Cory R. Lepage Faculty Profile

Dr. Cory R. Lepage came to CSUEB in 2018 after teaching and conducting research at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). There he created courses in introductory and advanced criminal courts as well as organized crime; he also taught numerous lower and upper-division courses in criminal justice.  At UAA, Dr. Lepage directed research, predominantly program evaluations, for local, state and federal agencies in the areas of pretrial diversion, state public defenders, federal re-entry courts, and the civil legal needs of crime victims.

He earned his Ph.D. in Sociology, with an emphasis in criminology and socio-legal studies, from the University of California, Riverside under the tutelage of the late Austin T. Turk.  He also holds a M.A. degree in Sociology and a M.S. degree in Criminal Justice Administration.

Dr. Lepage’s teaching and research interests are concentrated in the areas of the criminal adjudication process, lay judges, rural justice, socio-legal studies, and social reaction to crime via the criminalization process.  As a conflict theorist, Dr. Lepage examines the power dynamics in the development of law focusing on the marginalization effects with types of power.  His current research delves into the impact of cultural defense in the adjudication process on a multicultural defendant.

Dr. Lepage’s passion for teaching and student-centered learning is evidenced by his numerous mentorships.  He often serves as a faculty advisor for students’ individual research interests, and internships with criminal justice agency partners.  Many of his mentees have pursued graduate and legal studies; several of his students have used their internships as a segue into employment in state and federal criminal justice agencies.  Dr. Lepage challenges his students in critical thought and analysis while recognizing the needs of students from various backgrounds and college preparation.  The goal for his students is tolerance and recognizing differences towards mutual respect and understanding.

Dr. Lepage is active in several professional organizations, including the American Society of Criminology and the Law and Society Association.  He serves as a reviewer for various peer-reviewed academic journals, and as a manuscript and book reviewer for major publishers in criminology and legal studies.