Lisa Kruse

I started at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2013 and will begin the Fall 2025 semester as a full professor! My research centers around the management and control of populations within the criminal justice system. I am mostly an applied researcher and have completed process and outcome evaluations on drug treatment courts, reentry programs for individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use issues, and diversion programs for adults and juveniles. Additionally, I have served on various community committees and boards related to the criminal justice system including the La Crosse County Criminal Justice Management Council, the Juvenile Justice Disproportionate Minority Contact Taskforce for La Crosse County, and the Study Committee on Policing for the La Crosse County Board.

TEACHING AND LEARNING PHILOSOPHY

I am a lifelong learner. I think most of us in academia are. I find learning new things one of the most exciting parts of life. I realize that this excitement comes from the motivation that learning is useful. My teaching philosophy is about approaching classroom education in a way that centers the usefulness of learning itself. Students are most motivated to learn when they understand the usefulness of what they are learning. I connect material as much as possible to real-world implications whether that be in connecting abstract concepts such as the sociological imagination to future careers or incorporating assignments in class that emulate what students would be expected to do as part of their future jobs. In a more global citizen sense, I encourage students to see why critical thinking and knowledge obtainment is critical to understanding the complex world around us.