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Photograph of Janice Iwama

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Janice Iwama Associate Professor Justice, Law & Criminology

Degrees
PhD, Northeastern University
MS, American University
BA, American University

Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Bio
Dr. Janice Iwama is an Associate Professor in the Department of Justice, Law & Criminology at American University in Washington, D.C. She received her Ph.D. in Criminology and Justice Policy from Northeastern University. As a recognized expert in the study of violent crime and communities, her research focuses on the intersection between race, ethnicity, immigration, and crime. She has worked extensively on research grants with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies on gun violence, hate crimes, and policing. Her research has been published in several high-ranking scholarly journals including Criminology & Public Policy, Justice Quarterly, and the Journal of Research in Crime & Delinquency. She has also collaborated with federal, state, and local agencies in identifying best practices, providing training, and developing resource guides to prevent and reduce hate crimes, gun violence, and racial profiling. Based on her work, she has received several awards in her profession and is a recipient of the National Institute of Justice Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science Academics Scholars Award. Her research has also been featured in several international and national news outlets including Al Jazeera, BBC News, Bloomberg News, NBC News, The Washington Post, Univision, and USA Today. She is fluent in both English and Spanish.
See Also
SPA Department of Justice, Law and Criminology
For the Media
To request an interview for a news story, call AU Communications at 202-885-5950 or submit a request.

Teaching

Fall 2024

  • JLC-280 Intro to Justice Research

  • SPA-300 SPA Honors Colloquium: Experimenting With Violence

Spring 2025

  • JLC-280 Intro to Justice Research

  • JLC-280 Intro to Justice Research

Scholarly, Creative & Professional Activities

Selected Publications

Iwama, J. (2024). “Local context and traffic stops: An examination of racial profiling in traffic stops in rural and non-rural places.” Policing: An International Journal. https://doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-12-2023-0167.

Iwama, J. (2023). “Advancing Latina/o/x Diversity in Academia and Why it Matters.” Journal of Criminal Justice Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/10511253.2023.2186452.

Iwama, J., Peguero, A., Eason, J. M., Marchbanks, M. P., Zhang, J., & J. Blake. (2023). “Immigration and School Threat?: Exploring the Significance of the Border.” Journal of Research in Crime & Delinquency, https://doi.org/10.1177/00224278221100124.

Iwama, J., Ernstes, A., Ripepi, M., Irizarry, Y., Bondy, J. M. & Peguero, A. (2022). “Segregation, Securitization, and Bullying: Investigating the Connections between Policing, Surveillance, Punishment, and Violence.” Race & Justice, https://doi.org/10.1177/21533687221105906.

Iwama, J. (2021). “Reducing Violence?: Examining the Impact of Gun Control Legislation in Massachusetts.” Justice Quarterly, 38(7): 1385-1404. http://doi.org/10.1080/07418825.2021.1985593.

Research Interests

Bias/Hate Crimes; Communities and Crime; Gun Violence; Policing; Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration; School Violence; Victimization