique ability to bridge academic theory and applied practice to generate knowledge that informs public policy and institutional reform. Her scholarly excellence has earned her numerous accolades, including the Coramae Richey Mann Award and the W.E.B. DuBois Award from the Western Society of Criminology. She is also a Fellow of the American Society of Criminology and a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement and Julius Debro Awards from the Division on People of Color and Crime. In addition to her research, Dr. Rodriguez has been recognized for her dedication to teaching and mentorship through awards such as the Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award from Arizona State University. Through her academic work, federal service, and leadership in criminology, Dr. Rodriguez exemplifies the role of the scholar-activist. She continues to drive forward conversations about justice reform, the impacts of incarceration, and the critical need for inclusive, community-informed research. Her influence extends across academia, public policy, and community advocacy, making her one of the most impactful criminologists of her generation.