Dr. Pirtle has over 20 years of practical experience working with at-risk youth and community outreach/program development. His research focuses on program development, management, and assessment. Danny is an active scholar and with several publications guided by a culturally responsive framework. He has been funded to develop and manage multiple community outreach programs, which have focused primarily on increasing minority student success in college, delinquency prevention, intervention, and prevention. Most recently, Dr. Pirtle has been instrumental in assisting in wrongful conviction litigation, which led to a conviction being overturned. Dr. Pirtle has extensive experience collaborating with local and state agencies and officials and has been recognized for his ability to garner buy-in from his peers and colleagues.

Dr. Pirtle’s most notable leadership experience is his work as a county administrator in a large urban probation department where he served as Deputy Director of Research, Quality Assurance, and Training. He was also Deputy Director of Educational Services where he oversaw a budget of well over 10 million dollars and led a staff of 185 professional and support staff and educators responsible for providing educational services to adjudicated youth in a multi campus system licensed and monitored by the Texas Education Agency. He holds a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Tennessee State University, a M.S. Degree in Juvenile Justice from Prairie View A & M University, and a PhD in Juvenile Justice from Prairie View A&M University.