Maryanne Diaz

Maryanne Diaz, Ph.D. is a full-time lecturer in the School of Criminology, Criminal Justice and Emergency Management at Cal State Long Beach.

Her expertise includes drug use and policy, homelessness and policing, informed by criminology and sociology. In her teaching, she fosters an inclusive, student-centered learning environment grounded in critical pedagogy. She teaches courses including Criminal Justice System in Society, Drugs and the Drug War, and Criminal Justice Policy.

Before entering academia, Diaz worked with people who use drugs at a harm-reduction agency in Los Angeles’ Skid Row and continues to collaborate with local and international harm-reduction organizations.

She earned her doctorate in criminology, law and society from the University of California, Irvine, and both her master’s and bachelor’s degrees in criminology and criminal justice from Cal State Long Beach.