Jennifer Boyer

Dr. Jennifer Boyer is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Pennsylvania Western University's Department of Criminal Justice, History, and Politics. She holds a J.D. from Ohio Northern University and a Ph.D. in Criminology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Licensed in Pennsylvania as an attorney, she previously worked as an assistant public defender handling juvenile and adult cases. She is MPOETC-certified as a general instructor and teaches at Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Municipal Police Academy.

Her roles include advising Alpha Phi Sigma (National Criminal Justice Honor Society) and the baseball team at Clarion campus, serving on the Institutional Review Board, and membership in the PennWest Faculty Senate. Active in professional organizations, she served as 2023-2024 president of the Northeastern Association of Criminal Justice Sciences.

Research focuses on juvenile justice systems, criminal procedure, and practitioner challenges. She maintains involvement with local bar associations and criminology organizations.