Faculty

Program Faculty

Olena Antonaccio

Professor
Director of Criminology and Criminal Justice MS/Certificate Program

(305) 284-2075
Olena Antonaccio is a professor at the Department of Sociology and Criminology. Her areas of specialty are crime, social control, and sociological theory. Her research interests include empirical tests and the development of theories of crime and victimization and their application to various problem areas such as cybersecurity, particularly...


Nicole Leeper Piquero

Interim Dean, Graduate School

(305) 284-6172
Nicole Leeper Piquero received her Ph.D. (2001) as well as her M.A. (1998) and B.A. (1996) in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland. She joined the University of Miami in 2020 as a Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology. She served as chair of the department from 2022-2024. Dr. Piquero’s...

Amie L Nielsen

Assoc. Professor
Director of Graduate Studies

(305) 284-6158

Kathryn M Nowotny, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

(305) 284-6154
Dr. Kathryn Nowotny is Associate Professor of Medical Sociology at the University of Miami where she directs the Miami Health & Justice Lab (www.miamihealthjustice.com). Her research uses both quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the multilevel factors that create increased risk for poor health among justice-involved people and...


Alexis Piquero

Professor

(305) 284-4220
Alex R. Piquero is Professor in the Department of Sociology & Criminology and Arts & Sciences Distinguished Scholar the University of Miami and previously served as the Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics, one of the nation’s thirteen federal statistical agencies (appointed by President Biden, June 2022). Dr. Piquero...

Affiliated Sociology and Criminology Department Faculty


Jan Sokol-Katz

Senior Lecturer
Director of Undergraduate Studies
Faculty Advisor

(305) 284-6762
Jan Sokol-Katz is Senior Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Studies of the Department of Sociology and Criminology. Dr. Sokol-Katz is a Faculty Advisor of undergraduates, the Department’s Alpha Kappa Delta and Alpha Phi Sigma honor society chapters, and of the Sociology and Criminology Club and URecovery: Collegiate Recovery...

Ellen S. Venzer

Lecturer: Judge in Residence

(305) 284-2401
Judge Ellen Venzer has been an Adjunct Professor and Lecturer at UM for over 28 years, teaching a variety of courses including: The Philosophy of Sentencing and Children and the Law at UM’s School of Law. She joined the department to teach Crime and Punishment and Hot Topics in the Legal System....

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