The prestigious award is given annually by the American Society of Criminology's Division on Rural Criminology and Social Justice(DCCSJ), which fosters collaboration and research efforts and encourages effective teaching practices related to rural criminology.
"I
am thrilled and humbled to receive the Ralph Weisheit Lifetime
Achievement Award because
its namesake is a ground-breaking pioneer in the social scientific study of
crime, law and social control in rural and remote places,” DeKeseredy said. “I am deeply moved by
my peers' recognition and respect for the work I have done in the field
throughout my career."
DeKeseredy serves as a Professor of Sociology, the Anna Dean Carlson Endowed Chair of Social Sciences and Director of the Research Center on Violence at Eberly College of Arts and Sciences.
Over the past two decades, he has conducted a variety of empirical and theoretical work on many types of violence against women in rural and remote places, including the first-ever study of separation/divorce sexual assault in rural parts of the United States. This research was featured in the 2009 book “Dangerous Exits: Escaping Abusive Relationships in Rural America.”
His extensive contributions to the field are outlined in his
recent book “Woman Abuse in Rural Places,” which is read and cited around the
world. The book was recognized with the American Society of Criminology’s 2022
Robert Jerin Book of the Year Award for its impact on the field of victimology.
Ohio State University Professor Joseph F. Donnermeyer, who serves as the Chair of the ASC's Division on Rural Criminology (right), is pictured above with DeKeseredy.
