Jennifer L. Steele

Jennifer L. Steele, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice at Ohio University’s Lancaster Campus. She earned her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Akron, with concentrations in criminology and deviant behavior, and holds graduate and undergraduate degrees from Ohio University and Ohio Northern University. Her scholarly work examines substance use, violence, policing, and inequality, with particular attention to rural communities, adolescents, and underserved populations.

Dr. Steele is an active and widely published researcher, with articles appearing in leading peer-reviewed journals such as Journal of Criminal Justice, Police Quarterly, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, and Substance Use & Misuse. Her research has been supported by multiple Ohio University Regional Higher Education grants and has received national recognition through awards, nominations, and invited presentations at major sociology and criminology conferences.

A dedicated and innovative educator, Dr. Steele teaches a wide range of courses including sociology, criminology, criminal justice, deviant behavior, and drugs, crime, and society. She is known for her student-centered, active-learning approach and has been recognized with several teaching awards, including the Grasselli Faculty Teaching Award and the Regional Campus Outstanding Tenure Track Professor Award. She also mentors students through honors tutorials, advising, and co-curricular engagement.

In addition to her teaching and research, Dr. Steele provides extensive service at the department, campus, and university levels. She has held leadership roles in faculty governance, promotion and tenure committees, curriculum development, and student engagement initiatives, and currently serves as a Faculty Affiliate with the Center for Law, Justice and Culture. Her work reflects a strong commitment to regional campus students, academic excellence, and community-engaged higher education.

• Google Scholar Profile
• ResearchGate

Selected Publications

Steele, Jennifer and Keith Durkin. 2024. Beyond Urban Centers: Investigating General Strain Theory and Opioid Use Among Rural Adolescents, Journal of Criminal Justice, 95.  

Steele, Jennifer & Blau, Nicole. 2023. An Analysis of Police Department Crisis Communication via Social Media. Police Quarterly, 26(4) 520-544. 10986111221150505.

Steele, Jennifer L., & Peralta, Robert. 2020. Are polydrug users more physically and verbally aggressive? An assessment of aggression among Mono vs. Polydrug users in an university sample. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 35 (20-21) 4444-4467. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260517715024

Steele, Jennifer L. 2019. An Active Learning approach to Teaching Undergraduates about Deviant/Criminal Groups. American Sociological Association Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology (TRAILS).

Steele, Jennifer L. 2016. Race and general strain theory: Examining the impact of racial discrimination and fear on adolescent marijuana and alcohol use. Substance Use and Misuse, 51 (12), 1637-1648.

Peralta, Robert L., Steward, Breanna C., Steele, Jennifer L., & Wagner, Fernando A. 2016. Non-medical use of prescription drugs in emerging adulthood: Differentiating sex from gender. Addiction Research and Theory, 24 (5), 389-397.

Steele, Jennifer L., Peralta, Robert L., & Cheryl Elman. 2011. The co- ingestion of nonmedical prescription drugs and alcohol: A partial test of social learning theory. Journal of Drug Issues, 41(4), 561-585.

Peralta, Robert, Callanan, Valerie J., Steele, Jennifer L., & Lia Chervenak. 2011. The effects of gender identity and heavy episodic drinking on alcohol-related violence. Gender Issues, 28(3), 111-133.

Peralta, Robert L., Steele, Jennifer L., Nofziger, Stacey, & Michael Rickles. 2010. The impact of gender on binge drinking behavior among U.S. college students attending a midwestern university: An analysis of two separate gender measures. Feminist Criminology, 4, 355-379.

Peralta, Robert L., & Jennifer L. Steele. 2010. Non-medical prescription drug use among college students at a Midwest university: A partial test of social learning theory. Substance Use and Misuse, 45 (6), 865-887.

Peralta, Robert L, Lori Tuttle, & Jennifer L. Steele. 2010. At the intersection of masculinity, alcohol use and violent behavior: The experiences of heterosexual male perpetrators of intimate partner violence. Violence Against Women, 16:4, 387- 409.

Peralta, Robert L., & Jennifer L. Steele. 2009. On drinking styles and race: A Consideration of the socio-structural determinants of alcohol use behavior. Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, 8 (2),146-162.

Awards Received

• Eric A. Wagner Professorship (2025 - 2028)
• Ohio University Regional Higher Education Outstanding Tenure Track Professor Award (2025)
• Grasselli Faculty Teaching Award, Ohio University, College of Arts and Sciences (2023)

In the News

• Ohio University Regional Higher Education faculty honored for outstanding achievements
• Psychology & Sociology-Criminology Alum is 'Drug Court' Case Manager
• 2016 Spring Press: Akron Beacon Journal Story on research published in Addiction Research and Theory
• 2015 Spring Press Coverage of: Robert L. Peralta, Valerie J. Callanan, Jennifer L. Steele, and Lia Chervenak Wiley. 2011. “The Effects of Gender Identity and Heavy Episodic Drinking on Alcohol-Related Violence.” Gender Issues 28(3): 111-133 (Lead Article) (Funded by The University of Akron, FRG 1667) on DatingAdvice.com (DatingAdvice.com).