Lydia Voigt, Ph.D.

Dr. Lydia Voigt is currently Distinguished University Professor Emerita and formerly the Reverend Joseph H. Fichter, S. J., Distinguished Social Science Professor in the Department of Sociology at Loyola University New Orleans. She has been a member of Loyola’s faculty and academic community for over 40years. In addition to her teaching and scholarly activities, she has served over 25 years (combined) in various administrative positions including: Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs (2001-2003) (the first woman to serve in this position at Loyola), Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs (2009-2013; 1996-2001), and Chairperson in the Department of Sociology (2005-2009; 1983-1992).

Dr. Voigt’s Ph.D. and M.A. degrees (with concentrations in sociological theory, methods, statistics, and criminology) are from Boston College (Chestnut Hill, MA), and her B.A. degree (major in psychology) is from Boston University (Boston, MA). Her disciplinary areas of expertise are in criminology (criminological theory, structural analysis of homicide statistics and demographic distribution and prediction models, international comparative analyses of crime and violence patterns, studies of crime and human rights violations especially during disasters and pandemics, and promising restorative justice models); and in sociology (historical and contemporary social theories/theoretical paradigms, the sociology of knowledge and power, and the sociology of higher education).

She has authored/co-authored thirteen books and over fifty publications including professional refereed journal articles, monographs, invited book chapters, and evaluation studies; and she has given over 100 scholarly papers and invited presentations at professional conferences around the world. In addition, to her publications and presentations in the field of sociology and criminology, she has pursued the scholarship of administration, including presentations, papers, and consultation on topics related to important issues in higher education (HE), such as student success (persistence/retention and graduation), assessment of the quality of student learning, the HE quality enhancement model, program evaluation, and institutional strategic planning.

Over the years of her career, Dr. Voigt has been engaged in public service in the New Orleans metropolitan community, which has included service on numerous task forces, statewide commissions, and participation in various community research
initiatives both in the areas of crime/violence and higher education.
 

Dr. Voigt has also been honored with several university and national professional awards including:

• Dux Academicus Award (University award recognizing faculty excellence in scholarship, teaching, and service).
  Loyola University New Orleans President’s Council, January 1997.
• University Diversity Champions Award. Loyola University New Orleans, Diversity Champions Committee, 2001.
• The Noel-Levitz National Conference on Student Recruitment, Retention, and Marketing Award presented in July 2001 in recognition of Dr. Voigt’s leadership excellence and Loyola’s campus-wide retention accomplishments.
• The National Consortium for Student Retention Data Exchange: Effective Retention Program Award presented to Dr. Voigt for excellence (demonstrated through establishing a university-wide system for gathering/reporting relevant statistics/indicators related to persistence and retention) in August 2001.
• The Dr. Lydia Voigt Dux Sociologius Award (established in 2018) is annually presented to the top graduating senior by the Sociology Department, Loyola University New Orleans.

Publications and Scholarly Activities (Selected Sample)

 Invited journal article: Voigt, L. (2018). “Linking academic excellence and social justice through community-based participatory research.” Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council: Forum on Honors and Social justice. Vol. 19, No.1, Spring/Summer, 63 – 83.
 Book: Voigt, L., Thornton, W. E., Barrile, L. G., and Harper, W. D. (2017). Why violence? Leading questions regarding the conceptualization and reality of violence in society (2 nd Ed.). Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press.

 Panel/Presentation: Yavneh, N., MacGregor, C. M., and Voigt, L. (2017). “Honors for and with others: Community engaged research as a core requirement in Jesuit honors pedagogy.” Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) Mission Conference: Through the Eye of the Needle Commitment to Justice in Jesuit Higher Education. Seattle University, Seattle, WA, August.
 Panel/ Presentation: Voigt, L. (with students from Honors Social Justice Seminar: Nik Jablonski, Marissa Friduss, and Dan Parker). (2017). “The pedagogy of justice: Student-faculty-community collaborative engagement in justice research/scholarship in New Orleans.” AJCU Mission Conference: Through the Eye of the Needle Commitment to Justice in Jesuit Higher Education. Seattle University, Seattle, WA, August.
 Co-chair session organizer and participant/student presentations: Voigt, L. and Thornton, W. E. (2016). “Student collaborative student-faculty-community justice research.” American Society of Criminology (ASC). New Orleans, LA, November. [This session resulted from a collaborative effort including several teams of
faculty, students, and community partners (including the co-chairs’ respective course teams) who described their service learning projects, shared their transformative experiences, and demonstrated the relevance of course content/materials in addressing community needs and criminal justice issues in New Orleans. This session, the first of its kind (involving UG students in CJ research in the host city) at the ASC, has been formally adopted to be a permanent feature at future ASC conferences.]
 Book: Voigt, L., Harper, D. W., and Thornton, W. E. (Eds.). (2015). Preventing lethal violence in New Orleans: A great American city. Lafayette, LA: Louisiana State University Press.

