ASU criminology professor to receive prestigious young scholar award

Callie Burt, an assistant professor in Arizona State University's School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, will receive the 2014 Ruth Shonle Cavan Young Scholar Award from the American Society of Criminology. The award recognizes outstanding scholarly contributions to the field of criminology by someone who is no more than five years removed from earning a doctorate or similar post-graduate distinction.

“I'm actually rendered rather speechless, which never happens,” says Burt. “I’m truly honored to join the list of incredible scholars who have previously won the Cavan Award.”

A sociologist by training, Burt joined the ASU faculty in 2011 from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She earned her doctorate from the University of Georgia in 2009.

“The Cavan award is the highest recognition given to a junior faculty member in criminology,” says Scott Decker, Foundation Professor and director of the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, part of the College of Public Programs. “It is very competitive and signifies both a solid set of contributions and impact.”

Burt’s research focuses primarily on developmental and life-course criminology, which looks at the influences of structural, social and cultural factors. Her work also examines the social, psychological, and biological mechanisms through which social stressors and supports influence antisocial behavior. In an ongoing research project, Burt investigates the enduring criminogenic effects of racial discrimination and explores the mechanisms through which racial socialization provides resilience. Her research has been published in the American Journal of Sociology, American Sociological Review, Criminology, Journal of Health and Social Behavior, and Justice Quarterly.

“I am really grateful for the support I have received at ASU from my colleagues, and Scott Decker deserves particular thanks for his ongoing support,” Burt says. “At the University of Georgia, I was fortunate to learn from and work with excellent scholars; two of whom, Ron Simons and Jody Clay-Warner, provided invaluable mentorship.”

Burt was awarded the W.E.B. Du Bois Fellowship for Race, Gender, Crime, and Justice from the National Institute of Justice for 2014-2015. She will receive the Cavan Young Scholar Award at the annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology in November.

It’s the second time in three years that a professor in the ASU School of Criminology and Criminal Justice will receive the Young Scholar award from the American Society of Criminology. Associate professor Min Xie received the award in 2012.

“Not many PhD programs have one much less two winners,” says Decker. “Having two of the last three winners at ASU demonstrates the strong atmosphere for junior faculty.”