Cody Jorgensen

Cody Jorgensen serves as Associate Professor in the Criminal Justice Department at Boise State University's School of Public Service. Holding a PhD in Criminology from the University of Texas at Dallas, he teaches courses including Gun Violence, Quantitative Methods, and Police and Society across both on-campus and online programs.

Education:

• PhD in Criminology (2014), University of Texas at Dallas
• MS in Criminology and Criminal Justice (2011), Arizona State University
• BS in Forensic Science (2007), Weber State University
• BS in Anthropology (2002), Weber State University

Dr. Jorgensen's research centers on drug policy impacts, gun violence, and biosocial criminology. His work employs advanced quantitative methods to examine marijuana legalization effects on crime clearance rates, test the gateway drug hypothesis using propensity score matching, and analyze police attitudes toward vice crimes. He integrates evolutionary psychology with criminological theory through publications in the Sage Handbook on Evolutionary Psychology.

His scholarly output demonstrates consistent focus on three interconnected domains: (1) substance policy evaluation (particularly marijuana), (2) neurobiological perspectives on crime, and (3) methodological innovation in criminological research. Key trends include quasi-experimental designs assessing state-level policy changes and biosocial approaches examining genetic-environmental interactions in criminal behavior.

Dr. Jorgensen actively mentors graduate students through thesis committees and serves extensively on university committees including the School of Public Service Promotion and Tenure Committee and Online CJ Program Development. His service extends to peer review for leading journals like Police Quarterly and Journal of Experimental Criminology, plus media engagement through Boise State Public Radio and Idaho Press.