RESEARCH EXPERTISE BY FACULTY
The research areas below describe the major topics of research studied by faculty at MSU. Graduate students are encouraged to use this information to find thesis and dissertation committees.
CONSERVATION CRIMINOLOGY
Research on Conservation Criminology at Michigan State
Please visit the Conservation Criminology website at www.conservationcriminology.msu.edu for additional information.
Conservation criminology is an approach to research, teaching and outreach currently under development at MSU. With the goal of improving evidence-based practices related to environmental crimes and risks, conservation criminology offers a conceptual framework that integrates criminology and criminal justice, conservation and natural resource management and risk and decision science. Research projects examining a diverse set of crimes and risks created by multiple actors are being used to refine the conceptual model.
A Master’s level certificate program that examines the practical and theoretical implications of the conservation criminology framework is currently available to traditional and professional students. It consists of three online courses that examine environmental crimes and risks at the individual, corporate and global levels. The program is jointly offered by Michigan State University's Department of Fisheries & Wildlife, the School of Criminal Justice, and Environmental Science & Policy Program.
Criminal Justice faculty members specializing in this area include:
Dr. Carole Gibbs
Dr. Gibbs’ main areas of interest include the etiology and control of corporate environmental crime through cooperative and deterrence based systems as well as broader approaches to increasing corporate compliance. Her recent research examines the relationship between corporate citizenship, sanctions and a continuum of corporate environmental performance (e.g., crime, compliance, overcompliance). Dr. Gibbs’ current research explores the role, type and structure of U.S. businesses involved in the export of electronic waste. Emerging projects apply and evaluate the utility of criminological knowledge/tools in the protection of fish, wildlife and other natural resources.Dr. Meredith Gore
Dr. Gore’s interests are grounded on the notion that environmental issues can be framed according to risk. She seeks to understand how popular perceptions of environmental risk influence political and management responses as well as the normative significance decision makers give to perceptions when crafting policy. Understanding the social impacts of environmental change is paramount for efficient environmental policy and insight into factors influencing individual behavior is key to promoting effective and sustainable change. Her research is designed to inform and encourage deeper reflection on more effective environmental governance actions as well as deliberative processes. She studies human-wildlife conflict, environmental program evaluation, environmental perceptions of risk, international biodiversity conservation, leadership in wildlife conservation, and conservation criminology.Select active research projects:
1. Improving decision-making in contentious Great Lakes fishery management
2. Risk perception, vulnerability, and compliance behavior associated with human-wildlife conflict in Namibia
3. Moral commitments about genetically rescuing Isle Royale’s wolf population
4. Conservation implications of seeking risk information about diving with white sharks
Dr. Louie Rivers
Dr. Rivers main area of interest is in risk perception and decision making in minority and marginalized communities with a focus on the natural environment. Currently Louie is involved in a project to develop and test a robust, rapidly deployable, and near real-time instrument for measuring well-being and happiness and the use of this instrument to test the influence of well-being and happiness on judgments, preferences, and decisions about environmental, social, and economic issues.Dr. Edmund McGarrell
Working with a number of interested faculty, Dr. McGarrell and his colleagues are currently studying the international distribution of electronic waste, the associated risks, and potential involvement of cross-national criminal networks. The research group has also initiated research on natural resource crimes including poaching and illegal logging and the associated systems of compliance and enforcement.Dr. David Foran
Dr. Foran’s research encompasses individual and species identification using both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, novel methods of DNA isolation from forensic and ancient tissue samples and stains, and genetic marker development and validation. The human species, domestic animals, and wildlife are examined. His current research includes various analyses of skeletal remains, identification of the manufacturers of IEDs, novel methods for species identification, and developing more sensitive methods for identifying the origin and individualizing characteristics of biological samples of forensic interest.Doctoral students at MSU working in this area of research include:
Related MSU web sites:
Environmental Science and Public Policy: http://environment.msu.edu/
Center for Advancing Microbial Risk Assessment: http://camra.msu.edu/
Department of Fisheries & Wildlife:http://www.fw.msu.edu
COURTS, SANCTIONING, PUNISHMENTS and CORRECTIONS
Research on Courts, Sanctioning, Punishment and Corrections at Michigan State
Research on correctional issues at Michigan State has focused on a wide variety of topics, ranging from Supermax prisons to behavior of those released from incarceration. In addition, faculty study issues related to gender and corrections, along with specialized courts for drug offenders.
