Suzann Lafferty

Suzann Lafferty is an Assistant Professor and Program Director of Criminal Justice at Cumberland University, located at Memorial Hall, Room 210C. She holds a B.A. from the University of Southern California, an M.F.S. from National University, and an M.A. from the University of Memphis. Her expertise spans forensic science, criminal justice education, and law enforcement training.

Before academia, Ms. Lafferty served for 17 years as a Special Agent Forensic Scientist with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), specializing in microanalysis and latent prints. She was a key member of the Violent Crime Response Team and led crime scene processing statewide. At TBI’s Nashville lab, she analyzed latent prints and testified as an expert witness in Tennessee courts.

In her later TBI roles, she instructed at the TBI State Academy, TBI Special Agent Academy, and Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy. She co-developed the mandatory 'Just and Fair Policing' course and spearheaded TBI LEARN, an online training platform for law enforcement. She also held leadership roles in the Tennessee Division of the International Association for Identification (TN IAI), serving as president, vice-president, and treasurer.

Ms. Lafferty’s professional contributions include curriculum development for multidisciplinary agencies and over four years as an adjunct instructor at Cumberland University before transitioning to full-time faculty.