Rachel Greenspan

Rachel Greenspan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice & Legal Studies at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), housed within the School of Applied Sciences. Her research bridges social psychology and legal systems, focusing on eyewitness identification accuracy, false memory development, and the intersection of technology with justice practices. She has been funded by the National Science Foundation and the Newkirk Center for Science and Society, and her work appears in journals like Law and Human Behavior and Memory and Cognition.

Education:

• B.A. Criminology, University of Florida (2013)
• B.S. Psychology, University of Florida (2013)
• M.A. Social Ecology, University of California-Irvine (2015)
• Ph.D. Psychology, University of California-Irvine (2018)
• Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice, University of Pennsylvania School of Law (2020)

Research interests emphasize improving legal procedures through psychological insights, including the use of artificial intelligence in eyewitness lineups, the societal impact of true crime media, and the reform of prosecutorial accountability policies. Her work frequently employs experimental methods to assess real-world legal outcomes, such as police policy compliance and courtroom testimony reliability.

Recent articles explore topics like AI-generated facial recognition in forensic contexts, open science practices in criminal justice research, and public opinion on prosecutorial liability. These studies highlight her dual focus on advancing both theoretical understanding and practical policy applications.

Professional contributions include grants from NSF and Newkirk, and she advises on institutional policies related to artificial intelligence in higher education. Her post-doctoral work at the Quattrone Center directly influenced her applied research in criminal justice reform.