Phyllis Gerstenfeld

Dr. Phyllis Gerstenfeld is a Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Criminal Justice at California State University, Stanislaus (CSU Stanislaus). She has been affiliated with the university since 1993, serving as program coordinator from 2000 and department chair since 2005. Her primary research focuses on hate crimes, juvenile justice, psychology and law, jury decision making, and international criminal justice systems. She authored a leading hate crimes textbook (now in its 4th edition) and co-authored an introductory criminal justice textbook.

• Education:
• Ph.D. in Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (1996)
• J.D., University of Nebraska (1992)
• M.A. in Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (1992)
• B.A. in Psychology, Reed College (1988)

Her research also includes cross-national studies, such as a project examining student attitudes toward LGBTQ+ individuals and punitiveness, conducted with an international team. She has held two Fulbright grants for teaching and research in Zagreb, Croatia.

• Awards: Two Fulbright grants
• Key Projects: Cross-national study on LGBTQ+ attitudes and punitiveness

Dr. Gerstenfeld teaches courses including Introduction to Criminal Justice, Hate Crimes, and Psychology of Criminal Behavior. Her work emphasizes bridging research and pedagogy, as highlighted in her textbook contributions and media appearances (e.g., EduCast’s case study on Luigi Mangione).