Rate My Professor Tanja Link

Dr. Tanja Link is Professor of Criminal Justice and Sociology, Assistant Chair of the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, and Coordinator of Internships for Criminal Justice at Kennesaw State University in the Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences. She earned a PhD in Sociology from the University of Georgia. A faculty member at Kennesaw State University since Fall 2011, she has progressed to full professor status and served as a CETL Faculty Fellow. Her research and academic interests focus on vulnerable populations, corrections and reentry, barriers to reentry, desistance from crime, juvenile delinquency, substance use, mental health courts, and international crime and justice, including through study abroad programs to Germany and the Netherlands.

Dr. Link's key publications include "Buprenorphine Diffusion: The Attitudes of Substance Abuse Treatment Counselors" (2005, 170 citations), "Blinded to Science: Gender Differences in the Effects of Race, Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Status on Academic and Science Attitudes among Sixth Graders" (2012, 113 citations), "Misalignment of Career and Educational Aspirations in Middle School: Differences across Race, Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Status" (2016, 55 citations), "The Role of Stressful Life Events and Cultural Factors on Criminal Thinking Among African American Women Involved in the Criminal Justice System" (2018, 48 citations), "Breaking Down Barriers: Review of an Inside/Out Prison Exchange Program in a Jail Setting, Part 1" (2016), "Diversifying the STEM Pipeline" (2015), "Barriers to the Adoption of Technological Innovations in Corrections: A Review and Case Study" (2021), and "There’s No Place Like Home: Importance of Housing Stability for Reentry" (2023). Her scholarship has amassed over 360 citations on ResearchGate and appears in the faculty list for the Master of Science in Criminal Justice program. In recognition of her contributions, she received the 2025 Radow College Outstanding Faculty Award for Professional Service and Community Engagement. Dr. Link co-directs the New Connections Project, engaging Kennesaw State University students and incarcerated individuals in theatre-based storytelling, and facilitates internships connecting students with criminal justice agencies while leading international study abroad experiences on crime, justice, and peace.