Welcome Assistant Professor Dr. Katharine Brown

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Katharine Brown to the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice! She will teach CJUS-P595: Introduction to Research Methods this Fall.

Katharine L. Brown received her Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Arizona State University (ASU). Katharine’s research employs mixed methodology (e.g., survey data collection, focus groups, and ethnography) to better understand issues of policing and homelessness. She works with several police departments and community agencies to identify gaps in responses to unhoused populations and works with those agencies to improve these responses by adopting evidence-based practice. Her work has been published in The Journal of Experimental Criminology, Behavioral Sciences & the Law, and Policing: An International Journal.

Dr. Brown will serve as the department's newest Assistant Professor.

Dr. Brown's Faculty Page

2025-2026 Annual CCJ Newsletter

Dear alumni and friends, 

I am excited to share with you the 2025-2026 issue of the Indiana University Department of Criminology and Criminology Justice end of year newsletter. This fall marks an exciting milestone for our department as we officially returned to Sycamore Hall after four years of renovation. Being back together in our home space has reinvigorated our sense of community and made this year especially meaningful. 

It has also been an unforgettable time to be on campus. IU football brought an incredible level of energy and excitement (and nail biting) week after week. The spotlight on IU spread beyond athletics. Interest in Indiana University Bloomington continues to grow, with applications to the College of Arts and Sciences increasing by 7% over last year. We are excited about what this means for the future growth of our department and look forward to welcoming the next generation of CCJ Hoosiers into our programs.  
 
We are also excited to reconnect with more of our alumni this fall. If you are in the Chicago area, please join us for an alumni reception on November 19th—we will share more details in September. Our gathering in Washington, D.C. last year was a tremendous success, and we look forward to creating another memorable opportunity to connect. 
 
We would love to celebrate you in our Class Notes section. Please send updates on your whereabouts, accomplishments, and current endeavors to crimjust@iu.edu. Be sure to include your name, graduation year, and degree so we can share your news with fellow alumni in future newsletters. 
 
We hope to hear from you soon! 
 
From Sycamore Hall in Bloomington, 
 
Natalie Hipple 
Professor and Chair (and alumna) 
Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice 
Indiana University Bloomington 

2025-2026 CJUS Newsletter

Dr. Bonnie Ernst Awarded Two Fellowships

Dr. Bonnier Ernst was awarded the Jesse Fine Fellowship and the Texas State Library and Archives Commission Research Fellowship in Texas History.

Dr. Ernst will conduct research at TSLAC in support of her project, “Black Women and Convict Leasing in the Jim Crow South.” Her research on Black women in Texas prisons at the turn of the twentieth century will shed light on the approach that Texas took and how that fits into the broader history of the American South.

Texas State Archives collections document the lives and work of Texans and their interaction with government. The records that the research fellows plan to explore will provide them with large troves of information to sift through and analyze. The resulting works will improve our understanding of these aspects of Texas history. Fellows will be awarded funds to support travel to the State Archives in Austin.

The Jesse Fine Fellowship, housed in the Poynter Center for the Study of Ethics and American Institutions, supports the study of work focused on moral concepts and problems in practical ethics, citizenship, and professional life.

Dr. Bonnie Ernst is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Indiana University. She is a historian of gender, race, and punishment in the United States. Ernst holds degrees from the University of Chicago, the University of Oxford, and Northwestern University, where she received her Ph.D. in American History in 2018.

 

Dr. Ernst's Faculty Page