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Dr. Laura Hickman is a Professor and Director of Criminology and Criminal Justice Online. Dr. Hickman earned her Ph.D. from the University of Maryland in Criminology and Criminal Justice. Before coming to Portland State, Dr. Hickman worked as a Research Analyst in a corrections agency and as a Behavioral Scientist at the RAND Corporation. Dr. Hickman has also served as Associate Director of the CCJ Department’s Criminal Justice Research Policy Institute and Violence Research Coordinator at the RAND Corporation.
The focus of Dr. Hickman’s research is on evaluating and improving criminal justice policy and practice as well as the impacts of violence and victimization. Her work covers a range of topics including capital punishment, domestic violence, corrections, policing, victimization, and immigration. Dr. Hickman also co-directed the National Evaluation of Safe Start Promising Approaches, a 15-site evaluation examining the effects of promising interventions designed to serve children who had been exposed to violence. Dr. Hickman’s work in the area includes studies examining the impact of repeat exposure to violence, retention of high risk families in violence interventions, resiliency and protective factors in children, and assessment strategies with young children exposed to violence. Dr. Hickman’s collected body of peer-reviewed work has been cited by more than 1,400 authors and she continues to seek opportunities to impact public policy through research and evaluation.
Students in Dr. Hickman’s prior classes note the following about her teaching:
“Professor Hickman's class was very interesting and challenging. She had us complete assignments that allowed us to utilize our readings with real world applications and then use our cumulative knowledge from the class for our final project. This required us to really stay involved throughout the class and then tie up all the information we gathered.”
“Dr. Hickman is an excited, knowledgeable, and wise mentor. She always makes herself available to me as a mentor and guide. I know that the wisdom that Professor Hickman has shared with me will benefit me long into my career.”
“Dr. Hickman is a very detail oriented and organized instructor. She represents a strong role model for women studying Criminology and Criminal Justice.”