Biden Administration Names Nancy La Vigne, Criminologist & COSSA Board Member, to Lead National Institute of Justice

On May 4, it was announced that President Biden has appointed Dr. Nancy La Vigne to be the next Director of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). La Vigne, a distinguished criminal justice researcher, brings a wealth of experience in criminal justice policy, research, and non-profit leadership. Formerly a senior fellow at the Council on Criminal Justice, La Vigne holds a Ph.D. in criminal justice from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, a master’s degree in public affairs from the University of Texas-Austin, and a bachelor’s degree in government and economics from Smith College. She has over a decade of experience in various roles at the Urban Institute, a DC-based social research organization, including as vice president of justice policy and as director of Urban’s Justice Policy Center. She also served a previous stint at NIJ as the founding director of the Crime Mapping Research Center and as special assistant to the Office of Justice Programs’ (OJP) Assistant Attorney General. Prior to her appointment as NIJ director, La Vigne held a seat on COSSA’s Board of Directors as a representative for the American Society for Criminology (ASC). The announcement is available on the OJP website.