Anne Elizabeth Nordberg

Dr. Anne Elizabeth Nordberg is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at The University of Texas at Arlington (UT Arlington), where she has served since 2013. Her research focuses on problem-solving courts, reentry support for criminalized populations, mobility justice, and police training evaluation. Nordberg holds a PhD in Social Work and Anthropology from the University of Michigan (2013), an MA in Sociocultural Anthropology (2011), an MSW (2010), and dual BAs in Anthropology and Art History/Classics from McMaster University (2004 and 1994).

Research Interests: Transportation equity, criminal justice narratives, reentry innovations, police reform, and smart decarceration. Nordberg has led studies on mobility challenges for formerly incarcerated individuals, homeless populations, and survivors of intimate partner violence. She co-authored seminal work on drug and mental health courts, emphasizing racial disparities and gender-responsive practices.

Grants & Awards: Nordberg secured over $600K in federal/state funding for projects like optimizing housing/service locations for returning citizens and evaluating police training programs. Notable recognitions include the 2018 President's Excellence in Teaching Award and the Jillian Michelle Smith Family Violence Fellowship.

Advocacy & Leadership: She chairs UT Arlington’s Faculty Development Committee, serves on national decarceration initiatives, and advises on transportation equity. Nordberg co-edited a special journal issue on interdisciplinary grand challenges in social work and frequently presents at conferences like the Society for Social Work Research.

Teaching & Mentorship: Teaches qualitative research methods and incarceration inequities. Advised over 40 graduate students, many focusing on marginalized populations’ mobility challenges. Her pedagogy incorporates decolonizing methodologies and community-engaged research.