Jennifer Lackey
Professor of Philosophy
Jennifer Lackey is recognized for her “indefatigable commitment to and innovative leadership” of the Northwestern Prison Education program (NPEP), which made history in 2023 when incarcerated students inside Stateville Correctional Center were the first in U.S. history to be conferred a bachelor’s degree from a top ten university.
Lackey has worked tirelessly with colleagues and administrators at Northwestern as well as officials within the correctional system to create a program that offers as many as 10 classes per quarter at Stateville and Logan Correctional Center for Women. The program has helped NPEP students to transform their lives.