Dr. Erin Kearns
Assistant Professor
- email: emkearns@ua.edu
- phone (205) 348-7795
- office location Farrah Hall 431
- Curriculum Vitae
Education
- Ph.D., Criminology and Public Policy, American University, 2016
- MA, Forensic Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice CUNY, 2012
- BA, Political Science and Psychology, Miami University of Ohio, 2005
Research Areas
- Terrorism
- Counterterrorism
- Media
- Public Perceptions
- Community-Police Relationships
Bio
- Kearns, E.M. & Amarasingam, A. “How News Media Talk about Terrorism & What the Evidence Shows,” Just Security, April 5, 2019
- Kearns, E.M.. “An Expert on Political Violence Explains why the NRA’s Ads Matter,” The Trace, August 8, 2017.
- Kearns, E.M., Betus, A., & Lemieux, A. “Yes, the Media Do Underreport Some Terrorist Attacks, Just not the Ones Most People Think,” Washington Post, March 13, 2017.
- Kearns, E.M., “Torture Doesn’t Work, So Why are We Still Discussing It?” Political Violence at a Glance, February 2, 2017.
- Kearns, E.M. & Young, J.K. “Dramatic Depictions of Torture Increase Support for It,” Washington Post, December 12, 2014.
Selected Publications
When to Take Credit for Terrorism? A Cross-National Examination of Claims and Attributions (2019)
Why Do Some Terrorist Attacks Receive More Media Attention Than Others? (2019)
When Data Do Not Matter: Exploring Public Perceptions of Terrorism (2019)
“If Torture Is Wrong, What About 24?” Torture and the Hollywood Effect (2018)
Why Are Some Officers More Supportive of Community Policing with Minorities than Others? (2017)