Faculty members specializing in research on these topics include:
Dr. Timothy Bynum
Dr. Bynum’s current projects involve research on the assessment of various reentry strategies as well as the impact of residency restrictions on sex offender recidivism. His previous research has included studies of community correctional strategies, drug use among offender populations, diversion programs, drug courts, the exclusionary rule and sentencing guidelines.Dr. Jennifer Cobbina
Focusing mainly on prisoner reentry, Dr. Cobbina explores the factors that impact desistance and recidivism. Her most recent work estimates the likelihood of recidivism among a large, diverse sample of men and women discharged from prison and how parolees’ pre-incarceration, imprisonment, post-prison experiences and context affect recidivism.Dr. Charles Corley
Dr. Corley’s work generally examines how race and gender affect decision-making in criminal justice. Specifically, he has examined the impact of race on detention decisions and how gender affects the likelihood of criminal sanction. He is also interested in studying corrections personnel.Dr. Christina DeJong
Focusing mainly on recidivism, Dr. DeJong investigates how offender and institutional characteristics affect future behavior. Her recent work in this area focuses on female releasees from prison and how their families (spouses and children) affect their future criminality. Also of interest to Dr. DeJong is how community characteristics affect patterns of recidivism among parolees.Dr. Sheila Maxwell
Dr. Maxwell’s research in this area has examined differences in court processing, the implications of various forms of court processing and graduated sanctions on outcomes, and alternatives-to-incarceration modalities. Her recent work includes examining rehabilitative and punitive probation conditions on outcomes, processing and outcome variations across types of defense attorneys, and qualitative examinations of drug court programs.Dr. Jesenia Pizarro
Dr. Pizarro is most interested in studying correctional policy and the politics of punishment in the United States. Her prior work in this area has examined supermax prisons; specifically, she has examined how the politics of punishment in the United States have contributed to their popularity.Dr. Christopher Smith
With a concentrated focus on Law and Corrections, Dr. Smith’s research has examined trial court processes, judicial decision making (especially the U.S. Supreme Court), judicial policy making (especially with respect to corrections), prisoners’ rights and convicted offenders’ pro se litigation, post-conviction judicial processes, wrongful convictions; and capital punishment.Doctoral students at MSU studying in this area include:
Related MSU web sites:
Judicial Administration Program: http://judicialadministration.msu.edu
JERITT: http://jeritt.msu.edu
CRIMINAL JUSTICE POLICY and PROGRAM EVALUATION
Research on Program and Policy Evaluation at Michigan State
Faculty studying policy and program evaluation focus on a wide range of criminal justice issues, from school safety programs to correctional policy to programs related to environmental issues.
Faculty members specializing in research on environmental risk and security include:
Dr. Timothy Bynum
Dr. Bynum is currently working with Dr. McGarrell in conducting research and technical assistance for Project Safe Neighborhoods, a national Department of Justice initiative to reduce gun violence. His current research projects in this area include evaluations of offender reentry programs and various strategies to reduce gang crime and gun violence. His previous research has involved evaluations of a wide variety of criminal justice interventions in policing, corrections, and juvenile justice. Dr. Bynum has served on the national evaluation team for a variety of federal initiatives, including the Weed and Seed Initiative, the School Resource Officer Program, the Youth Firearms Violence Initiative, the School Based Problem Solving Program, and the evaluation of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.Dr. Steven Chermak
Particularly interested in evaluating the effectiveness of various strategies to reduce violence, Dr. Chermak’s previous research has focused on law enforcement strategies, such as directed patrol and offender notification. One current project includes an evaluation of the impact of gang mediators on neighborhood violence.Dr. Meredith Gore
Dr. Gore’s interests focus on integrating multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks to evaluate programs designed to reduce risks to the environment and people. She is currently working on research to: 1) develop criteria to evaluate leadership programs in natural resources, and: 2) evaluate the impact of environmental interventions.Dr. Edmund McGarrell
Dr. McGarrell’s current research projects include National Institute of Justice and Bureau of Justice Assistance funded research evaluating the impact of Project Safe Neighborhoods on gun violence, the comprehensive anti-gang initiative, and the drug market initiative. Previous evaluations have included former inmate re-entry, gun violence reduction, and an experiment on restorative justice conferences.Dr. Christopher Melde
Dr. Melde’s research focuses on youth violence, gang, and delinquency prevention. His recent research includes multisite longitudinal evaluations of school-based prevention programs, as well as police-led suppression and prevention efforts.Dr. Jeremy Wilson
