Sung-suk Violet Yu

Sung-suk Violet Yu is an Associate Professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice within the City University of New York (CUNY). Prior to joining CUNY, she was a Senior Research Associate and Principal Investigator at the Vera Institute of Justice, focusing on corrections research. Her academic background includes a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Rutgers University—Newark, an M.A. in Criminology from Simon Fraser University, and a B.A. in Criminology from the same institution.

• Education:
  • Ph.D., Criminal Justice, Rutgers University—Newark (2009)
  • M.A., Criminal Justice, Rutgers University—Newark (2006)
  • M.A., Criminology, Simon Fraser University (2004)
  • B.A., Criminology, Simon Fraser University (2002)

Dr. Yu specializes in crime prevention, corrections, and the impact of environments on spatial patterns of crime. Her methodological expertise includes ArcGIS, GeoDa, CrimeStat III, MS SQL, SPSS, and Stata, enabling rigorous spatial and statistical analyses of criminal justice data.

Her scholarly work spans firearm availability and violence, suicidal ideation in criminal justice populations, and transit-related crime prevention. Articles highlight her use of GIS to map crime hotspots, analyze correctional healthcare delivery, and evaluate public transit safety in urban settings.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Excellence Fellowship, Rutgers University

Dr. Yu’s research on adolescent suicidal ideation and environmental criminology underscores her commitment to understanding the intersection of mental health, criminal behavior, and urban environments in policy contexts.