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Peter Reuter Named Distinguished University Professor for Impact on Criminology & Public Policy Fields

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Peter Reuter Stockholm Award

President Wallace Loh named Peter Reuter, professor at the School of Public Policy and Department of Criminology, a Distinguished University Professor (DUP). According to the university, “(t)he title of Distinguished University Professor is the highest appointment bestowed on a tenured faculty member… It is a recognition not just of excellence, but of impact and significant contribution to the nominee’s field, knowledge, profession and/or practice.”

"I have spent more than half my career at the University of Maryland, joining the faculties of the School of Public Policy and Department of Criminology in 1993," said Reuter. "During that time I have enjoyed the company of many outstanding colleagues who were Distinguished University Professors, such as Allen Schick in public policy and Sally Simpson in the Department of Criminology. I hardly dare mention that this was the title the great Tom Schelling had when he was my colleague at the School."

Reuter’s prodigious research earned him a 2019 Stockholm Prize in Criminology, the world's most prestigious award in the field of criminology.

“I am happy to report that the university agreed with our assessment, along with that of a number of distinguished external referees, that Peter is richly deserving of this recognition,” said Robert C. Orr, dean of the School of Public Policy. “Please join me in congratulating Peter on this important award.”

"I feel much blessed to be able to continue my scholarly career with such a nice accolade," Reuter said. "The School provides an ideal platform for the wide range of topics that I study, from estimating the number of persons with opioid problems in the United States to controlling the illicit flow of funds from developing countries."

Reuter also serves as senior economist at RAND, where he founded and directed the Drug Policy Research Center from 1989-1993. Reuter received his PhD in economics from Yale.


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