Biography and expertise
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.
Education
Doctorate Degree
PhD in Justice Studies
Arizona State University, 2017
Master's Degree
MS in Criminal Justice and Criminoogy
Arizona State University, 2011
Bachelor's Degree
BA in Criminal Justice and Criminoogy
Arizona State University, 2009
Bachelor's Degree
BA in Psychology
Arizona State University, 2009
Teaching Interests
Research Interests
Featured grants
- Nuno, Lidia Elena (Co-Principal). Local Enforcement of Federal Immigration Policies: An Analysis of Sanctuary Cities and 287g Jurisdictions, California State University, Fullerton, State, $14999. (Submitted: 2022, Funded: January 2023 - May 2023). Grant.
- Nuno, Lidia Elena (Principal). Assessing the Relationship between Immigration Status, Crime, Gang Affiliation, and Victimization., National Institute of Justice, Federal, $462165. (Submitted: April 2020, Funded: January 2021 - August 2024). Grant.
- Nuno, Lidia Elena (Co-Principal). Assessing Vulnerabilities, Experiences and Survivorship of Labor Trafficking Victims in Orange County, California State University, Fullerton, State, $15000. (Submitted: 2019, Funded: January 2020 - December 2021). Grant.
Featured scholarly/creative works
- Herrera, V., Nuno, L. E., & Parker, G. A. (2026). School-Related Factors Associated with Substance Use Among American Indian Youth: A Multilevel Analysis. Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332640.2026.2693644
- Nuno, L. E., Garza, G. G., Herrera, V., & O’Brien, G. F. (2026). Procedural justice, legitimacy, and willingness to cooperate with the police: A test of the process-based model of regulation using a sample of detained youth in the US. Youth Justice. https://doi.org/10.1177/14732254261453205
- Herrera, V., & Nuno, L. E. (2026). “If I call the police, are they going to ask for my status?” A narrative analysis of Latino immigrants’ experiences of victimization. American Journal of Community Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.70082
- Herrera, V., Nuno, L. E., & Ruiz, R. (2026). Healthcare Access Disparities among Youth in Detention: Access among Latino Youth. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-026-01872-5
- Herrera, V., & Nuno, L. E. (2025). What is justice for victims? Barriers and successes of working with immigrant survivors of labor trafficking. In Human Trafficking: Anti-Oppressive Research, Policy, and Practice.
Featured awards
- Award / Honor Recipient: National Institutes of Health (NIH) Health Disparities Research Institute (HDRI) Scholar, National Institutes of Health (NIH). 2026 - Present
- Award / Honor Nominee: 2027 Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) Outstanding Mentor, Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS). 2026 - Present
- Award / Honor Nominee: Graduate College Outstanding Mentor, Graduate College. 2026 - Present
- Award / Honor Nominee: American Society of Criminology (ASC) Division of Policing Teaching & Mentorship Award, American Society of Criminology (ASC) Division of Policing. 2026
- Award / Honor Nominee: 2026 Mariel M. Muir Excellence in Mentoring Award, Texas State University. 2026
Featured service activities
- Member
Undergraduate Program Steering Committee, School of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Texas State University
- Member
Learning Management System (LMS) Steering Committee, Texas State University
- Member
Gang Expert Working Group for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
- Coordinator / Organizer
Eurogang Project Website Manager
- Editorial Review Board Member
Applied Police Briefings
- Editorial Review Board Member
Deputy Editor, Feminist Criminology (2022-Present)