Ron Kramer

Ron Kramer is a Professor of Sociology at Western Michigan University (WMU), affiliated with the Department of Sociology. He previously served as Director of the Criminal Justice Program from 1992 to 2017. Kramer holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Ohio State University (1978), specializing in criminology and law. His research focuses on corporate and state crimes, international law, crime prevention strategies, and the sociological history of baseball. He is also recognized for work on the social impacts of the 1960s.

Notable works include Apocalyptic Crimes (2025), Carbon Criminals, Climate Crimes (2020), and State-Corporate Crime (2006). His scholarship bridges criminology with global policy, environmental ethics, and historical analysis. Kramer hosts the award-winning TV program Critical Issues, Alternative Views, and co-founded the WMU Working Group on Climate Change.

• Awards:
  • WMU Alumni Association Teaching Excellence Award (1981)
  • American Society of Criminology’s Lifetime Achievement Award (2004)
  • Michigan Sociological Association’s Larry T. Reynolds Award (2012)
  • Charles Horton Cooley Award for Distinguished Scholarship (2017)

His career includes producing community access TV programs like WMU Forum (1987–1995) and advocating for interdisciplinary approaches to social justice and environmental policy.