Schannae L. Lucas

Dr. Schannae L. Lucas is a tenured Professor and current Chair of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at California Lutheran University. She joined the Cal Lutheran faculty in 2008 and has served in numerous leadership roles including Division Coordinator for the Social and Behavioral Sciences Division, Chair of the Educational Policies and Planning Committee, and Chair of the Student Life Committee.

Dr. Lucas received her M.A. and Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Washington State University and her B.S. in Social Science from the University of California, Irvine. Prior to her position at Cal Lutheran, she was an Assistant Professor at Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois, where she taught at various branch campuses and at the Chicago Police Academy. Before entering academia, she worked in a Federal Community Correctional Center in Garden Grove, CA, and interned for the U.S. Probation and Parole Office in Santa Ana, CA.

Her research interests focus on victimology, mass incarceration, community corrections and re-entry, and experiential learning in criminal justice. She has conducted re-entry evaluation work with various local agencies and was the first to implement the 'Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program' at Cal Lutheran University and in Ventura County - an innovative program teaching college courses with both traditional and incarcerated students. This work was featured by ABC7 News.

• Long-time member of the American Society of Criminology (ASC)
• Long-time member of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS)
• Recipient of multiple mini grants for outreach with domestic violence agencies
• Recipient of grants for prison education and service learning classes

Dr. Lucas has held various leadership positions with national professional associations and has been recognized for her innovative teaching approaches that bridge academic learning with real-world criminal justice applications.