Jennifer Carson

Dr. Jennifer Carson is a Professor of Criminal Justice & Criminology at the University of Central Missouri (UCM), affiliated with the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies. She specializes in terrorism studies, comparative criminology, and virtual reality applications in criminal justice. Her research explores topics such as firearm policy, implicit bias in reporting, and counterterrorism strategies. She directs UCM's Honors College and leads a virtual reality lab focused on experimental criminology. Dr. Carson holds a Ph.D. in Criminology from the University of Maryland (2010), an M.A. from the same institution (2006), and a B.S. in Child Psychology from the University of Minnesota (2002).

Her research interests include analyzing the intersection of ideology and terrorism, evaluating policy impacts on criminal behavior, and leveraging technology to study bias and public safety. Recent work has addressed pandemic-era security measures, extremist threats to infrastructure, and the role of rational choice theory in eco-terrorism.

Dr. Carson has advised numerous student research projects and contributed to over 25 peer-reviewed articles. Her work frequently bridges criminology with public policy, emphasizing evidence-based approaches to security challenges.