Dr. Wilson's research focuses on applying problem-solving models to address community violence. Partnered with communities across the U.S., he has examined many field interventions implemented by police organizations, community programs, and task forces. Currently, he is working with Drs. Chermak and McGarrell to evaluate a grass-roots violence prevention strategy in Pittsburgh that employs street-level outreach coordinators to prevent retaliation and link at-risk individuals with social services. Also, he is evaluating the deployment of problem-solving officers as a means to reduce violence in Oakland, CA.Dr. April Zeoli
Dr. Zeoli's interests are on whether policies designed to reduce the availability of common correlates of violence affect the rate of intimate partner or youth violence. To date, her research has focused on laws designed to reduce the availability of firearms to intimate partner violence perpetrators or youth, as well as laws designed to reduce the availability of alcohol to youth or the population in general.Doctoral students at MSU involved in this area at MSU include:
FORENSIC SCIENCE
Research on Forensic Science at Michigan State
The Forensic Science Program at MSU is the nation’s oldest, and includes three major tracks: chemistry, biology, and anthropology. The research agenda is extremely active, encompassing both theoretical and applied projects. Professors and their graduate students regularly work with crime laboratories, improving forensic techniques and addressing issues key to forensic science. Members of the Program are regularly involved in casework, using their specialized expertise to assist the legal community. As well, historical cases of broad public interest are often explored. Graduate students are a vital portion of the Program, and are heavily involved in all aspects of the research agenda.
Criminal justice faculty members specializing in forensic science include:
Dr. David Foran
Director of the Forensic Science Program as well as the Forensic Biology Laboratory, Dr. Foran and the forensic biology graduate students’ research addresses a broad range of topics, from genetic analysis of human remains thousands of years old, to development of cutting edge techniques that move forensic biology in new directions. As an example, a current major research effort focuses on identifying those who assemble and detonate improvised explosive devises. In conjunction with the Michigan State Police bomb squad, IEDs are assembled by volunteers, and subsequently deflagrated. The Laboratory is perfecting methods for identifying who handled an IED, a container it was placed in, and its electronic triggering devices. We are advisors to the Michigan Innocence Project, and regularly assist different agencies with both human and non-human identifications. A variety of historical cases have been examined, the most recent being that of Dr. Hawley Crippen, the infamous American hanged in London in 1910 for the brutal murder and dismemberment of his wifeDr. Ruth Smith
: Dr. Smith co-ordinates the Forensic Chemistry concentration of the Program and directs graduate student research in Forensic Chemistry. Since forensic chemistry covers a plethora of different types of evidence, research in the lab ranges from fundamental analytical chemistry for proof of concept to actual forensic applications. Graduate student projects currently include developing and optimizing methods for the extraction of organic impurities from seized MDMA tablets. Headspace solid phase microextraction and microwave assisted extraction are currently being investigated as alternatives to the conventional liquid-liquid extraction procedures. An existing collaboration with the Michigan State Police Forensic Science Division provides us with MDMA tablets for this project. A second major project in the lab is associating and discriminating ignitable liquids extracted from fire debris using chemometric procedures to differentiate residues from substrate interferences. The lab has also recently started to develop chemical methods for the identification of characteristic elements in gunshot residue: antimony, barium, and lead. Research focuses on the determination of these elements in decomposing tissue and blowfly larvae using microwave digestion and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.Faculty in the Department of Anthropology specializing in forensic science include:
Dr. Todd Fenton
Dr. Fenton’s research interests include physical anthropology, forensic anthropology, and human osteology. His recent research focuses on DNA extraction from Albanian tumulus remains, the use of skeletal non-metric traits to establish Southwest Hispanic ancestry, and methods to prepare skeletal remains for analysis.Dr. Norm Sauer
His forensic anthropology interests include the concepts of race and ancestry in forensic anthropology; the analysis of trauma, particularly with respect to distinguishing among antemortem, perimortem and postmortem events and human identification. In addition, Dr. Sauer is currently involved in the analysis of pre-Columbian skeletons from Costa Rica. His research there focuses in pathology, health and relationships among populations. The MSU Forensic Anthropology Lab is currently involved in a number of research projects involving human identification. These include testing and developing methods of age estimation and validation studies.GENDER, RACE, CLASS and CRIME
Research on Gender, Race, Class and Crime at Michigan State
Research on gender, race, class and crime at MSU has focused how these factors shape the victimization, offending, and criminal justice processing of individuals. Additional research examines the association between community racial and class composition and the placement/level of environmental hazards.
