Jeffery Walker

Jeffery Walker is a University Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), holding primary appointments in the Department of Criminal Justice within the College of Arts and Sciences. He also holds roles in the School of Public Health and School of Medicine, including senior scientist positions at centers like the UAB Center for Study of Community Health and the Comprehensive Diabetes Center. Walker earned a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice and Corrections from Sam Houston State University (1992). His research focuses on criminology, public health, and the built environment’s role in crime patterns, with notable work on opioid overdose geographies, reentry simulations, and risk terrain modeling.

He has secured over 19 extramural grants from NIH, CDC, and NSF, addressing topics like community-engaged HIV testing, cybercrime workforce development, and health disparities reduction. Notable grants include leadership in the Deep South Center to Reduce Disparities in Chronic Diseases and the UAB Center for AIDS Research.

Walker’s publications span peer-reviewed journals, textbooks (e.g., Legal Guide for Police), and edited volumes exploring criminal justice policy, forensic science education, and social ecological theories of crime. He has advised doctoral students in criminal justice and social work, with a focus on experiential learning and reentry program efficacy.

His affiliations include leadership roles such as Interim Department Chair of Social Work (2020–2021) and Department Chair of Criminal Justice (2015–2022). He collaborates across disciplines, bridging criminology, public health, and technology to address societal challenges like overdose prevention and criminal justice reform.