Undergraduate

Student Orgs & Research Opportunities

The Center for Justice Research & Policy (CJRP) at the University of South Florida (USF) hosts an interdisciplinary team of scholars and practitioners focused on the study of crime, violence, and criminal and social justice policy. It is the first of its kind in Florida, recently approved by the Board of Governors as a state-level center. The CJRP's goal is to apply rigorous research and evaluations to enhance the evidence base of policing, corrections, and court practices.

CJRP also advances USF’s emphasis on student learning. Undergraduate and graduate students from different majors are given direct opportunities to work on interdisciplinary projects and participate in effective translational research, which serve as models for their future work as scholars or practitioners in the community. They provide opportunities for students to conduct community-engaged research, collect original data, and intern at local agencies. Over two dozen undergraduate and graduate students across two USF colleges work with the directors on on-going projects. Many more students across the university work with members of their leadership team on research and evaluations. They accept new members each semester and applications can be submitted online.

Interested in joining CJRP? Check out their website for more information.

The Cybercrime Interdisciplinary Behavioral Research Laboratory, or C.I.B.R. Lab, is housed within the Department of Criminology at the University of South Florida. Our aim is to foster a collaborative research environment for faculty, staff, and students.

The study of cybercrime involves understanding human behavior and its interaction with technology and networked communications in the commission of a crime, harmful acts, and deviant behavior. Cybercriminology is a growing sub-discipline that investigates various elements of crimes committed through the use of networked computing devices, including:

• Internet crimes against children
• Fraud
• Hacking
• Harassment
• Stalking
• Money laundering
• Dissemination of hate speech and disinformation

The C.I.B.R. Lab is focused on the study of both the motivations and methods of offenders, as well as, the impact to their victims and its implications. Our goal is to offer public and private organizations assistance in addressing the problem, including local police, state and federal agencies, technology firms, and cybersecurity professionals. We plan to work with these agencies to identify and promote evidence-based practices in mitigating cybercrime. The C.I.B.R. Lab is committed to the promotion of victim resilience and to mitigating repeat victimization through information sharing and prevention tools.

Interested in joining C.I.B.R. Lab? Check out their website for more information. 

USF Trafficking in Persons - Risk to Resilience Lab

As faculty and students of the leading research university in the Tampa Bay region, we dedicate our skills and knowledge toward the goal of eradicating human trafficking in our own communities and beyond through:

• Knowledge Building. Conduct innovative and interdisciplinary research to address knowledge gaps which currently exist and impede advances in human trafficking prevention and intervention.
• Spreading Knowledge. Share effective solutions to human trafficking by addressing this complex violation of human rights and societal norms from an interdisciplinary approach that merges criminological, victim-centered, social welfare, mental health, and social justice perspectives.
• Resourcing. Provide critical resources to the Tampa Bay community and key stakeholders through the establish a data depository for use by human trafficking researchers.

For more information about the TIP Lab, please visit their website. 

The Crime Research Etiology and Treatment Evaluation (CREATE) Lab seeks to identify the causes and consequences of crime and establish evidence-based prevention efforts. CREATE is comprised of two faculty advisors (Dr. Chae Jaynes and Dr. Mateus Rennó Santos), 2 graduate students, 10 undergraduates, additional supporting faculty, and 8 alumni. The lab seeks to provide students with an immersive research experience to promote their understanding of key criminological issues and research practices.

The lab has numerous ongoing projects. At present, the CREATE team is implementing a national survey with employers regarding their willingness to hire individuals with a criminal record, in parallel to a second survey in prison regarding inmates’ job market profile. This research project is intended to support subsequent policies to improve the employment prospects of inmates. Since its inception, CREATE students’ and faculty have received numerous grants and awards, including two grants from the University of South Florida, and a prestigious College of Behavioral and Community Sciences Moms scholarship for independent research conducted within the lab.

For more information or to join the lab, visit their website. 

Sarasota Cybersecurity is a true interdisciplinary research laboratory with cybersecurity experts from around the globe. They mitigate and prevent cyberattacks by offering holistic and evidence-based cybersecurity solutions derived from nuanced understanding of the latest technological innovations, advances in cyber-intelligence gathering, and insight into the humans (both offenders and victims) behind the keyboard. They are the ONLY cybersecurity group in the country with expertise across these areas and, as such, are uniquely equipped to improve national and business security posture. 

For more information, visit their website or contact Dr. Jordan Howell. 

The Criminology Club is open to students of all majors and minors. The club meets regularly during the year and sponsors a variety of activities and events, including an annual Criminal Justice Career Fair and an annual Murder Mystery Dinner. The club also provides support for members to attend professional conferences to present their research and network with scholars and practitioners in the field.  

Tampa & Sarasota-Manatee: For more information and to join the club, visit BullsConnect.

St. Petersburg: For more information and to join the club, visit BullsConnect.  

The Department of Criminology hosts a chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma, the National Criminal Justice Honors Society. Membership is open to Criminology majors and minors who attain a 3.2 GPA at the undergraduate level and a 3.4 GPA as graduate students.  

Tampa: For more information, please visit the APS-Sigma Chapter webpage. 

St. Petersburg: For more information, please contact Lori Hall, PhD.