Ronald Louis Akers (January 7, 1939 – October 19, 2024) was an American criminologist and professor emeritus of criminology and law at the University of Florida's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
From 1980 to 1985, he chaired the department of sociology at the University of Florida, and in 1994, he became the director of the Center for Studies in Criminology and Law there.
[1] In 1979, Akers served as president of the American Society of Criminology, and he received its Edwin H. Sutherland Award in 1988.
[2][3] Besides his academic career, Akers was a Deacon in the Baptist Church and a bluegrass musician.
He died on October 19, 2024 at the age of 85 in his home in Florida.