The Office of the Provost announced Dr. Brent Teasdale has been named University Professor for Illinois State University.
Teasdale joined Illinois State University in 2017 as professor and chair of Criminal Justice Sciences. His research focuses on two areas of national interest: the study of persons with mental illness who are offenders, victims, and participants in the criminal justice system; and the science of substance abuse prevention.
Nationally recognized as a leader in his fields of study, his scholarly works have been cited nearly 2,000 times. As a criminologist and quantitative methodologist, he has made more than 50 scholarly presentations and has authored or co-authored nearly 40 peer-reviewed articles. He is the co-editor of Preventing Crime and Violence (Springer Press). His published work has appeared in outlets such as Criminal Justice & Behavior, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Journal of Quantitative Criminology, Justice Quarterly, Prevention Science, and Social Problems. He has received several research grants and his work has been cited in Amicus Briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court.
As chair, he has assisted in increasing faculty diversity, student diversity and enrollment, revising curriculum, and developing a 4+1 program. He has served on numerous dissertation and thesis committees.
Teasdale is known for collaboration, being a master teacher, and mentoring students. Graduate student NaStasha Powers describes his mentorship, saying, “He is committed to ensuring success by setting steppingstones in demonstrating excellence as a foundation to his students. His heart and compassion to understand and acknowledge students outside of textbooks and class assignments are what makes Dr. Teasdale a distinct professor.”
Before joining Illinois State, Teasdale served as an associate professor at Georgia State University and a faculty affiliate of Emory University. He earned a Ph.D. in sociology from Pennsylvania State University.