Associate professor earns Outstanding Alumnus Award

Dr. Nancy Rodriguez has been awarded the 2009 Outstanding Alumnus Award by the College of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University in Texas.

She is an Associate Professor in the ASU School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, part of the College of Public Programs.

Her research interests include sentencing policies, juvenile court processes, and substance abuse. She also conducts research in the area of restorative justice.

Rodriguez's research has included program evaluations of drug courts, restorative justice programs, and three strikes laws. She received several grants from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

"Dr. Rodriguez has a rare combination of scholarly, professional and personal acumen. I know her to be an outstanding researcher and a good human being," said Dr. Todd Armstrong, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University. "We here in the College of Criminal Justice can be very proud of the manner in which Dr. Rodriguez represents us to both the field of criminology and criminal justice, and to the larger community."

Rodriguez is 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 Crime: Readings."

Her recent work appeared in Crime Delinquency, Justice Quarterly, and Criminology Public Policy.

Rodriguez received her Bachelor of Science in law enforcement and police science from Sam Houston State University in 1992, and began her graduate studies. She completed her Ph.D. in political science from Washington State University in 1998.

For information about the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, visit http://ccj.asu.edu.