Biography and education
Lidia E. Nuño joined the School of Criminal Justice and Criminology as an associate professor in 2022, and serves as the founding director of the Social Equity Research and Policy Lab. Dr. Nuño holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in psychology, criminology and criminal justice, and justice studies from Arizona State University. Dr. Nuño’s research and teaching interests include immigration, gangs, and policing. She has collaborated with several law enforcement agencies throughout the United States, and has worked with active and incarcerated offenders, including gang members and juveniles, and at-risk youth in the United States, Central America, and the Caribbean.
She has also served as project manager, project director, and lead analyst for United States Agency for International Development (USAID), United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and National Institute of Justice (NIJ) funded research projects. Dr. Nuño is currently the Principal Investigator in a National Institute of Justice (NIJ) funded project that examines immigration status and its relation to the likelihood of engaging in crime, gang membership, and experiencing violent victimization.
She has also served as project manager, project director, and lead analyst for United States Agency for International Development (USAID), United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and National Institute of Justice (NIJ) funded research projects. Dr. Nuño is currently the Principal Investigator in a National Institute of Justice (NIJ) funded project that examines immigration status and its relation to the likelihood of engaging in crime, gang membership, and experiencing violent victimization.
Teaching Interests
Research Interests
Featured scholarly/creative works
- Nuno, L. E., Herrera, V., & Katz, C. (n.d.). Gender differences in gang participation trajectory: Results from a multinational sample of youth in the English-Speaking Caribbean. In Cross Cultural Perspectives on Gangs. Springer.
- Nuno, L. E., Maguire, E., Fox, A., & Katz, C. (2025). Differences in ego networks between MS-13 gang members in Los Angeles and El Salvador. International Criminology. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s43576-025-00164-6
- Herrera, V., & Nuno, L. E. (n.d.). What is justice for victims? Barriers and successes of working with immigrant survivors of labor trafficking. In Eurogang Program: Youth Gangs in an International Perspective.
- Nuno, L. E., Herrera, V., & Katza, C. (2025). Gender differences in gang participation in the English Speaking Caribbean: An assessment of mode of entry, criminal involvement, victimization and disengagement. Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/15377938.2025.2550461
- Kovaleski, G. M., O’Brien, G. F., & Nuno, L. E. (n.d.). Beyond altruistic motivations: The impact of individual characteristics, perceptions of the police, and political ideology on interest in becoming a police officer. Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice.
Featured awards
- Award / Honor Recipient: College of Applied Arts Achievement Award in Excellence in Scholarly/Creative Activity, Texas State University. 2023
Featured service activities
- Member
Speaker Series Committee, School of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Texas State University
- Member
Doctoral Steering Committee, School of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Texas State University
- Member
College Naming Committee, Texas State University
- Member
Learning Management System (LMS) Steering Committee, Texas State University
- Member
Senate Budget Committee, Texas State University
- Member
Retirement and Benefits Programs Committee, Texas State University