
Arizona State University
Brings enthusiasm to every interaction.
Encourages deep understanding and curiosity.
Nancy Jurik is Professor Emerita of Justice and Social Inquiry in Arizona State University's School of Social Transformation, a position reflecting her long-standing contributions to Social Science. She joined Arizona State University in 1981 as Assistant Professor in the School of Justice Studies, advancing to Associate Professor in 1987 and full Professor in 1997. Her academic background includes a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1980, an M.A. in Sociology from Southern Methodist University in 1975, and a B.A. in Sociology from the same institution in 1973. Jurik has held visiting appointments as Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (1980-1981), Visiting Associate Professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz (1991-1992), Visiting Scholar at New York University and John Jay College of Criminal Justice (1998-1999), and Visiting Post-Doctoral Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley (1981).
Jurik's research specializations encompass work organization, entrepreneurship, gender and work issues, microenterprise development, women in legal and criminal justice occupations, and media constructions of gender. Key publications include the co-authored books Doing Justice, Doing Gender: Women in Legal and Criminal Justice Occupations (Sage Publications, 1996; 2nd edition, 2007), Bootstrap Dreams: U.S. Microenterprise Development in an Era of Welfare Reform (Cornell University Press, 2005), and Justice Provocateur: Jane Tennison and Policing in “Prime Suspect” (University of Illinois Press, 2012, co-authored with Gray Cavender). She received the Myers Center Book Award for Doing Justice, Doing Gender in 1997. Major awards and honors include the Lee Founders Award from the Society for the Study of Social Problems (2015), Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award for research on women business owners in the Czech Republic (2019), American Society of Criminology Division on Women and Crime Distinguished Scholar Award (2016), Feminist Mentor Award from Sociologists for Women in Society (2014), and Outstanding Faculty Mentor from ASU Faculty Women’s Association (2017). Jurik served as President of the Society for the Study of Social Problems (2002-2003), contributed to community microenterprise lending programs in Phoenix from 1992 to 2006, and secured numerous grants for studies on entrepreneurship and gender dynamics.
Professional Email: Nancy.Jurik@asu.edu