2020 Wall of Fame Inductee: Michael J. Leiber

Dr. Michael J. Leiber believed in advancing knowledge to correct the many challenging social ills in society, and this concern for social justice guided his career. Dr. Leiber grew up in and cherished his hometown, Milwaukee. He earned his B.A. from Marquette University, and then entered the M.A. program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He transferred to the University at Albany, where he earned his M.A. and Ph.D. Dr. Leiber held academic positions at the University of Northern Iowa (1989-2005), Virginia Commonwealth (2005-2010), and the University of South Florida (2010-2020), where he also served as Chair of the Department of Criminology (2011-2019).

His research focused primarily on juvenile justice and disproportionate minority contact with the criminal justice system. He authored over 100 publications, including 76 articles and book chapters, and more than two-dozen government reports, and received more than $700k in grants and contracts. Dr. Leiber was the recipient of several scholarly awards of which he was proud, including those from the Division of Minorities and Women (Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences), a lifetime achievement award from the Division on People of Color and Crime (American Society of Criminology), the W.E.B. Du Bois Award from the Western Society of Criminology, and a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University at Albany, among others. He served as editor of the Journal of Crime and Justice, and more recently, Justice Quarterly. He was often an invited speaker at programs and sessions sponsored by the Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention, Washington, DC.

Many knew Dr. Leiber in a variety of capacities: distinguished scholar, colleague, mentor, and friend. In his personal life, he was a devoted animal lover to his multiple cats and "fidos." An avid sports fan, he loved his Green Bay Packers, along with the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks, and the Wisconsin Badgers.