Kristine Levan

Kristine Levan is the Department Chair of Culture, Society, and Justice and an Associate Professor of Criminology at the University of Idaho. She holds a Ph.D. in Criminology (2007), M.S. in Applied Sociology (2005), and B.A. in Crime and Justice Studies (2003), all from the University of Texas at Dallas.

Her research focuses on violence, media, institutional corrections, and public perceptions of law enforcement. Notably, she received the 2017-18 Kurt O. Olsson Early Career Research Fellowship to study how media platforms influence public opinion on law enforcement. This project involved undergraduate research assistant Kelsey Stevenson, analyzing student perspectives from diverse backgrounds.

Teaching includes courses like CRIM 329 (Homicide), CRIM 332 (Punishments and Corrections), and CRIM 339 (Crime and the Media). Her work has led to presentations at the American Society of Criminology conference and co-authored publications. Future research aims to expand the study to broader community interactions.

• Awards: Kurt O. Olsson Fellowship (2017-18)
• Advising: Mentored Kelsey Stevenson (undergraduate research assistant)