Endowed Professor Emeritus | esbensen@umsl.edu | 314-516-4619
Finn-Aage Esbensen is an Endowed Professor Emeritus, and the E. Desmond Lee Professor of Youth Crime and Violence in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He received his B.A. and M.A. degrees from Tufts University. His Ph.D. (Sociology, 1982) was awarded by the University of Colorado, Boulder.
His research has covered a broad spectrum of methodologies and topics from participant observation in a county jail to conducting longitudinal national surveys of adolescents. Throughout his career, he has been interested in the nexus between research and policy, working on both evaluation and basic research projects. He is currently the Principal Investigator on a multi-year study of school safety – the UMSL Comprehensive School Safety Initiative – that is funded by the National Institute of Justice.
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About Finn-Aage Esbensen
Finn-Aage Esbensen is an Endowed Professor Emeritus, and the E. Desmond Lee Professor of Youth Crime and Violence in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He received his B.A. and M.A. degrees from Tufts University. His Ph.D. (Sociology, 1982) was awarded by the University of Colorado, Boulder.
His research has covered a broad spectrum of methodologies and topics from participant observation in a county jail to conducting longitudinal national surveys of adolescents. Throughout his career, he has been interested in the nexus between research and policy, working on both evaluation and basic research projects. He is currently the Principal Investigator on a multi-year study of school safety – the UMSL Comprehensive School Safety Initiative – that is funded by the National Institute of Justice.
| Present | E. Desmond Lee Professor of Youth Crime and Violence, University of Missouri-St. Louis ‐ Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice | |
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Disciplines
Research Interests
Grants
| 2016 - Present | UMSL Comprehensive School Safety Initiative |
| National Institute of Justice | |
| Role: Principal Investigator | |
| $1,603,390 | |
| 2011 - 2015 | A Multi-method, Multi-site Study of Gang Desistance |
| National Institute of Justice | |
| Role: Principle Investigator | |
| $501,337 | |
| 2006 - 2013 | Process and Outcome Evaluation of G.R.E.A.T. |
| National Institute of Justice | |
| Role: Principal Investigator | |
| $2,497,585 | |
| 2003 - 2009 | Evaluation of Teens, Crimes, and the Community Program and Community Works Training |
| National Institute of Justice | |
| Role: Principal Investigator | |
| $1,625,274 | |
| 1994 - 2001 | National Evaluation of the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) Program |
| National Institute of Justice | |
| Role: Principle Investigator | |
| $1,560,000 | |
| 1999 - 2000 | Youth Groups and Gangs in Europe |
| Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention | |
| Role: Principal Investigator | |
| $14,000 | |
| 1990 - 1992 | "Research Program on Successful Adolescent Development" and "The Denver Neighborhood Survey |
| The John D. Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation | |
| Role: Investigator | |
| $250,000 | |
| 1990 - 1992 | The National Youth Survey |
| National Institute of Mental Health | |
| Role: Investigator | |
| $1,600,000 | |
| 1988 - 1992 | Children, Youth, and Drugs: A Longitudinal Study |
| National Institute of Drug Abuse | |
| Role: Investigator | |
| $400,000 | |
| 1986 - 1992 | Understanding Delinquency: A Longitudinal Multi-disciplinary Study of Developmental Patterns |
| Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention | |
| Role: Investigator | |
| $2,509,000 |
Professional Service and Affiliations
| 1980 - 1981 | Research Analyst, Behavioral Research Institute | 1976 - 1977 | Research Associate, Department of Psychology, Catholic University | 1975 - 1976 | Research Assistant, Systems Evaluations Research Corporation | 1974 - 1974 | Research Assistant, Center for Criminal Justice, Harvard Law School |
Honors and Awards
- Fellow, American Society of Criminology, 2013
- James L. Maddex, Jr. Paper of the Year Award, Criminal Justice Review, 2013
- Gerhard O. W. Mueller Award, Academy of Criminal Justice Services, 2012
- Chancellor's Award for Outstanding Research and Creativity, University of Missouri-St. Louis, 2010
- Recipient of the William L. Simon Outstanding Paper Award from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, 2010
- President's Award, Western Society of Criminology, 2009
- Paul Tappan Award, Western Society of Criminology
- Outstanding Academic Title List by Choice Magazine for American Youth Gangs at the Millennium, 2005
- Fellow Award, Western Society of Criminology, 2002
- Recipient of the Award for Distinguished Research or Creative Activity, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 2000
- Recipient of the Anderson Outstanding Paper Award, Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, 1993
| 1982 | PhD, University of Colorado, Boulder ‐ Sociology | |
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| 1976 | MA, Tufts University ‐ Sociology | |
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| 1973 | BA, Tufts University ‐ German and Sociology | |
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