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SPA: Justice, Law & Criminology 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC 20016-8043 United StatesOur faculty comprise some of our nation’s foremost experts. They conduct international research and work with policymakers and practitioners to craft solutions to some of our nation’s most pressing security concerns. Through our renowned research centers, their scholarship is shared with the greater Washington community, across the nation, and around the world.
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Dr. Jane Palmer is an Associate Professor with a primary focus on community-based participatory research, help-seeking, community-based responses to harm, and ending gender-based violence.
Sh…
Professor Addington’s research interests include the nature of violent crime and its impact on victims, measurement of crime, and utilization of U.S. crime statistics. Her current work focuses on i…
Dr. Irene Hyangseon Ahn is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Justice, Law, & Criminology at American University. She received her Ph.D. from the University of California, San Diego in 2024, …
Dr. Bryan Arva is currently the Director of the Counterterrorism and Homeland Security Master's program. Additionally, he is a Professorial Lecturer in the Department of Justice, Law, and Criminology …
Tricia Bacon, PhD, is an Associate Professor at American University’s School of Public Affairs. She directs the Policy Anti-Terrorism Hub at American University. She is the author of Terror in Tran…
Dr. Bartholomew received his doctoral degree from the University of Maryland in 2012. His research focuses on issues related to the causes and consequences of terrorism and the impacts of state and lo…
Kevin Boyle has been teaching in the Justice, Law, and Criminology Department since 2016. Mr. Boyle is a retired Colonel in the U.S. Army’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps. During his 26 year career he…
Dr. TaLisa J. Carter has dedicated her life to understanding the interactions of deviance, social organizations, colorism, and race/ethnicity. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Justic…
Dr. Davies is a historian of the European Union's constitutional and legal system. Dr. Davies teaches courses such as JLC-110 Western Legal Traditions and JLC-411 Great Trials in Legal History.
Professor Dreisbach earned a doctor of philosophy degree from Oxford University, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar, and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia. His principal research…
Michelle Engert joined JLC as a full-time faculty member of JLC after a diverse career as a trial attorney and as a policy advisor. Michelle began her legal career as a trial attorney with the New Mex…
Professor Fabrikant is a faculty member in the American University, School of Public Affairs, Department of Justice, Law & Criminology (JLC). He enjoys researching and learning about capital punishmen…
Professor Fagelson's research interests include ethical issues in law, politics and international relations as well as jurisprudence and and political theory.
He has published one book on …
Claire Griggs is a faculty member in the Department of Justice, Law and Criminology in the School of Public Affairs. Professor Griggs serves as the Dire…
Dr. Janice Iwama is an Associate Professor in the Department of Justice, Law & Criminology at American University in Washington, D.C. She received her Ph.D. in Criminology and Justice Policy from Nort…
Robert Johnson is a Professor of Justice, Law and Criminology at American University and a Distinguished Alumnus of the School of Criminal Justice, Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and …
David Malet teaches Justice, Law and Criminology at the School of Public Affairs at American University. Previously he served as director of the Securit…
Cynthia Miller-Idriss is a sociologist and professor in the School of Public Affairs and in the School of Education, and is the founding director of the …
Dr. Ozeren is a Professorial Lecturer and Director of SPA's certificate in Cyber Policy and Management. His areas of expertise are political violence, terrorism, cybercrime and online radicalization, …
Dr. Jane Palmer is an Associate Professor with a primary focus on community-based participatory research, help-seeking, community-based responses to harm, and ending gender-based violence.
Sh…
PhD in political science, with over eight years in teaching (at the Central European University, Georgetown University and American University) transitional justice, violence and law, law and society,…
Dr. Stacie St. Louis is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Justice, Law & Criminology at American University. Her research focuses on the administration of justice, including jails and pretri…
Jessica L. Waters, J.D., has 25 years of experience as a lawyer, scholar, teacher, and higher education executive. She is a nationally recognized expert in U.S. reproductive rights law and policy, wor…
Professor Young's interests relate to the cross-national causes and consequences of political violence. He has published numerous peer-reviewed articles across academic disciplines, including politica…
Thomas Zeitzoff (NYU PhD, 2013) is an associate professor in the Schoolof Public Affairs at American University. He was previously a postdoctoral…
Professor Bennett's research interests include comparative criminology and criminal justice as well as police organization and procedures. He has published extensively in the area of cross-national cr…
Brian Forst joined the American University faculty in 1992, following three years on the George Washington University faculty. Before that, he was director of research at the Institute for Law and Soc…
Professor Golash's research interests center on the philosophy of law, particularly the moral justification of criminal punishment. She is the author of The Case Against Punishment (NYU Press 2005) an…
Professor Ronald Weiner has taught at AU since 1972. He is an expert on violent sex offenders and is regularly called as an expert witness by both prosecutors and defense attorneys across the country.…
William Arnold is a PhD student in the department of Justice, Law and Criminology at American University. He is interested in questions concerning the formation, interpersonal dynamics, and linguistic…
Ajay Bhatt is a Senior Attorney with the Human Rights Law Division, part of the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Previously, from 2001-20…
