Biography

Professor Barbara Costello began her academic career as a student at the University of Rhode Island and graduated with a B.A. in sociology in 1986. Costello earned the M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Arizona and was a member of the Mississippi State University faculty for six years before returning to URI in 1999. She is jointly appointed with URI’s Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice.

Professor Costello’s research focuses on testing and extending control theories of crime. Her recent research involves studying peer influence on deviant behavior, including influence both toward and away from deviance. She is currently studying the social processes involved in the use of opioid drugs and the development of opioid use disorder.

Prof. Costello regularly teaches courses on theories of crime, social psychology, food and society, and a variety of topics courses in both sociology and criminology.