Dr. Miltonette Craig of Illinois State University has been nationally recognized as a 2020 Emerging Scholar by Diverse Issues in Higher Education. Craig is one of only 15 scholars in the nation named to the prestigious list. She appears on the cover of the recent issue of the national magazine.

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An assistant professor in the Department of Criminal Justice Sciences, Craig’s primary areas of research include police-community relations, race/ethnicity and crime, courts and sentencing, and prisoner reentry. Her scholarly works have appeared in such publications as The Criminologist and the Journal of Criminal Justice. She contributed chapters to the books Caged Women: Incarceration, Representation, and Media and Criminal Justice in America: The Encyclopedia of Crime, Law Enforcement, Courts, and Corrections.

Presenting her research across North America, Craig has spoken about racially disproportionate vehicle stops by Missouri police, the impact of community resources on reconviction rates for black and Hispanic offenders, and the counter productivity of order-maintenance policing. Her invited lectureships include talks on education programs in federal prisons, social structure and crime, and individual rights during a search and seizure. She recently addressed the first-ever Racial Equity Summit at the Town of Normal.

“Dr. Craig has already distinguished herself as a scholar and dedicated faculty member as she combines her passion for excellence in research with her dedication to classroom instruction and student mentorship,” said Dean of the College of Applied Science and Technology Todd McLoda.

Craig completed her Ph.D. at Florida State University in 2018, and joined the faculty at Illinois State the same year. With a law degree earned from Georgia State University in 2009, Craig teaches courses in criminal law and the connection between alcohol, drugs, and crime. In her time at Illinois State, Craig has already earned an Impact Award, a university research grant from the College of Applied Science and Technology, and a research initiative award from African American Studies.

Craig serves as a co-advisor for the Department of Criminal Justice Sciences’ Breaking Barriers program to address the declining number of women enrolled in criminal justice sciences majors. She is a member of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, the American Society of Criminology, and the American Sociological Association.