Faculty members specializing in research on gender, race, class and crime include:
Dr. Soma Chauduri
Dr. Chaudhuri is a qualitative sociologist who is interested in gender and crime. She is particularly interested in how gender power relations inter play in cases of domestic violence. Dr. Chaudhuri has worked on the area of gender violence, specifically in the context of contemporary witch hunts.Dr. Jennifer Cobbina
Dr. Cobbina’s work focuses on gender and prisoner reentry, and whether the pathways in and out of crime are gendered. Her recent work in this area examines why women reoffend, the reasons former female offender cease criminal behavior, and the methods they use to sustain desistance.Dr. Charles Corley
Dr. Corley’s work in this area has focused mainly on the juvenile justice system, and studies how gender, race, and class affect the decisions made by juvenile courts. Dr. Corley has used both quantitative and qualitative research methods to examine these issues.Dr. Christina DeJong
Dr. DeJong’s research focuses on gender & policing, specifically police/citizen interaction and how those interactions are moderated by officer and citizen gender. Her prior work in this area has examined juvenile race and family living situation on juvenile court disposition decisions.Dr. Carole Gibbs
Dr. Gibbs’ general areas of interest include environmental justice and the applicability of mainstream criminological theories to intersectional groups. Her recent research explores one potential mechanism (i.e., collective efficacy) by which structurally disadvantaged communities experience the greatest environmental hazards. Dr. Gibbs’ prior research has examined the relative importance of social-psychological and social-structural factors in predicting female delinquency by race/ethnicity.Dr. Merry Morash
Dr. Morash is currently working on projects that examine post-adolescent women who have “come through” the juvenile justice system, comparative work on domestic violence in three immigrant groups, and women in Gender Responsive and Traditional correctional programs. She is also studying the connection of alternative constructions of masculinity to men’s violence.Dr. April Zeoli
Dr. Zeoli's focuses on gender and intimate partner violence and homicide, and whether policy responses to intimate partner violence have a differential affect on male versus female perpetration.Doctoral students studying this topic at MSU include:
Related MSU links:
Violence Against Women Research and Outreach Initiative http://psychology.msu.edu/vaw/core_faculty/
Family and Gender focus in the Department of Sociology http://www.sociology.msu.edu/overview_family_gender.php
Center for Gender in Global Context
http://www.gencen.msu.edu/main.htm
INTERNATIONAL and CROSS-CULTURAL CRIMINOLOGY
Research on International and Cross-Cultural Criminology at Michigan State
School of Criminal Justice faculty members are studying crime and justice issues in many countries around the world. Research topics span all issues related to the criminal justice system, including police, courts, and corrections.
