Dr. Alison Marganski is a criminologist, victimologist, and applied researcher. She has been recognized for her teaching (e.g. the American Society of Criminology's Division of Victimology Faculty Teacher of the Year Award in 2014), research (e.g. The Robert Ezra Park Award for Sociological Practice in 2018 from the Association for Applied & Clinical Sociology; The Community for Urban and Regional Applied Research (CURAR) Fellowship in 2017 and 2018; the VFIC Mednick Memorial Fellowship Award in 2012), and service (e.g. Virginia Wesleyan College's Service & Community Engagement Award in 2015), and was selected as a "Finalist" for the 2016 State Council of Higher Education for Virginia's Outstanding Faculty Awards in the Rising Star category.

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Dr. Marganski received her M.A. and Ph.D. in Criminology from Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey, and she received her B.S. (cum laude) from The College of New Jersey. While completing her graduate degrees, she served as a consultant for the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing under the Department of Justice, engaged in research assessing violence victimization experiences among prisoners re-entering the greater Newark community, worked at a law firm, and volunteered at a local area women’s shelter. Her dissertation, titled Adult Attachment as a Mediator/Moderator to Early Experiences of Family Violence Victimization on Adult Physically Violent Behavior, was successfully defended in April of 2010.

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Dr. Marganski is currently Associate Professor & Director of Criminology at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, NY. She has written on various criminological and sociological topics and is particularly interested in gender and violence. She currently has several research projects in the works including one on intimate partner homicide and mass murder events, and another on the co-occurrence of intimate partner cyber aggression and in-person experiences of physical, sexual, and psychological violence. In 2012, Dr. Marganski was selected for the Mednick Memorial Fellowship Award and traveled to Poland as part of her cross-cultural research study relating to socially interactive technology and contemporary dating among young adults. Here, she explored various behaviors including "deviant" intimate interactions (e.g. hooking up, sexting, cyber aggression) and how they differ among groups.

 

Dr. Marganski works closely with various organizations that address violence-related issues and is an advocate for healthy, supportive relationships. She currently serves as a member of various groups in the American Society of Criminology and is Vice President-Elect for the Association for Applied & Clinical Sociology.  Additionally, Dr. Marganski is a reviewer for numerous scholarly journals in the field and regularly presents at international and national conferences. She has guided students through independent research and welcomes research collaborations from those who are interested in victimology and/or violence.

 

Dr. Marganski is passionate about student learning and has been recognized for her applied, engaging teaching strategies using sociology/criminology activism. She has taught a variety of courses including but not limited to: Social Research; Criminology; Victimology; Forensic Victimology; Gender & Violence; Animals & Criminal Justice; Sociology of Family; Family Violence: Causes, Consequences and Responses; Extreme Murder: Serial Killers, Spree Killers and Mass Murderers; and Media, Crime and Criminal Justice Policy. She has promoted student engagement through numerous special events and has hosted various speakers on campus to raise awareness on important social issues. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outside of these activities, Dr. Marganski enjoys hiking, traveling, music (especially punk rock!), reading true crime books and spending time with her family and friends, including the four-legged ones.