Columbia, SC
Dr. Ian Adams is an Assistant Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of South Carolina, with a Ph.D. in Political Science and a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Utah. His research focuses on the practical concerns of police practitioners, with a specific interest in technology, policy, and personnel in law enforcement. He has a strong background in law enforcement, having served over twelve years as an officer. By connecting his research to the practical concerns of policing agencies, their employees, and the communities they serve, Dr. Adams' work helps inform evidence-based policies and practices within law enforcement.
Dr. Adams has published over thirty peer-reviewed pieces, with an ambitious quantitative research agenda addressing pressing topics such as body-worn cameras, technology, police K9s, use-of-force, and sexual assault investigations and training. As a Senior Research Advisor for the Excellence in Policing and Public Safety program at the University of South Carolina’s School of Law, an affiliate of the Police Staffing Observatory at Michigan State University, and a managing editor of Police Practice & Research: An International Journal, Dr. Adams further contributes to the building academically rigorous, practically relevant, evidence-based practices to improve policing.