Let’s give a big Gator welcome to Dr. Sally-Ann Ashton, our first ever director of the new Center for Crime, Urban Research and Education (C-CURE). Under Ashton’s leadership, UHD will set the stage for the Houston region’s first integrative, interdisciplinary approach to crime prevention by aggregating data across multiple law enforcement and criminal justice agencies.
During the state’s recent legislative session, UHD’s exceptional item request for C-CURE received $2.6 million in funding. Ashton is bringing her strategic vision, partnership development, and sustained focus on meaningful social impact to the job--not only to impact crime prevention but also to elevate criminal justice education by engaging UHD students through internships and field experiences.
Most recently, Dr. Ashton served as Senior Research Scientist and Research Division
Lead at the Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention Center at Prairie View A&M University,
where she directed research on juvenile crime; managed complex, multi‑agency projects; and mentored emerging researchers and practitioners.
Before joining Prairie View A&M, Dr. Ashton served as Program Leader for a postgraduate
degree in Applied Management of Offending Behavior in the United Kingdom. She brings nearly
two decades of experience conducting research, teaching, and providing consultancy
across multiple HM Prisons in England, as well as extensive collaboration with local,
state, federal, and international agencies to train and advise law enforcement and
criminal justice professionals.
With dual doctoral degrees in criminal psychology and archaeology and an MPhil in criminological research, Dr. Ashton is exceptionally well‑suited to lead C‑CURE’s interdisciplinary, high‑impact research agenda focused on informing policy, practice, and prevention. Her forthcoming book, “The Psychology of Child Criminal Exploitation: From Initiation to Desistance,” co-authored with Dr. Anna Bussu, will be published later this year.