 Invited book chapter: Voigt, L., Thornton, W. E. (2015). “Disaster phase analysis and disaster-related crime mitigation and recovery.” In K. Frailing and D.W. Harper. Crime and criminal justice in disasters. Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press (3 rd Ed.).
 Invited journal article: Voigt, L., and Thornton, W. E. (2015). “Disaster-related human rights violations and corruption: A ten- year review of post Hurricane Katrina New Orleans.” American Behavioral Scientist [Special Issue dedicated to the Tenth-year Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina], September, 1292-1313.
 Invited workshop: Voigt, L., Bourgeois, D., and Caire, C. D. (2013). “Student satisfaction and strategic planning: Turning satisfaction results into actions.” National Conference on Student Recruitment, Retention, and Marketing. New Orleans, LA, July.
 Book: Harper, D. W., Voigt, L., and Thornton, W. E. (Eds.). (2012). Violence: Do we know it when we see it? Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press.
 Invited presentation: Voigt, L. (2009). “Essentials of strategic enrollment planning.” Noel-Levitz National Forum on Strategic Enrollment Planning. Chicago, IL, February.
 Journal article: Thornton, W. E., and Voigt, L. (2007). “Disaster rape: Vulnerability of women to sexual assaults during Hurricane Katrina.” Journal of Public Management & Social Policy, Special Edition: “Voices of Katrina.” Vol. 13, No. 2, Fall.
 Journal article: Harper, D. W., and Voigt, L. (2007). “Homicide followed by suicide: An integrated theoretical perspective.” Homicide Studies: An Interdisciplinary & International Journal. Vol.11, No. 4, November.
 Invited presentation: Voigt, L., Jacobs, B., and Poole, K. (2003). “The campus common data warehouse: Transforming data into information.” Fifteenth International Conference on Assessing Quality in Higher Education. University of South Africa, Cape Town, South Africa, July.
 Invited presentation: Voigt, L. (2002). “Strategic Partnerships: Making the most of the AJCU Network.” AJCU Provosts and Academic Vice Presidents Conference, Wheeling, WV, October.
 Appointed delegate: Voigt, L. (2002). Academic Assembly of the College Board representing the 28 colleges and universities of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU). Atlanta, GA,
October.
 Invited Speaker: Voigt, L. (2000). “Crime and punishment: Interpreting historic prisons and jails.” American Association for State and Local History and Louisiana Association of Museums. New Orleans, LA, September.
 Book: Voigt, L., Thornton, W. E., Barrile, L., and Seaman, J. (1994). Criminology and justice. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
 Invited Paper/Thematic Session: Voigt, L. (1993). “Crime in the context of cultural turmoil and social upheaval: Is Russia experiencing a crime wave?” American Sociological Association (ASA): Thematic Session, Miami, FL, August.
 Book: Thornton, W. E., and Voigt, L. (1992). Delinquency and justice (3rd Ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. (Second edition (1987) published by Random House, New York, NY).
 Paper: Voigt, L. (1991). “Anomie and rising crime rates in Moscow and New York City: Applications of anomie theory and network-systems analysis.” American Society of Criminology (ASC), San Francisco, CA, November.
 Invited Paper/Presentation: Voigt, L. (1990). “Report on the International Conference on Deviance in the USSR: Current status of Soviet criminology.” American Society of Criminology (ASC), Baltimore, MD, November.
 Invited Participation/Presentation: Voigt, L. (1990). “Anomie and delinquency, Soviet style: Theoretical and methodological considerations.” Invitation from the Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Sociology in the USSR to participate in the World Congress on Criminology and the International Conference on
Deviance, Moscow, USSR, April. [One of six invited from the U. S. and one of 40 worldwide.]
 Invited article: Voigt, L. (1989). “Durkheim's theory of justice,” Sociological Viewpoints, Vol. 5, No. 1, Fall.
 Invited chapter: Voigt, L., and Thornton, W. E. (1985). “The rhetoric and politics of Soviet delinquency: An American perspective.” In Tomasson, R. F. (Ed.). Comparative social research, Vol. 8. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.