Annabelle Frazier

Dr. Annabelle Frazier is an Assistant Teaching Professor at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM), serving as Graduate Program Coordinator in the Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences School (CJFSS). Her research focuses on experimental criminology, defendant decision-making in sexual offense cases, and wrongful conviction prevention. She holds a PhD in Applied Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Lowell (2019), alongside clinical credentials in mental health counseling. Prior to USM, she taught at UMass Lowell, Southern New Hampshire University, and others.

Dr. Frazier’s academic work bridges pedagogy and practice, emphasizing innovative teaching methods like un-grading and interactive role-play simulations in criminal justice ethics courses. Her research employs choose-your-own-adventure paradigms to study legal decision-making processes, particularly in plea bargaining and sexual assault contexts. She also investigates trauma-related disorders and their systemic impacts.

Her professional affiliations include the American Psychology-Law Society and the Southern Criminal Justice Association. She maintains dual roles as a practicing clinician, providing counseling to individuals within the legal system, and as a director of social service advocacy. Fluent in Russian, Hebrew, and Spanish, her work integrates multilingual expertise into forensic contexts. Current projects emphasize improving plea colloquy validity in virtual courtrooms and refining risk assessment instruments for sex offenders.