Corina Graif

Corina Graif is a Professor of Sociology and Criminology at Pennsylvania State University’s College of the Liberal Arts. She is also a Research Associate at the Population Research Institute (PRI) and chairs key sessions at the American Society of Criminology Annual Meetings. Her work integrates sociological, criminological, and computational methods to study neighborhood effects, spatial mobility, and health inequalities.

Education: PhD from Harvard University (2011), MA from Harvard (2007), Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholar (2013).

Research Focus: Dr. Graif examines how neighborhood diversity, violence, and spatial networks shape youth outcomes, health risks, and opportunities. She employs GIS, network analysis, and big data to study topics like opioid epidemics, crime spillovers, and urban development. Recent work includes projects on commuting networks and pandemic spread, as well as racial disparities in policing.

Awards:

• Roy Buck Award (Best Social Sciences Article)
• Excellence in Teaching Award (NSLS)
• Robert J. Bursik Junior Scholar Award (ASC)

Grants & Leadership: NIH K01 Award (2017-2022) for big data/network analysis. Co-organizes the PRI’s Changing American Neighborhoods and Communities (CANAC) Working Group. Served as NSF grant reviewer and conference organizer on mass incarceration and health.

Labs/Teams: Active in the Population Research Institute (PRI), focusing on urban sociology and criminology. Leads interdisciplinary projects on spatial inequality and health disparities.