Nathan E. Kruis

Nathan E. Kruis serves as Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Pennsylvania State University's Altoona campus, holding concurrent leadership roles including Director-at-Large for the Northeastern Association of Criminal Justice Sciences (NEACJS), President of the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Justice Educators (PACJE), and member of the Blair County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Prison Society. He also functions as Research Associate for the Douglas W. Pollock Center for Addiction Outreach and Research at Penn State Harrisburg and co-director of the Integrated Social Science Research Lab (ISSRL) at Penn State Altoona.

His academic background features a Bachelor's degree from Penn State Altoona and Master's/Ph.D. credentials from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Kruis's research centers on stigma mechanisms in substance use disorders, policing strategies, criminological frameworks, and pedagogical innovations in criminal justice education. His work critically examines drug policy implementation, law enforcement responses to addiction, and systemic biases affecting marginalized populations. This specialization drives his contributions to addiction outreach through the Pollock Center and informs his policy-focused publications addressing real-world criminal justice challenges.

His distinguished recognition includes:

• ACJS Dissertation Award (2020) for doctoral research
• NEACJS Emerging Scholar Award (2021)
• NEACJS Policy Paper Award (2021)
• Three consecutive Penn State Altoona teaching/mentoring honors (2022-2024)

As primary advisor for the Criminal Justice Organization and Alpha Phi Sigma honor society, he demonstrates exceptional commitment to student development—evidenced by dual 2023 awards for undergraduate research mentorship and organizational leadership. His advising philosophy emphasizes experiential learning through prison society engagement and policy advocacy.

The Integrated Social Science Research Lab (ISSRL) under his co-direction provides critical infrastructure for interdisciplinary studies on addiction, policing, and social inequality, facilitating collaborative projects between Altoona faculty and Harrisburg-based Pollock Center researchers.