Faculty members specializing in research on international and cross-cultural issues include:
Dr. Soma Chauduri
Dr. Chaudhuri is interested in gender violence and witch hunts in the cross-cultural context. Dr. Chaudhuri has worked extensively on a project on contemporary witch hunts among the tribal migrant workers in the tea plantations of India. Using theories of routine activity and scapegoating, she has examined how relations of power serve to define what constitutes as deviant in the tribal labor community, and what social conditions lead to a suitable labeling of a deviant. Dr. Chaudhuri argues that witch hunts may be understood in terms of a phenomenon she terms dual deviance, where both the "labeled" and the individuals who assign the "label" are deviants based on two different sets of norms. The tribal social structure views witches as deviants who cause harm to the community while the state legal system views the labelers as deviants who cause emotional and sometimes physical harm to the victims of the label (the accused witches).Dr. Vincent Hoffman
With a special interest in Korea and Southeast Asia, Dr. Hoffman has conducted cross-cultural and comparative research on policing, domestic violence, and juvenile justice.Dr. Sanja Kutnjak
Dr. Kutnjak's research explores police misconduct, police integrity, and police culture (particularly the code of silence) across the world. In addition, she examines lay participation in legal decision-making (i.e., how lay people participate as decision-makers in criminal trials), both in the U.S.A. and abroad. Her most recent research focuses on justice and fairness in the cases of war crimes and crimes against humanity, both at the international courts (ICTY) and local courts (in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia); as well as the issue of public confidence in the police and associated factors associated.Dr. Sheila Maxwell
Focused mainly on the Philippines, Dr. Maxwell's international research endeavors have encompassed antisocial behaviors of youth, conditions of confinement of both youth and adults, rule-of-law standards, and innovative jurisprudence. Her interests expand beyond the Philippines, and she is working on projects in other Southeast Asian countries.Dr. Edmund McGarrell
Although not a specialist in cross-cultural criminology, through collaboration with doctoral students and faculty Dr. McGarrell is involved in a number of international research projects. These include community, problem-oriented, and democratic policing in Romania; fear of crime and attitudes toward the police in South Korea and Turkey; and geographic profiling of terrorist incidents in Turkey and other parts of Europe. Additionally, several of the conservation criminology projects include international dimensions.Dr. Mahesh Nalla
Dr. Nalla's general research interests include organizational issues pertaining to crime, policing and non-traditional policing in a cross-national context. His current projects include: police organizational characteristics in Turkey, Slovenia, Guatemala, El Salvador, and South Korea; Crime and Punishment in Africa, an edited volume for Greenwood Press; and, Fear of crime, youth, and violence in India.Doctoral students involved in this area of research include:
MSU Resources in Cross-Cultural and International Research:
Area Studies Centers: http://isp.msu.edu/units/
Office of Study Abroad: http://studyabroad.msu.edu
INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE and VICTIMIZATION
Research on Interpersonal Violence and Victimization at Michigan State
Faculty studying violence at MSU have focused their research on the causes and correlates of interpersonal violence, the geographic distribution of violent crime, and the ways in which the criminal justice system treats victims and offenders alike.
Faculty members specializing in research on interpersonal violence include:
Dr. Christina DeJong
Focusing on violence against women, Dr. DeJong’s research examines police response to domestic violence as well as homicides committed against and by women. Her recent work has investigated the spatial distribution of domestic homicide in urban areas.Dr. Christopher Maxwell
Dr. Maxwell’s work in the area of violence has focused specifically on domestic assault and official response to such behavior. He is particularly interested in the effect of arrest on assaultive behavior, and whether batterer intervention programs can reduce future violence.Dr. Christopher Melde
Dr. Melde’s research focuses on youth violence and victimization, especially as it relates to the victim/offender overlap. His current research examines how at-risk individuals subjectively assess their risk for future victimization, as well as their affective response to prior victimization experiences.Dr. Edmund McGarrell
Dr. McGarrell’s primary focus of research on interpersonal violence is on homicide, gun, gang, and drug-related violence.Dr. Merry Morash
Focusing on immigrant groups (Vietnamese, South Asian, and Hispanic), Dr. Morash examines violence against women, specifically the causes of domestic violence, efforts to obtain help, and system response.Dr. Jesenia Pizarro
Dr. Pizarro’s research focuses on the social ecology of homicide victimization and perpetration. Her prior work has focused on the examination of the situational covariates of homicides, victim and offender mobility patterns, the presentation of homicide in the media, and the disaggregation of homicide.Dr. April Zeoli
Dr. Zeoli's research examines public policy as a tool through which to reduce intimate partner homicide and youth homicide. Her current focus is on policies that reduce the availability of common correlates of violence, such as firearms and alcohol, and on policies that affect the direct police response to incidents of intimate partner violence.Doctoral students involved in this area of research include:
LAW and SOCIETY
Research on Law and Society at Michigan State
Research areas in law and society focus on issues related to policing, constitutional law, and Supreme Court decision-making.
