Cassandra A. Atkin-Plunk, PhD

 

 

Dr. Cassandra Atkin-Plunk is an associate professor and interim director in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida Atlantic University. Atkin-Plunk examines evidence-based practices and conducts program and policy evaluations to identify what works to improve community safety. Her recent research has examined reentry programs for people returning to the community from incarceration, the effectiveness of violence-prevention interventions and the use of co-responder models to improve crisis response. She has received more than $1 million in external funding and has served as principal investigator or co-principal investigator in evaluations of programs and policies for agencies including the Delray Beach Police Department, Florida Department of Corrections, Palm Beach County Criminal Justice Commission, Palm Beach County Public Safety Department, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, The GEO Group and The Lord’s Place. Her research is largely community-based, and she received the 2018 FAU Presidential Award for Outstanding Community-Engaged Research. She has published more than 60 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and professional and technical reports. Her peer-reviewed research has been cited more than 1,000 times and published in Justice Quarterly, Criminal Justice and Behavior, Journal of Criminal Justice, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Criminal Justice Policy Review and Journal of Offender Rehabilitation. Atkin-Plunk enjoys fostering dogs with Dachshund Rescue of South Florida and working out.