Dr. Alex Piquero

Dr. Alex Piquero

Dr. Alex Piquero, Ashbel Smith professor of criminology in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (EPPS), has been appointed to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) Science Advisory Board.

He was selected as one of 19 new appointees to the 25-member board of research scholars, practitioners and policymakers.

“The Office of Justice Programs Science Advisory Board advises the OJP leadership in the areas of social science and statistics for the purpose of enhancing the overall impact and performance of OJP programs and research,” said Karol V. Mason, assistant attorney general who heads the OJP.

“In addition, the board provides an important base of contact with the criminal justice academic and practitioner communities. I am thrilled at the expertise, scope, and experience of the board members recently appointed by former Attorney General Eric Holder,” she said. 

Piquero will serve a four-year term on the board, which was created by Holder in 2010.

Alex Piquero is internationally recognized as one of the premier scholars in criminology. I have no doubt that he will make insightful and meaningful contributions to the advisory board. The Department of Justice could not have made a better choice.

Dr. Denis Dean,
dean of the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences

“Alex Piquero is internationally recognized as one of the premier scholars in criminology,” said Dr. Denis Dean, dean of EPPS.  “I have no doubt that he will make insightful and meaningful contributions to the advisory board.  The Department of Justice could not have made a better choice.” 

Piquero, who  joined UT Dallas in 2011, received the 2014 University of Texas System Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award. He has been recognized in multiple previous studies as one of the most cited scholars in his field.

“It is an incredible honor to be asked to serve on this important advisory board supported by the Department of Justice to enhance the impact and performance of its programs and activities in the areas of criminal and juvenile justice,” Piquero said. “Along with my colleagues, I will take seriously our mission to uphold the highest levels of scientific rigor with respect to the most pressing crime and justice questions facing our nation today.”

Piquero has published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles in the areas of criminal careers, criminological theory and quantitative research methods, and has collaborated on several books. He has provided congressional testimony on evidence-based crime prevention practices in the area of early family parent training programs and has provided counsel and support to several local, state, national and international criminal justice agencies,. He also has been named a Fellow of both the American Society of Criminology and the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.  

In addition, the National Academy of Sciences has selected Piquero to serve on three expert panels: Modernizing the Nation’s Crime Statistics, A Prioritized Plan to Implement a Developmental Approach in Juvenile Justice Reform and Strengthening Forensic Science at the National Institute of Justice.