Alison Marganski, Ph.D.

Dr. Marganski (Ph.D. 2010; Rutgers University) is Professor and Director of Criminology in the Department of Anthropology, Criminology, & Sociology. Her research focuses on violence — victimization as well as perpetration — including studying risk factors and consequences for cyber/technology-facilitated violence, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, stalking, mass murder and other transgressions, using interdisciplinary and intersectional perspectives. She is also interested in the interrelatedness of violence and violence prevention. Her research publications appear in places such as Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Journal of Family Violence, Violence & Victims, Journal of Clinical Psychology, International Journal of Cyber Criminology, International Criminal Justice Review, Sociology Compass, and International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy. She has also written for practitioners and general public audiences.

Dr. Marganski has experience working with victims/survivors of violence, persons who have perpetrated violence, and justice-related services. Additionally, she has worked with international, national, and local agencies in a variety of ways (e.g., as a criminologist and media expert for the Crime & Justice Alliance; board member for the Association for Applied & Clinical Sociology (2018 – 2020) – an organization committed to increasing knowledge of social behavior for academic and non-academic practitioners and creating positive social change; applied projects with community partners including sexual and domestic violence agencies, centers for formerly incarcerated persons, animal welfare organizations, and more; member of the editorial board for Sex Roles). She has also consulted for agencies at the national, state, and local levels and led workshops, facilitated training, and engaged in other applied activities relating to violence, trauma, and response.

Dr. Marganski has been recognized for her research (e.g., invited by The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs’ National Institute of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime, Center for Victim Research, etc. to participate in collaborative research projects and/or serve as a subject matter expert and peer reviewer for various grants;invited by the Director of Research and Policy for Canada’s Mass Casualty Commission to participate as an expert in public proceedings about mass casualty events and intimate partner violence, gender-based violence, and family violence in 2022; invited by the Croatian Science Foundation to provide expertise for a scientific project review in 2020; selected in a global competition by the American Society of Criminology’s Division on Women & Crime in 2016 to present her research on technology and intimate partner violence to the United Nations – UN Women; 2019, 2018, & 2017 Center for Urban & Regional Applied Research Fellow; 2012 VFIC Mednick Memorial Fellow), teaching (e.g., Career Advising & Development Office’s 2022-2023 Faculty Career Mentor Award (Student Nomination); American Society of Criminology’s Division of Victimology 2014 Faculty Teacher of the Year), and service (e.g. The Beatrice Robinson, Ph.D. Advisor of The Year, Le Moyne College 2022; VWC’s 2015 Service & Community Engagement Award). She was also selected as a Finalist for the 2016 State Council of Higher Education for Virginia’s Outstanding Faculty Awards in the Rising Star category and was the recipient of the 2018 Robert Ezra Park Award for Sociological Practice from the Association for Applied & Clinical Sociology, which “is presented to an outstanding sociologist who has made a special contribution demonstrating how sociological practice (applied or clinical) can advance and improve society.”