Kristan Russell, Ph.D.
director
Education
2020 Ph.D. Interdisciplinary Social Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno – Reno, NV
2019 M.A. Interdisciplinary Social Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno – Reno, NV
2015 M.A. Forensic Psychology, Roger Williams University – Bristol, RI
2012 B.S. Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, the Behrend College – Erie, PA
Minors: Business Management & Political Science
Certificate: Crime, Psychology, and Public Policy
Areas of Specialization
Juvenile Justice | Child Welfare | Case Processing Outcomes | Stigma | Justice Policy | Dual-System involvement | Program Evaluation
Professional Experience and Expertise
Kristan Russell is the Director of the Juvenile Justice Institute (JJI) within the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (SCCJ) at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Dr. Russell has over a decade of experience conducting and leading applied research, evaluation, training, and technical assistance across the country. Her work has informed statewide system improvement, legislative decision-making, and data-informed practices throughout the juvenile justice and child welfare systems.
With deep roots in both academic research and justice system practices, Dr. Russell’s work has centered on timely and relevant juvenile justice topics such as dual-system involvement, demographic trends in case processing and outcomes, mental health care in juvenile facilities, trauma-informed practices in courts and justice spaces, and improving capacity and better leveraging data across the system
Prior to joining UNO, Dr. Russell worked with the National Center for Juvenile Justice (research arm for the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges), where she served as a Senior Research Associate directing multi-site research, technical assistance, and training efforts with courts, public agencies, and service providers. Dr. Russell previously held a joint appointment as an Assistant Professor of Justice Studies at Prairie View A&M University and as a Research Scientist in the Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention Center.
Email address: kristanrussell@unomaha.edu