Alan Lizotte

Alan Jeffrey Lizotte was an American criminologist and Distinguished Professor in the School of Criminal Justice at the University at Albany.

Early life and education Lizotte grew up in Grand Junction, Colorado, where he later recalled almost everyone he knew owning a gun. He served in the United States Navy from July 1966 to January 1970. His service included one tour on the USS Jouett in the Vietnam War, and one-and-a-half tours in the Inshore Undersea Warfare Group One, Unit 2, on land; he attained the rank of Second Class Petty Officer as a radioman before being discharged. He later received his bachelor's degree in sociology from Brown University in 1974, followed by a M.A. (1976) and Ph.D. (1979) from the University of Illinois, also in sociology. As a grad student at the University of Illinois, he shared an office with Gary Kleck.

Career Lizotte was an assistant professor of sociology at Emory University from 1978 to 1980. He first joined the faculty of the University at Albany's School of Criminal Justice in 1985 as an associate professor, and was named a full professor there in 1993. In 2016, he became a Distinguished Professor at the School. From 2004 to 2007, he was an executive counselor for the American Society of Criminology.

Honors and awards In 2003, Lizotte received the Michael J. Hindelang Award from the American Society of Criminology, and in 2014, he was named one of its fellows.