Shadd Maruna elected President of American Society of Criminology
School of SSESW Criminology lead Professor Shadd Maruna has been elected President of the American Society of Criminology (ASC), the largest and oldest criminology society in the world. His term as president begins in 2022 when he will seek to diversify and expand ASC membership, including attracting more criminologists from outside the USA.
Commenting on his new role, Shadd said: “The pandemic lockdown has reminded us all how valuable academic societies can be in keeping researchers connected, developing new ideas, and, simply, giving meaning to the work we do. So, it is a real honour that the membership has entrusted me with this role at such a challenging moment for the field. Despite the name, the ASC has always been international in its outlook and the annual conference regularly attracts hundreds of researchers from across Europe and beyond. I hope to build much more on this, especially from places like Ireland and Northern Ireland where criminology is still a relatively new field.”
Criminology is exploding as an area of study, largely, Shadd says, “Because criminological research has never been more robust, visible or, frankly, more necessary than it is today.”
His most recent research is a largescale Economic and Social Research Council project exploring the impact of the COVID pandemic on the mental health of prisoners in England and Wales. It involves a partnership between School of SSESW criminologists and the User Voice charity in London.
Shadd commented: “The best scholarship is not done in isolation, it is built through community, and our academic societies, like the ASC, provide the forum for this connection. It is great to see work from Queen’s University’s School of Social Science, Education and Social Work at the very forefront of that network.”
Head of the School of SSESW, Professor Carl Bagley, added: ‘We’re delighted at Shadd’s notable professional accolade in having been elected President of the American Society of Criminology. This is a fantastic achievement for Shadd, Criminology and the international profile of the School.’
