religion and crime. Some of this research integrates the religion-crime relationship with major criminological theories such as differential association/social learning, social and self control. Other research examines the role of local religious contexts on crime rates and criminal punishment. Some of Ulmer's research has examined the role of local religious contexts in criminal sentencing, religion as a predictor of self control and delinquency, and religion and desistence from marijuana use. Other research has focused on the interrelationship between concentrated structural disadvantage (locally concentrated poverty, unemployment, low education, and family disruption), religious contexts and violence rates. For example, studies by Ulmer and Casey T. Harris found that traditionally African American Protestant denominations' local church presence has a uniquely protective effect on violent crime. The local prevalence of such churches blunts the violent crime-producing effects of concentrated structural disadvantage on both overall violent crime and black violent crime. Overall, this research has helped to create conceptual space for cultural explanations of violence (including religion) alongside and in tandem with structural explanations. Honors and awards Jeffery Ulmer has been awarded funding for his research from the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Justice, the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing, The Pennsylvania Interbranch Commission on Gender, Racial, and Ethnic Fairness, the Falk Foundation, and other organizations. Jeffery Ulmer was named a Fellow of the American Society of Criminology in 2021; https://asc41.com/about-asc/awards/#toggle-id-17-closed Ulmer has received two awards from the American Society of Criminology's Division on Corrections and Sentencing: the 2001 Distinguished New Scholar Award, and the 2012 Distinguished Scholar Award. In addition, he and coauthor Darrell Steffensmeier, Casey Harris, and Ben Feldmeyer won the American Society of Criminology’s 2012 Outstanding Article Award. He and Darrell Steffensmeier were also awarded the ASC’s 2006 Hindelang book award for Confessions of a Dying Thief: Understanding Criminal Careers and Illegal Enterprise (2005, Transaction). References External links Ulmer's faculty page 1966 births Living people Pennsylvania State University faculty American criminologists Pennsylvania State University alumni Susquehanna University alumni