Kellie D. Alexander

Kellie D. Alexander is a Teaching Assistant Professor in Sociology and Criminology at the University of Denver. Her research and teaching focus on the intersections of organizational behavior, crime, and social justice, with particular attention to how institutions manage risk, responsibility, and harm. Her scholarship examines hazing prevention and organizational decision‑making in higher education, as well as broader issues related to corrections, reentry, policing, gender, and victimization.

Her dissertation, “How do you do the right thing and not get fired or ruin your career?” Hazing in Academic Institutions: The Role of University Administrators in Prevention and Education, uses qualitative methods to explore how university administrators navigate student safety, institutional reputation, and professional risk. Her work has appeared in journals including Feminist Criminology, Criminal Justice Policy Review, Deviant Behavior, and The Qualitative Report, and in edited volumes and reference works on crime and social harm.

Dr. Alexander teaches courses such as Intersections of Incarceration, Current Social Problems, Crime, Gender, and Justice, and Understanding Social Life. She emphasizes writing‑intensive, high‑impact pedagogical practices that encourage students to critically examine systems of power, inequality, and punishment.

In addition to her academic work, Dr. Alexander serves as a hazing prevention consultant, drawing on extensive experience with campus‑wide prevention initiatives, assessment projects, and policy development. Her applied work bridges research and practice to support evidence‑based strategies that promote safer and more inclusive institutional environments.