Alessandra Milagros Early is an Assistant Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice within the Department of Criminal Justice. Broadly, her research interests are centered on spatial dynamics, identity formation, and behavior. Specifically, her work has explored the complex interplay between queer social spaces, heterosexual social spaces, and LGBTQIA+ identity formation through substance use. She earned her Doctorate in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, her Master of Arts in Sociology from Northeastern University, and her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Psychology from Mount Holyoke College. More recently, Dr. Early worked as a Qualitative Researcher for the evaluation of Cure Violence in St. Louis, a community-based program working to lessen gun violence. She is the Chair of the Division of Queer Criminology’s Social Committee and the Co- Chair of the Division of Queer Criminology’s Journal Committee.