Laura McLester

Laura McLester is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), within the College of Arts and Sciences. She serves as the Digital Forensics Coordinator and Graduate Certificate Coordinator, overseeing program development and student mentorship. Her roles include teaching core courses in digital forensics such as CJ210 (Intro to DF), CJ402 (Computer Forensics), and CJ494 (Digital Forensics Capstone). McLester’s research interests focus on digital forensics, Trust and Safety mechanisms in social media, and intelligence data analysis. She brings over a decade of professional experience as a Cyber Threat Investigator and Senior Cyber Intelligence Analyst at LinkedIn, alongside a background in social work and psychology.

Education: BA in Psychology from the University of Alabama in Huntsville (2004), MSW from the University of Alabama (2007), and MS in Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism from UAB (2018). Her teaching emphasizes real-world skill development, particularly in linking digital evidence to physical crimes and fostering interdisciplinary problem-solving. She actively mentors students transitioning into digital forensics careers, leveraging her unique blend of social work and technical expertise.

As a program coordinator, McLester oversees internships (CJ495) and capstone projects, ensuring students gain practical experience. Her work bridges academic and industry perspectives, prioritizing student readiness for roles in investigations, cybersecurity, and related fields.