McDowall Named Distinguished Teaching Professor

University at Albany Professor of Criminal Justice David McDowall was recently appointed Distinguished Teaching Professor, one of the highest faculty honors bestowed by the State University of New York Board of Trustees.

“One of the Board’s most exceptional honors is to confer the distinguished ranking upon some of our best and brightest faculty,” said Board Chairman H. Carl McCall. “To earn one of the distinguished ranks, SUNY faculty members have shown a steadfast commitment to the students, faculty, and staff at their respective campuses and accomplished high achievement in their field.”

“In bestowing its highest faculty honor, SUNY proudly recognizes the extraordinary achievements of these faculty and the positive impacts they have had on SUNY, on the students they teach and mentor, and on their colleagues both on campus and across the globe,” said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher.

McDowall teaches courses in statistics and quantitative methods. He translates complex quantitative topics into an accessible and enjoyable classroom experience. His enthusiasm for statistical methods is infectious. McDowall has served on more than 25 dissertation committees and numerous comprehensive exam committees.

In 2011, he received the American Society of Criminology’s Teaching Award, an honor recognizing career-length excellence as a teacher and mentor. In 2005, he won the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and the University at Albany Excellence in Teaching Award.

Much of McDowall’s scholarship focuses on the social distribution of crime and criminal victimization. His work makes extensive use of quantitative methods, and his publications appear in sociology, criminology, and public health journals. In addition to considering theoretical questions about variations in crime, he also studies policy issues, especially in the areas of juvenile justice and firearm violence.

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