Donna M. Cole, Ph.D

Biography

Donna M. Cole is a Visiting Assistant Professor in Sociology and Criminal Justice at Suffolk University. Prior to transitioning to Suffolk, she was a Visiting Professor of Public Policy and Law at Trinity College. Dr. Cole is a medical sociologist with public health expertise in infectious diseases. She is a former research fellow of the Yale School of Public Health, where she conducted research on racial health equity and HIV/AIDS among African Americans. Her research underscores the reality that a key driver of HIV-related morbidity is incarceration. Dr. Cole’s research examines the health consequences of justice involvement for African Americans and people with mental health and substance use disorders. Cole’s research corroborates earlier findings that harsh drug sentencing and penalties have fueled mass incarceration, fail to reduce crime and have not decreased access to substances or substance use. Cole found that public health interventions like overdose prevention centers reduce overdose fatality rates and infectious disease transmission. In 2023, she advocated for the passing of Bill No 9 in Connecticut. Bill No 9 proposed the establishment of facilities for supervised substance use. These facilities found throughout Europe, Canada and the United States, provide medical treatment, peer support and remove the threat of justice involvement for participants.

Dr. Cole’s recent research examines the impact of overturning Roe v. Wade for African American women. Cole’s research findings suggest that African American women are particularly vulnerable to the law based upon where they live. She notes that in states with restrictive policies, African American women suffer higher rates of ICU admissions, post-natal complications and maternal mortality.

Professor Cole is an advocate for restorative justice. She supports Justice for Melanin Boys, a non-profit dedicated to improving outcomes for justice involved African American males and disrupting the school to prison pipeline. Cole supports Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM), a non-profit that advocates for sentencing reform.

Many of Cole’s former students have successful careers in advocacy, research, policy, law, and medicine. Professor Cole’s approach to teaching is based on principles of restorative justice. She approaches teaching as an opportunity to assist students in understanding the implications of policy for vulnerable and marginalized populations. She encourages her students to design interventions that produce racial equity and to conduct research that will enhance their structural competence.

Education

• Ph.D., Sociology/Anthropology Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts
• MPH, Public Health; Epidemiology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada
• M.Ed., Educational Research, Measurement and Evaluation, Lynch School of Education, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
• B.A., Sociology, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio

Research/ Fields of Interest

Restorative Justice, Racial Health Equity, Drug Policy and Law, Harm Reduction, HIV/AIDS

Selected Publications

• Cole, DM. Agudelo, FI., Sligh, S., Massenburg, N., Lipiner, T., Guthrie, B., (2023). “My God Has Not Spoken”: A Qualitative Study of HIV Management Experiences Among African American Women, Journal of Black Sexuality and Relationships
• Agudelo Acevedo, FI., Cole, D.M., Gallant, S., Mabee, C. (2021). Restorative Justice and the School to Prison Pipeline: A Conceptual Framework to Address Racial and Ethnic Disproportionality. National Association of Social Workers
• Cole, D.M., Thomas, D.M. Field, K., Wool, A. Lipiner, T. Massenberg, N., Guthrie, B.J. (2018). The 21st Century Cures Act: Implications for the Reduction of Racial Health Disparities in the US Criminal Justice System: A Public Health Approach. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 1-8
• Cole DM. A case study “If they had a cure, I would not take it”: African American women living with HIV/AIDS. Women's health: Readings on Social, Economic, and Political Issues. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company. 2017;491-495.