Faculty members specializing in research on law and society include:
Dr. Steven Dow
Dr. Dow’s work has focused on forgery and the Revised Uniform Commercial Code in the United States. He has written on the nature of legal education and the use of scientific discourse in legal education, and is generally interested in criminal justice decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court.Dr. Sanja Kutnjak
Dr. Kutnjak’s research examines the different forms in which everyday citizens participate in the administration of justice across the world (e.g., juries, mixed tribunals). Her on-going research involves a worldwide study of lay participation, as well as procedural and substantive justice issues in the context of international tribunals (ICTY) and local courts (in the former Yugoslavia).Dr. Christopher Smith
: Dr. Smith’s research in the area of law and society focuses on the development and change of constitutional rights—including implementation (or lack thereof), adaptation by criminal justice officials, and symbolic aspects of rights. He is particularly interested in the gap between the public’s expectations/understandings of rights and the actual impact of rights on individuals drawn into contact with the criminal justice system.Doctoral students at MSU working in this area include:
POLICING
Research on Policing at Michigan State
Research on policing at MSU has included analysis of police use of force and misconduct, including how officers behave in different international contexts. Faculty are also investigating how policing has changed since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Faculty members specializing in research on policing include:
Dr. Timothy Bynum
Formerly a visiting fellow with the COPS office, Dr. Bynum’s current research on policing is focused upon gang enforcement strategies and various applications of problem oriented policing. His previous research has included studies of narcotics crackdowns, robbery patterns, and multijurisdictional task forces. In addition, he has worked with law enforcement agencies on using analysis to design enforcement strategies.Dr. David Carter
Combining interests in policing and intelligence, Dr. Carter’s recent research examines the role of law enforcement in counterterrorism and intelligence. Critical issues in my areas of research and practice have related to civil rights and privacy; integration of law enforcement in the Information Sharing Environment (ISE) as per the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004; the development of Intelligence-Led Policing (ILP); the development of Intelligence Fusion Centers and the inter-dependent relationship between ILP and Fusion Centers. Similarly, he has examined the challenges of public-private partnerships with law enforcement and the critical issues of privacy, the balance of security and civil liberties and the process of integration in public-private partnerships. One of the most recent areas of my research is related to Open Source Intelligence from a framework that is consistent with the National Open Source Enterprise.Dr. Sanja Kutnjak
Integrating policing and comparative criminology, Dr. Kutnjak’s research areas include police misconduct, police integrity, and police culture (particularly the code of silence). Past and on-going research explores the measurement of police integrity, factors that contribute toward police misconduct, ways of controlling police misconduct, and the issue of public confidence in the police and associated factors.Dr. Mahesh Nalla
Dr. Nalla’s research on policing focuses on police organizational culture and relationships with private security. His current research examines police organizational characteristics in Europe, the Americas, and Asia.Dr. Edmund McGarrell
Dr. McGarrell’s main interest in the area of policing is on policing strategies and their relationship to violent crime, fear of crime, community safety and the fairness and effectiveness of policing.Dr. William Terrill
Dr. Terrill’s research centers generally on the police and police authority, with specific interest on coercion and police use of force. His primary focus within this arena involves examining how and why police officers go about using force, generating empirically based assessments of what constitutes proper and improper (e.g., excessive) force usage, and exploring changes in police use of force behavior over time within varying organizational contexts.Dr. Jeremy Wilson
Dr. Wilson’s interest in policing relates to understanding how police organizations respond to contemporary challenges and identifying ways to improve their effectiveness in doing so. Much of his recent research focuses on identifying ways to improve police recruitment and retention, assessing the implementation and impact of community policing and problem-solving efforts aimed at reducing crime and violence, exploring the ways in which police organizations have responded to emerging issues such as homeland security and human trafficking, and examining the processes of rebuilding internal security in post-conflict societies.Doctoral students studying this topic at MSU include:
SECURITY MANAGEMENT
Research on Security Management at Michigan State
Faculty studying security management at Michigan state focus their research on the security of public and private institutions.
Faculty members specializing in research on security management include:
Dr. Thomas Holt
Scheduled to join the faculty in Fall 2009, Dr. Holt investigates issues related to cybersecurity.Dr. Edmund McGarrell
Through collaboration with faculty in criminal justice, business, and packaging, Dr. McGarrell and his colleagues have several active research projects in supply chain security and counterfeiting and brand protection. Additional research opportunities are available through MSU’s cross-college risk research initiative.Dr. Mahesh Nalla
Dr. Nalla’s research focuses on private security in the U.S. and in emerging and transitional economies in Asia and Europe. Specifically, he is interested in security guard organizations, training, and job satisfaction cross-nationally as well as public private partnerships in decentralized societies such as the U.S. His current projects involve examining community characteristics and public/private partnerships in the U.S.; and, issues relating to security guards in the Netherlands, South Africa, and in India.Doctoral students at MSU who study in this area include:
TERRORISM, INTELLIGENCE and HOMELAND SECURITY
Research on Terrorism, Intelligence and Homeland Security at Michigan State
The study of terrorism and threats to homeland security at MSU has focused on domestic and international terrorism, in addition to how policing has changed since September 11, 2001.
