University of New Haven Criminal Justice Professor Receives Prestigious Fulbright Award

Mirlinda Ndrecka, Ph.D. an associate professor of criminal justice in the University of New Haven’s Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board to teach at the University of Tirana School of Law in Albania in its executive master’s in criminology program for the 2026 spring semester.

The largest public university in Albania – a Southeast European country with a population of nearly 2.5 million – the University of Tirana School of Law, offers an Executive Master’s in criminology (in both English and Albanian). The program builds the research and academic capacity of professionals working across Albania's justice sector, including the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Interior, the courts, and the Prosecutor’s office.

Dr. Ndrecka brings her scholarly and academic expertise to the program in several impactful professional and research areas. These include institutional and community corrections in the United States, criminological theories, research methods, effective programs for justice-involved individuals, risk factors for delinquency and crime, juvenile delinquency and corrections, and re-entry in the community after serving time in correctional institutions.

Dr. Ndrecka is facilitating this exchange by co-teaching course sections, leading comparative perspective seminars, and building research opportunities with both the faculty and criminal justice professionals participating in the program.

She is co-teaching in courses across the curriculum, developing and conducting seminar sessions to offer comparative perspectives regarding the differences (and similarities) between the American and Albanian criminal justice systems, and engaging in research collaboration.

During her academic career Dr. Ndrecka has prioritized engaging in partnerships with criminal justice agencies and institutions, translating complex criminological concepts into practical applications and policies. She has trained correctional staff in evidence-based practices in multiple American states.

“In working at the University of Tirana, at this pivotal moment, I look to provide new and valuable perspectives to the Albanian criminal justice professionals engaging in their own professional development,” said Dr. Ndrecka. “This experience will strengthen the University of New Haven’s international connections, expanding the University’s footprint in the international and cross-cultural academic programs and exchanges.”

Fulbright is a program of the U.S. Department of State, with funding provided by the U.S. Government. Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals with the opportunity to study, teach, and conduct research in more than 160 countries worldwide. Fulbrighters exchange ideas, build people-to-people connections, and work to address complex global challenges. Notable Fulbrighters include 62 Nobel Laureates, 93 Pulitzer Prize winners, 82 MacArthur Fellows, 44 heads of state or government, and thousands of leaders across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors.