Melissa Burek, Ph.D.
Position: College of Health & Human Services Associate Dean and Professor | Director, Center for Justice Research, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost
Phone: 419-372-9542
Email: mwburek@bgsu.edu
Bio
Dr. Melissa W. Burek is a Professor of Criminal Justice at Bowling Green State University, where she also serves as Associate Dean of Graduate Education, Research, and Engagement in the College of Health and Human Services and Director of The Ohio Attorney General’s Center for Justice Research. She earned her Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati and has held multiple leadership roles at BGSU since joining the faculty in 2003. Dr. Burek’s research focuses on offender rehabilitation, behavioral and mental health, and evidence-based criminal justice policy. She has served as principal or co-investigator on numerous externally funded evaluations for the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, Ohio Department of Health, Ohio Department of Youth Services, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Her scholarship bridges research, practice, and policy to promote justice reform and community well-being across Ohio.
Dr. Burek is actively engaged in professional, community, and university service. She currently serves as Trustee-at-Large for the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and has previously served as Region Three Trustee and President of the Midwestern Criminal Justice Association. At the state level, she contributes to policy and reentry initiatives through her work with the NorthWest Community Corrections Center, the Wood County Reentry Coalition, and the Ohio Consortium of Crime Sciences. A dedicated educator and mentor, Dr. Burek integrates experiential and interdisciplinary learning into her teaching, involving students in community-based research and evaluation projects. She also leads international study abroad programs in Germany, Austria, England, and the Netherlands, where students explore comparative systems of justice, corrections, and rehabilitation.
Maziarz, L., Cooke, E.M., Bell, J., Wagner, J., Miller, V.J., & Burek, M. (2025). Understanding Turnover Among Nurse Aides: The Role of Incontinence Care, Workplace Dynamics, and Job Demands in Long-Term and Acute Care Settings. The Gerontologist, 65(6). https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnaf091
Maziarz, L., Miller, V., Wagner, J., Perry, K., Bell, J., & Burek, M. (2024). Nurse Aide Turnover in Home Health Care: A Scoping Review. Journal of Aging and Long-Term Care, 7(1), 23–43.
Miller, V.J., Bell, J., Wagner, J., Maziarz, L., Perry, K., Cooke, E., & Burek, M. (2024). “I Like the Feeling of Connecting With People”: A Mixed-Methods Study of Nursing Assistants’ Experiences Across the Care Continuum. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, 10, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1177/23337214241249027
Burek, M., Stinson, P.M., Grace, M., & DeCroix, S. (2024). Stepping Up Ohio: 2024 Evaluation Report. Funded by the Ohio Consortium of Crime Sciences (a project of the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services), awarded July 2024.
Burek, M.W., Bell, J.C., & Cooke, E. (2023). Pre- and Post-Outcomes: Ohio’s Permitless Carry Law. Ohio Attorney General’s Center for Justice Research, October 2023.
Burek, M., Watkins, A., Brusman-Lovins, L., Bell, J., & Lucak, S. (2022). RECLAIM Ohio Initiative’s Effect on Public Safety Report. Funded by the Ohio Department of Youth Services Division of Courts and Community, awarded April 2022.
Rychener, S., Burek, M., & Maziarz, L. (2022). Evaluation of the Comprehensive Care for Substance Use in Ohio Emergency Departments (CCOED). Prepared for ProMedica, as part of subcontract for the Ohio Department of Health, Emergency Department of Comprehensive Care (EC21), Bureau of Health Improvement and Wellness, Violence and Injury Prevention Section.
Rychener, S., Burek, M., & Maziarz, L. (2022). Prescribing Alternatives Instead of Narcotics: External Evaluation Report. Prepared for ProMedica, as part of subcontract for HHS-SAMHSA Grant Award Number 1 H79 TI083100-01.
Ojha, M.U., Petra, M., & Burek, M.W. (2023). Accessing Behavioral Health Services and the Justice-Involved: The Significance of Ecological Considerations. Journal of Forensic Social Work, 7(1), 44–61.
Updated: 10/31/2025 03:09PM