Faculty members specializing in research on terrorism, intelligence, and homeland security include:
Dr. David Carter
Combining interests in policing and intelligence, Dr. Carter’s recent research examines the role of law enforcement in counterterrorism and intelligence. Critical issues in his areas of research and practice have related to civil rights and privacy; integration of law enforcement in the Information Sharing Environment (ISE) as per the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004; the development of Intelligence-Led Policing (ILP); the development of Intelligence Fusion Centers and the inter-dependent relationship between ILP and Fusion Centers. Similarly, he has examined the challenges of public-private partnerships with law enforcement and the critical issues of privacy, the balance of security and civil liberties and the process of integration in public-private partnerships. One of the most recent areas of his research is related to Open Source Intelligence from a framework that is consistent with the National Open Source Enterprise.Dr. Steven Chermak
Dr. Chermak’s interests include the study of domestic terrorism and law enforcement intelligence issues. His current projects include an evaluation of the criminal behavior of far right extremists. In addition, his prior work has examined media coverage of terrorism and terrorist organizations.Dr. Edmund McGarrell
Dr. McGarrell’s current research projects include intelligence-led policing; information sharing across local, state, and federal law enforcement; U.S.-Canada border security; supply chain security; and geographic profiling of terrorist incidents.Dr. Jeremy Wilson
Dr. Wilson’s research centers on determining lessons in regard to terrorism and homeland security. Building on past work in the area, he is examining the impacts of the terrorist threat on police organizations and their costs and benefits relative to the ability to provide comprehensive, effective police services. He also has been examining the processes of reconstructing police and justice institutions in nationbuilding missions and their relationships to establishing rule of law and reducing violence. In the area of terrorism risk, his work has focused on creating a methodology for assessing the cost-effectiveness of security improvement options aimed at securing passenger-rail systems.Doctoral students studying in this area include:
YOUTH DEVIANCE, DELINQUENCY and JUVENILE JUSTICE
Research on Youth Deviance, Delinquency and Juvenile Justice at Michigan State
School of Criminal Justice faculty specializing in youth and delinquency investigate family violence, gang participation, and victimization. The international aspect of young deviance is of particular interest at Michigan State.
Faculty members specializing in research on youth behavior and juvenile justice include:
Dr. Soma Chaudhuri
Dr. Chaudhuri is interested in juvenile delinquency particularly among the second generation South Asian immigrants in United States. Drawing upon theories of social learning, Dr. Chaudhuri is interested in how peer group, culture and social structure have an impact on the rates of juvenile delinquency among these communities.Dr. Charles Corley
With a special focus on race, gender, and juvenile justice, Dr. Corley has examined the differential treatment of juveniles across the entire justice system. He is particularly interested in detention and sentencing decisions involving youthful offenders.Dr. Sheila Maxwell
: Dr. Maxwell’s research in this area has examined precursors of antisocial behaviors, particularly the role of familial strain (such as in experienced physical or witnessed family violence). Her study samples have included U.S. and non-U.S. groups, and she is also interested in the role of globalization on youth adaptations and behaviors.Dr. Christopher Melde
: Focusing on the social aspects of youth violence, Dr. Melde is particularly interested in the effect of gang membership on violence and victimization. He has recently become involved in the Eurogang research program, which pursues the international comparison of youth gangs and delinquent youth groups. His other areas of research include the ituational dynamics of gang violence and victimization.Dr. Merry Morash
: Dr. Morash’s work in this area includes girls’ violence in response to context, programs for girls, and for both boys and girls, tests of General Strain Theory as an explanation of delinquency in the US and South Korea. She is currently collecting data as part of a collaborative project with the Department of Child and Family Ecology on girls' experiences in the juvenile justice system as understood through retrospective interviews.Doctoral students at MSU working in this area include: