Dr. Adrienne M.F. Peters is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at Memorial University . She is also a researcher at the Centre for Public Safety and Criminal Justice Research (CPSCJR) at the University of the Fraser Valley, and an active member of the Canadian Criminal Justice Association and the American Society of Criminology . Research Interests : Dr. Peters specializes in youth offending, with a focus on rehabilitative programming for serious-violent and mentally disordered young offenders , specialized probation caseloads , and implementation of risk assessment tools . Her work explores intersections between mental health and delinquency , vocational reintegration , and collaborative crime reduction strategies . Publications & Projects : Her research has been published in journals like Journal of Juvenile Justice and Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice . Current projects include studies on community crime prevention , vocational programming , and specialized responses to vulnerable youth . Affiliations : Centre for Public Safety and Criminal Justice Research (CPSCJR) Canadian Criminal Justice Association (CCJA) American Society of Criminology (ASC)
Kathryn Seigfried-Spellar serves as an Adjunct Professor in the cyberforensics program within the School of Applied and Creative Computing at Purdue University's Polytechnic Institute. She holds a prominent international reputation as an expert in the psychosocial and technological factors associated with cybercriminal behavior, with particular expertise in the criminological characteristics and grooming strategies of online child sex offenders. Her professional appointments include membership in the Tippecanoe High Tech Crime Unit and Special Deputy status for the Tippecanoe County Prosecutor's Office. Dr. Seigfried-Spellar completed her academic training at Purdue University, earning a PhD in Technology with concentration in Cyberforensics and Psychology (2011), an MA in Forensic Psychology from City University of New York, John Jay College of Criminal Justice (2007), and a BA in Psychology and Law and Society from Purdue University (2005). Her research interests focus on the psychological aspects of cybercrime, particularly the personality and motivation of cyberdeviants, child sexual exploitation, and behavioral analysis of digital evidence. Her work bridges the gap between psychological theory and digital forensics practice, with significant contributions to understanding online child sex offenders' behaviors and characteristics. She has conducted international research including a 2022-2023 Fulbright Scholar position at the University of Valencia, Spain, studying criminological differences in online child sex offenders, and has been awarded the International Fellows Award for Summer 2024 at the University of Adelaide, Australia. Dr. Seigfried-Spellar's scholarly contributions have been recognized with numerous awards including the 2023 Jefferson Award, 2022 University Faculty Scholar designation at Purdue, the 2022 Outstanding Early Career Achievement in Forensic Science Award from the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, and multiple Outstanding Research Awards from the Digital and Multimedia Sciences Section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (2015-2018). She serves as the Chair of the Digital and Multimedia Sciences section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and is a Fellow of this organization. Her professional affiliations also include membership in the American Psychological Association, American Psychology-Law Society, and International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts. In December 2023, she co-founded and co-organized the Child Sexual Abuse Reduction Research Network workshop at the University of Adelaide, bringing together academics, nonprofit institutions, and law enforcement professionals focused on combating online child sexual abuse.
Kent Kiehl is a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of New Mexico, affiliated with the Mind Research Network. His research focuses on psychopathy, neuroimaging, and legal applications of neuroscience. He leads the world's largest database of brain data from incarcerated populations using mobile MRI units, studying mental health issues like psychopathy, substance abuse, and externalizing disorders. Education: Ph.D., University of British Columbia (2000). He trains clinicians in neuroimaging techniques and consults on legal cases involving neuroscience. His lab collaborates with correctional facilities and institutions like the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Mendota Juvenile Treatment Center. Research Interests: Psychopathy assessment (Hare PCl-R), neuroscience of criminal behavior, neurolaw, and cetacean cognition. He emphasizes predicting recidivism and treatment outcomes through brain structure/function analysis. His work bridges neuroscience with legal systems, informing interventions and prevention strategies. Key Projects: Brain Safe program for athlete concussion assessment, mobile fMRI deployment in prisons, and the Mendota Juvenile Treatment Center's decompression model. His lab includes postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and collaborators like Vince Calhoun and Michael Koenigs. Public Engagement: Authored The Psychopath Whisperer , appeared on Megyn Kelly TODAY, and been featured in media outlets discussing psychopathy, criminal behavior, and neuroscience in law. He advocates for neuroscience-informed legal policies and public understanding of mental health.
Douglas Evans is a Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) , with appointments in the Social Sciences and History division. He maintains active research and teaching programs focusing on criminal stigmatization, reentry challenges, and mass incarceration impacts. His work spans collaborations with correctional facilities and policy analysis initiatives. PhD in Criminal Justice from Indiana University BA in Criminal Justice from Indiana University Evans’ research portfolio examines: Racial and social class impacts on criminal justice system contact Correctional education programs and their efficacy Stigma management for justice-involved populations Quasi-experimental evaluations of alternative sentencing The 15 most recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on criminal stigma across multiple domains including: Dating app discrimination against justice-involved individuals College admission barriers for formerly incarcerated persons Housing discrimination studies Sex offender registration impacts Prison design effects Victim/perpetrator identity dynamics Evans teaches both traditional university courses and prison-based college programs through partnerships like: Hudson Link for Higher Education (Sing Sing and Taconic Correctional Facilities) NJSTEP Consortium (Northern State Prison and East Jersey State Prison) His methodological approach emphasizes quasi-experimental designs and audit research methods to measure systemic discrimination patterns in education, housing, and relationship contexts.
David José Soto Díaz is a Professor in the Department of Public Law at the Faculty of Law, University of A Coruña (UDC). His academic focus centers on procedural law, particularly criminal procedural law, with growing expertise in digital law and artificial intelligence applications in legal contexts. He maintains an active research profile with an ORCID identifier 0000-0002-5078-4291 and is affiliated with the research group "Criminology, Legal Psychology and Criminal Justice in the 21st Century". Dr. Soto Díaz's research spans criminal procedural law, digital law, artificial intelligence in legal contexts, criminology, and legal psychology. His work explores the intersection of technology and law, particularly in digital legal proceedings and AI applications in justice systems. He has investigated how emerging technologies impact traditional legal frameworks and procedural justice, with publications addressing evidence in criminal proceedings, alternative dispute resolution, and the implications of digital transformation for legal practice. His publication record demonstrates consistent scholarly output from 2013-2023, with increasing attention to digital law and AI in recent years. His work appears in journals like Anuario da Facultade de Dereito da Universidade da Coruña , REVISTA VASCA DE DERECHO PROCESAL Y ARBITRAJE , and Ars Iuris Salmanticensis , alongside numerous book chapters and conference communications. His research shows a clear trajectory from traditional procedural law toward contemporary challenges at the intersection of law and technology. Dr. Soto Díaz has directed numerous bachelor's and master's theses since 2013 covering diverse legal topics including constitutional law, criminal procedure, private contracting, and European Union law. His thesis supervision addresses contemporary legal challenges such as human trafficking, gender violence, immigration issues, and the legal implications of AI. He has participated in multiple research projects funded by the Ministry of Education, University and Vocational Training, the Ministry of Science and Innovation, and regional Galician authorities, with project durations spanning from 2015-2026. He is actively involved with the "Criminology, Legal Psychology and Criminal Justice in the 21st Century" research group and has collaborated with the "Grupo de Investigación sobre Criminoloxía, Psicoloxía Xurídica e Xustiza Penal no século XXI, Ecrim." His work connects legal theory with practical applications in contemporary justice systems, as evidenced by his conference presentations at universities across Spain, Portugal, Italy, and the Netherlands.
Helen Swaby is a Senior Lecturer in Counselling and Psychotherapy at the University of Derby's College of Health, Psychology and Social Care. Her research focuses on forensic psychology, sexual offender treatment, clinical ethics, and mental health policy. She has published extensively on topics including barriers to help-seeking among sex offenders, stigma management for minor-attracted persons, and pharmacological interventions for hypersexuality. Her work spans multiple disciplines, integrating clinical practice with criminological insights. Key areas of interest include: Therapeutic approaches for high-risk offenders Stigma reduction in healthcare contexts Pharmacological treatment efficacy in correctional settings Families coping with life-limiting child illnesses Psychotherapy training challenges Swaby's recent research highlights innovative interventions like Circles of Support and Accountability programs. Her studies often employ mixed-methods approaches, combining qualitative insights with quantitative analysis to address complex issues in offender rehabilitation and mental health service delivery. Her publications demonstrate a commitment to evidence-based practice, with particular attention to vulnerable populations including transgender offenders and minor-attracted persons. She has contributed to policy discussions around desistance strategies and community reintegration programs.
Norair Khachatryan serves as an Assistant Teaching Professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Northeastern University's College of Social Sciences and Humanities, where he instructs core courses including Criminology, Introduction to Criminal Justice, Psychology of Crime, and Organized Crime. Education: PhD in Criminology from the University of South Florida BA in Psychology from the University of Cincinnati His research program centers on juvenile homicide offender typologies, recidivism patterns, prisoner reentry dynamics, and hate crime victimization. Through empirical analyses of longitudinal datasets, he examines developmental trajectories, risk assessment methodologies, and desistance mechanisms among juvenile homicide offenders, with particular attention to gender differences, racial disparities, and cyber-related homicide contexts. His work bridges criminological theory with practical criminal justice applications. Recent publications reveal a concentrated focus on latent class analyses of juvenile homicide offenders (2021-2025), examining subtypes through 37 years of national arrest data while exploring intersections with cybercrime and adoptive family violence. The research consistently addresses recidivism prediction, post-release outcomes, and policy implications for juvenile justice systems.
Professor Michelle McManus is a leading academic in Safeguarding and Violence Prevention at Manchester Metropolitan University's School of Nursing and Public Health, within the Faculty of Health and Education. She holds dual roles as a Professor and Co-Director of the Institute for Children’s Futures. Her research focuses on child protection, domestic/sexual abuse, and multi-agency safeguarding strategies, emphasizing cross-sector collaboration to address exploitation (e.g., CSE, CCE, County Lines) and serious youth violence. Education: PhD, MSc, BSc (Hons), AFBPsS (Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society), CPsychol (Chartered Psychologist). Research Interests : - Development of safeguarding frameworks (e.g., 12Cs Collective Safeguarding Model) - Evaluation of law enforcement tools like the Kent Internet Risk Assessment Tool (KIRAT) - Domestic abuse responses during crises (e.g., pandemic lockdowns) - Policing strategies for vulnerable populations Key Projects : - Led thematic reviews of Child Practice Reviews in Wales - Evaluated Operation Provide (police-health co-responder model for domestic abuse) - Shaped the National Independent Safeguarding Board's Wales strategy Awards : - 2021: LJMU Vice Chancellor Award for Pandemic Research - 2013: Kent Constabulary Merit Award for KIRAT - 2018: Lancashire Constabulary Evidenced-Based Policing Certificate Grants & Grantsmanship : - Secured £338,970 for County Lines Program Evaluation (Home Office) - Led £106,744 Welsh Government project on safeguarding reforms - Co-Investigator on £336,676 UKRI domestic abuse study Labs/Teams : - Institute for Children’s Futures (co-directed) - Collaborations with Public Health Wales, police forces, and NGOs
Professor Theresa Gannon is a Chartered Forensic Psychologist and Director of the Centre of Research and Education in Forensic Psychology at the University of Kent . Her research focuses on arson , sexual offending , and treatment effectiveness for offenders. She has developed standardized treatment programs like the Firesetting Intervention Programme for Prisoners (FIPP) and FIP-MO . Her work includes creating the Compositional Explanatory Theory of Pedophilia (CEToP) and leading meta-analyses on sexual offender treatment. She has contributed to legislation on polygraph testing in the UK and examined virtual reality for firesetting rehabilitation. Scientific Awards : ESRC Outstanding Impact in Society Award (2016) Lifetime Significant Achievement Award, British Psychological Society (2019) Elected Fellow of ATSA and the Academy of Social Sciences Selected Research Trends from her 15 most recent articles include arson typologies , sexual aggression in universities , unapprehended offender studies , and forensic treatment evaluation . Notable Grants : Youth Endowment Fund Enterprise Award (2021-2024, £333,813) ESRC grants for firesetting treatment development (2011-2014, £563,311) Ministry of Justice tender for polygraph evaluation (2010-2012, £324,417)
Lucía Halty Barrutieta is an Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, Universidad Pontificia Comillas. Her career integrates psychology, neuroscience, and technology through three core research lines: behavioral problems in youth, criminal profiling methodology, and digital mental health. PhD in Psychology, Comillas Pontifical University Master's in Psychobiology & Cognitive Neuroscience, UAB Master's in Methodology of Behavioral & Health Sciences, UAM Master's in Forensic Sciences, UAM Interuniversity Master's in Intelligence Analyst, UJR Graduate in Psychology, Comillas Her research on juvenile psychopathy with conduct disorders has led to interventions in penitentiary institutions. She developed the ENCUIST Method for psychological profiling in forensic and security contexts. In digital mental health, she pioneered the iENCUIST tool during the pandemic, culminating in Spain's first Chair of Digital Mental Health. Recent publications focus on callous-unemotional traits , pandemic-era mental health tools , and forensic profiling techniques . She holds ANECA certifications and a Sexenio in Social Sciences, reflecting her scholarly excellence. Sexenio in Social Sciences, Political Sciences, Behavioral Sciences, and Gender Studies (2011-2022) ANECA Professor certifications (2020) As director of the Chair of Innovation and Digital Mental Health, she advances interdisciplinary projects connecting technology with behavioral disorder treatment , particularly in youth populations.
Carmen Jordá Sanz is a Professor and Director of the Department of Criminology and Security at Universidad Camilo José Cela (UCJC) since 2020, where she has been teaching since 2017. She also serves as Head of the Intelligence and Foresight Office at Prosegur. A distinguished expert in her field, she was named one of Spain's 40 best foresight experts by Forbes magazine. Dr. Jordá holds a PhD in Law, Government, and Public Policy from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), where she also earned dual degrees in Law and Psychology. Her research focuses on the intersection of criminology, cybersecurity, and social sciences. Key areas include organized crime, business crimes, digital evidence, biometric systems, and the societal impact of technology. She has led significant research on gender-based violence indicators through animal abuse, facial recognition technology biases, and dark web investigations. Her work demonstrates how social sciences and humanities are crucial for addressing technological challenges, as she argues in her influential article 'Fuzzys vs. Techies?' Dr. Jordá's publication record shows consistent scholarly output across criminology, cybersecurity, and social sciences. Her recent work examines cutting-edge issues like algorithmic security for peacebuilding, connected vehicle cybersecurity, and wildlife trafficking networks. She has developed a distinctive approach that bridges technical security solutions with social science perspectives, emphasizing that 'technology made by and for humans needs precisely humanity' at its center. Listed among the 40 best foresight experts in Spain by Forbes CCS-S certification from Agencia de Certificaciones de Ciberseguridad Accredited as 'Profesora Contratada Doctora' through PEP by ANECA As an active media commentator, Dr. Jordá has contributed to major publications including El País, El Economista, Forbes Colombia, and The Objective. Her expertise spans both academic research and practical security applications, with significant work for the Civil Guard's Center for Analysis and Forecasting, European Commission research projects, and Red.es (Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence). She has been instrumental in developing frameworks that integrate social science perspectives into technological security solutions, arguing that the best human firewall in cybersecurity is training and awareness developed with input from education and communication experts.
Mikko Aaltonen is a researcher at the University of Helsinki's Faculty of Social Sciences, serving as a Supervisor in the Doctoral Program in Social Sciences and as a visiting researcher. He maintains an active research profile with 131 research outputs documented across his career, spanning from 2007 to 2025. His research interests focus primarily on sociology, criminology, and demographics, with particular emphasis on criminal careers, recidivism patterns, employment trajectories of formerly incarcerated individuals, and victim-offender relationships. His work often utilizes register-based data and comparative approaches, particularly within Nordic contexts. His recent research output shows consistent productivity with publications in leading criminology journals including Criminology, British Journal of Criminology, and Crime & Delinquency. His 2025 publication in the Journal of Quantitative Criminology on industry-specific labor demand and recidivism represents his ongoing contribution to understanding the relationship between employment and reoffending. Aaltonen has led multiple significant research projects including CRIMCAR (Sociodemographic determinants of criminal careers in Finland 1987-2015), research on traffic fines and recidivism, and studies on event sequences in intimate partner violence against women. His work demonstrates a strong focus on empirical, data-driven criminological research with policy implications. His academic service includes extensive peer review activities for journals such as Acta Sociologica, Journal of Youth Studies, and Edilex, along with consulting work for the Ministry of Employment and the Economy on immigrant crime, particularly focusing on sexual offenses.
Professor Jessica Woodhams is a chartered psychologist and HCPC-registered forensic psychologist at the University of Birmingham's School of Psychology, where she serves as Head of Research. She specializes in policing strategies, sexual offending, and crime linkage analysis, co-producing research with international practitioners. Her leadership roles include founding the C-LINK network, co-directing the Centre for Crime, Justice and Policing, and leading work streams on transnational crime. She holds a PhD from the University of Leicester, an MSc from Kent, and a BSc from Southampton. Her research focuses on informing police decision-making through crime linkage methodologies, evaluating interventions, and addressing the wellbeing of criminal justice professionals. She has secured over £5 million in grants, including a £1.74M project on internet-facilitated child sexual offending. Her work emphasizes collaboration with agencies like the Home Office, National Crime Agency, and international police forces. Recent publications explore secondary traumatic stress in analytical roles, face recognition neuroscience, and pandemic impacts on sex offenses. She advises on high-profile cases and develops AI-driven decision tools for law enforcement. Supervising over 100 students, her mentorship spans PhD candidates, ForenPsyD/ClinPsyD trainees, and MSc students.
Dr. Heath Grant is an Assistant Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, part of the City University of New York (CUNY), where he serves in the Department of Law and Police Science. He holds significant leadership roles, including former Deputy Chair of the department, and has extensive experience in program development, evaluation, and international policing strategies. His work focuses on juvenile violence prevention, social emotional learning, and fostering a culture of lawfulness globally. Education: Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada Masters of Arts in Criminal Justice, John Jay College, New York Ph.D. in Criminal Justice, John Jay College, New York Research Interests: Dr. Grant’s work centers on crime prevention strategies, particularly in developing nations, with an emphasis on community policing, social emotional learning, and the role of law enforcement in youth development. He has pioneered programs in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas, focusing on resiliency-building and curriculum development. His recent projects include assessing youth violence in the Caribbean and designing training programs for police forces in Bangladesh and Colombia. Key Achievements: Recipient of prestigious fellowships: Bradley Post-doctoral Fellowship (Georgetown), Arthur Niederhoffer Fellowship, and Arts ’50 Scholarship. Secured and managed over $20 million in program funding across international initiatives. Advising & Grants: As program executive at Success for Kids (SFK), he expanded social emotional learning programs reaching millions internationally. He currently leads research on animal-assisted interventions in correctional facilities and geo-spatial impacts on policing decisions in NYC. Labs/Teams: Active in the Police Executive Research Forum as former Director of Research, and serves as a board member of the Every Child is Ours Foundation.
Prof. Birgit Menzel is a Professor of Social Sciences at the Department of Public Management, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences. She serves as Prodekanin für Studium und Lehre (Deputy Dean for Teaching and Learning) at the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences and is the Praktikumsbeauftragte (Internship Coordinator) for her department. Her academic career spans roles at multiple institutions, including the University of Oldenburg and the Hamburg School of Policing. Education: She holds a Magistra Artium in Sociology and Pedagogy from the University of Oldenburg (1991), with earlier studies in Special Education and German Literature. Her doctoral thesis (1998) focused on deviance theory. Research interests include social control, deviant behavior, criminological theory, and organizational management. She has published extensively on topics like sexual violence, constructivist theories of deviance, and hybrid learning formats in higher education. Recent work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to criminology and educational innovation. Publications trends show strong focus on sociology of crime, gender-based violence, and academic pedagogy. She contributes to journals like Kriminologisches Journal and holds editorial roles in key criminology publications. Her professional memberships include the GiwK (interdisciplinary criminology society). She actively engages in academic networks, organizing conferences on topics like 'Krimmigration' (2021) and 'Criminology of the Visual' (2018). Teaching focuses on social sciences with emphasis on personnel management and organizational sociology.