In 2023, Chairman E.C. Thompson selected Quincy Booth to be the executive director of the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia.In his current role, Mr. Booth oversees the Commission's…
Dr. James Burrell is an accomplished leader with distinguished service as a senior federal government executive, corporate c-level executive, and academic/research professional. His leadership experie…
Travis Carlisle is an Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Justice, Law & Criminology, School of Public Affairs (SPA), American University and currently teaches Intelligence Analysis at the graduat…
Khelani Clay is an assistant law librarian and professor at American University Washington College of Law in charge of access services and circulation operations. Professor Clay teaches Advanced Le…
Matt Collinson is an adjunct professor in the School of Public Affairs’ department of Justice Law and Criminology, where he teaches an undergraduate class on the history and purpose of the legal syste…
James "Jim" Crotty is a global thought leader and subject matter expert in law enforcement, intelligence, transnational organized crime, and drug policy. Mr. Crotty spent over 12 years with the U.S. D…
Suat Cubukcu, Ph.D., is a Professorial Lecturer in Justice, Law, and Criminology Department at American University, specializing in the area of terrorism and methodological issues in terrorism researc…
Matthew D'Anna has worked in the private sector since 2009 supporting the federal government across national security, defense, law enforcement, and homeland security with AI, analytic, data science, …
Pasha Dashtgard is the Director of Research for the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL). He has a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the department of Psychological Science at …
Christiaan de Waal has twenty-four (24) years of distinctive professional experience across academia, government, and the private and non-profit sectors. Christiaan's government service spans eleven (…
John R. Firman is a Professor of Practice at American University, in the School of Public Affairs, Department of Justice, Law and Criminology. …
Professor Gordon Fletcher was born in Kingston, Jamaica and grew up in the Bronx, NY and Yonkers, NY. He moved to the District of Columbia over 20 years ago to attend American University, where he com…
J. Edie Fortuna is a career public defender in Maryland. She worked as a trial lawyer in Baltimore City for 11 years, then in Southern Maryland for 6. She has had approximately 100 jury trials, defend…
Jennifer Gumbrewicz is currently the Director, M.S. in Counterterrorism and Homeland Security. She is a successful attorney, experienced professor, and proven leader with a long career in legal practi…
Brent Gurney is a first-chair trial lawyer with over 30 years of significant jury trial and other court experience in challenging civil and criminal cases throughout the United States. He is currently…
Denaya Holland is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Public Affairs, and loves enriching the minds of her students through teaching the complexities of the law. She also teaches at Temple Universit…
Bev-Freda holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and English with a minor in African American studies from Gettysburg College. She is an alum of American University’s Department of Government …
Richard Kelley teaches courses on criminology and law, including Introduction to Criminology and Introduction to Law. As a practicing lawyer, Professor Kelley integrates the theoretical with the pract…
Dr. Trace Lasley is a Professor of Practice in the Terrorism and Homeland Security Policy Program in the School of Public Affairs. He teaches courses on homeland security at the graduate and undergrad…
Jay Lerner is an adjunct Professor in the Department of Justice, Law & Criminology, School of Public Affairs. He teaches courses on financial crimes, criminal justice, law enforcement, and government …
Monty McGee serves as the Director of Cyber Partnerships & Engagement with the Edison Electric Institute where he leads a range of activities to strengthen cybersecurity across the electric sector. He…
Judge Patti Mitchell is a member of the Montgomery County, Maryland bench. She is an AU alumna (SPA ’76) and has been an adjunct Justice, Law and Criminolog…
Matthew Pascocello is an Adjunct Professor at both American University’s School of Public Affairs and at the Washington College of Law, where he serves as the Director of Alumni Professional Developme…
Alyssa Purdy is currently pursuing a PhD in Justice, Law & Criminology with a secondary focus in Public Policy. She received her Master of Science degree in Justice, Law & Criminology from American Un…
Doug Ryan joined American University’s School of Public Affairs for the Fall 2014 semester. Doug’s decades of experience in local and national community development, housing, and civil rights programs…
Rob Saale is the founder and CEO of Star Consulting and Investigations LLC, an international security consulting and investigations firm in Alexandria, VA. Rob has consulted with Fortune 500 companies…
Professor Emily Schaeffer Omer-Man is an expert in International Humanitarian Law with two decades of experience as a litigator in Israeli, American, and foreign courts. Alongside teaching at AU, Prof…
Tracy is founder and Executive Director of the Chicago Justice Project (CJP). Tracy created CJP to provide evidence-based criminological analysis to challenge justice system policies and practices. In…
Jason Snyder’s teaching and research focuses on education law and education policy. He developed and served as founding director of AU's Education Policy and Leadership (EPL) program from 2014-2018. H…
JJ West (she/her) is a doctoral student at American University in the Department of Justice, Law & Criminology. Her research interests include incels, right-wing extremism, male supremacy, and support…
Judge Zuberi Bakari Williams is a distinguished American attorney and jurist. He is celebrated for his exceptional contributions to the legal profession and his unwavering commitment to fostering dive…
Keith L. Williams has over 20 years of experience in private security and municipal law enforcement. His policing career has included stints in patrol operations, recruiting, homicide investigations, …
Denise Ruth Woodall, Ph.D. is a sociologist, applied feminist researcher, scholar-activist, and critical-race criminologist. As an instructor, she combines her expertise in sociology, criminology, ide…