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Sympathy to Family, Friends and Colleagues of Joseph Rukus

01/05/2021

JONESBORO – The university community extends sympathy to the family, friends and colleagues of Dr. Joseph Rukus, who died Dec. 28.

An associate professor of criminology, Rukus joined the A-State faculty in 2014.  He received his Ph.D. from the University of Florida, where his dissertation involved a longitudinal study of jail-based work release efficacy.  He also held degrees from Cornell, San Francisco State, and Xavier.

Rukus' research interests included community development, corrections policy and social justice.  Rukus taught classes in criminology, juvenile delinquency, and social justice.  Many of his courses involved opportunities for community-service learning where students got to interact with organizations which perform work related to the course.

Arkansas State University will light the tower of the Dean B. Ellis Library scarlet Wednesday evening as a memorial tribute to Rukus and his many contributions at A-State. Arrangements will be announced.

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Dr. Joseph Rukus
Dr. Joseph Rukus