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Mahesh Nalla

Mahesh Nalla
  • Professor
  • School of Criminal Justice
  • PhD, University at Albany, SUNY
  • MA, University at Albany, SUNY
  • MA, Andhra University, India
  • BCom, Andhra University, India
  • 524 Baker Hall
  • 655 Auditorium Rd.
  • East Lansing, MI 48824
  • (517) 355-2228

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Curriculum Vitae

Biography

Mahesh Nalla is a Professor at the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University in East Lansing, USA. His research focuses on two key areas: (a) security governance and trust in public and private policing, and (b) gendered spaces and sexual violence in emerging democracies.

As the project coordinator for a major global initiative on firearm-related violence prevention for the United Nations, he played a pivotal role in shaping international policy. He was instrumental in drafting the UN ECOSOC resolution International Protocol Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, and Other Related Materials—a groundbreaking supplement to the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime.

In 1998, he spearheaded the development of the first full-time online Master’s in Criminal Justice program. For this achievement, he received the Award for Excellence – Creative Program Credit-Award in 1999, presented to Michigan State University by the University Continuing Education Association Region IV.

As Editor-In-Chief of the International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice, he dedicated 24 years of service before stepping down in 2023. Under his leadership, the journal gained significant recognition and visibility, achieved indexed status, and solidified its reputation as a leading publication in the field.

His contributions to criminology have been widely recognized. He received the Freda Adler Distinguished Scholar Award from the American Society of Criminology’s International Division. Additionally, he was honored with the prestigious Gerhard O.W. Mueller Award from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences International Section for his significant contributions to the advancement of comparative and international criminal justice in the areas of scholarship, leadership, and service.

Selected Publications

Gurinskaya, A., Nalla, M.K., & Polyakova, E. (2024). Does Fear of Migrant Crime predict Xenophobia: Evidence from Three Russian Cities. European Journal of Criminology.

Gurinskaya, A., Nalla, M.K., Jayne, C.M. (2024) Fear, learning or self-control? Predictors of Russian citizens’ compliance with mandatory and voluntary Covid-19 prevention measures. Criminology and Criminal Justice.

Nalla, M.K., Gurinskaya, A., & Qureshi, H. (2023). Police officers’ punitiveness in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of fear, attribution, and self-legitimacy. Policing: An International Journal.

Liu, Y. & Nalla, M.K. (2023). Predictors of Attitudes toward Sexual Harassment among Chinese Nationals: Are College Students Different? Asian Journal of Criminology.