Rate My Professor Jeri Kirby

Dr. Jeri Kirby is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Fairmont State University, where she serves as Director of the M.S. in Criminal Justice Graduate Program, Graduate Director for the College of Liberal Arts, and Director of Graduate Studies. She earned her Ph.D. in Political Science from West Virginia University in 2014, with a dissertation titled "TIME SERVED: The Bubbling Brew of State Correctional Policies," examining criminal justice and public policy. Her earlier degrees include an M.A. in Sociology from West Virginia University in 2006, with a thesis on "The Psycho-social Development of Neighborhoods: Implications of Situational Policing," and a B.A. in Political Science/Legal Studies with a minor in Sociology in 2002, also from West Virginia University. Prior to joining Fairmont State University in August 2015, Dr. Kirby worked as a Faculty Lecturer in the Sociology Department at West Virginia University since 2007, Adjunct Professor from 2004 to 2007, and Research Assistant on projects related to at-risk behavior, social policy, policing, and neighborhood social controls.

Dr. Kirby's academic interests and research specializations encompass neighborhood research, crime control, policing, corrections, cross-national and state punishment policies, juvenile delinquency, criminology, social policy, crime and punishment, and urban development. Key publications include "Facilitating Neighborhood Growth: A Common Sense Public Safety Response from the Relational Paradigm" (2011, co-authored with J. Nolan and R. Althouse, in Sustained Dialogue and Public Deliberation, Columbia University Press) and "Establishing the 'Statistical Accuracy' of Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) in West Virginia" (2006, co-authored with J.J. Nolan, S. Hass, T. Lester, and C. Jira, Criminal Justice Statistical Analysis Center). She has presented at conferences such as the American Society of Criminology Annual Meetings and the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Annual Meeting. Dr. Kirby received the 2011 Volunteer of the Year award from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Hazelton Prison Complex. Her teaching portfolio includes courses on Juvenile Delinquency, Punishment and Social Control, Deviant Behavior, and criminal justice policy. At Fairmont State University, she has guided students to national success, including multiple scholarships at the Alpha Phi Sigma conference, and contributes to faculty senate committees and innovative programs like the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program.