VSU’s Bobbie Ticknor Leads Criminology, Criminal Justice Research Group

Valdosta State University’s Dr. Bobbie Ticknor recently kicked off a three-year term as president of the Criminology Consortium Board of Directors. She joined the VSU faculty in 2014 and currently serves as an associate professor of criminal justice. She also coordinates the Virtual Reality Lab on campus.

VALDOSTA — Valdosta State University’s Dr. Bobbie Ticknor recently kicked off a three-year term as president of the Criminology Consortium Board of Directors.

Ticknor’s primary focus with the Criminology Consortium is to set the direction of the organization’s annual CrimCon conference. The 2021 event, “Innovations in Criminal Justice and Criminology: Moving Forward From a Pandemic,” will be held virtually Oct. 18-22 and is free of charge to attend.

“For many of us in field, projects stopped when COVID-19 hit,” she said. “We’ve had to come up with innovative ways to continue our work. This conference highlights those efforts, giving both students learning about the field and practitioners doing the research an opportunity to share their experiences.

“Most criminal justice conferences were cancelled last year. Some are doing face-to-face or hybrid models this year. CrimCon is fully online so anyone can attend. We wanted to make conference going as accessible as possible to as many people as possible.”

The Criminology Consortium is comprised of academic criminologists and criminal justice researchers who love research. The organization has a strong desire to make sure everyone conducting research on topics related to crime, criminal justice, or public policy at a university, research organization, or criminal justice agency has an outlet for their work.

“I am truly honored to be able to serve this organization,” Ticknor continued. “I believe in the vision of our founding board. They started this organization so everyone could have the ability to learn more about our field and discuss their work. Criminal justice is a very diverse field with implications across society. Research should not be limited to only those who can afford to attend these types of conferences.”

Before becoming president of the Criminology Consortium Board of Directors, Ticknor served the organization as a technology consultant, panelist, and session host.

“Several of my students will be attending the conference,” she shared. “It is a great opportunity for them to see research in action. It also really solidifies the material I present in the classroom. This applied knowledge is invaluable as they transition from student to professionals.”

Ticknor said the conference will allow VSU’s Department of Criminal Justice students the opportunity to attend sessions, speakers, and roundtables on a variety of topics in criminal justice and criminology — policing, courts and corrections, intersectionality in criminal justice, victimology, and innovations in criminal justice.  

Ticknor joined the VSU faculty in 2014 and currently serves as an associate professor of criminal justice. She also coordinates the Virtual Reality Lab on campus.

Her areas of expertise include correctional rehabilitation (treatment, program evaluation and design, and curriculum development), technology in criminal justice, sex crimes and sex offender policies and practices, reentry services, and biosocial criminology.

Her favorite class to teach is CRJU 4200: Seminar in Corrections.

“It gives me an opportunity to bring in applied learning and several experiential learning activities that students will see when they leave VSU to begin their careers,” she explained. “I also incorporate the use of virtual reality in this course so students can experience different scenarios related to what we learn in class and see the technology at work. I believe virtual reality is part of the future of our field. It is an invaluable tool that is now being widely embraced by researchers and practitioners alike. Our students at VSU, however, are one of only a handful of programs using the technology for learning.”

Outside of her career in academia, Ticknor has worked in the field of criminal justice for more than two decades. She currently works locally with Prison Reentry Initiative of Georgia, a program of the Governor’s Office of Transition, Support, and Reentry that helps rehabilitated offenders navigate the barriers to successful reentry into society while also ensuring public safety and reducing recidivism. She also serves on the National Incarceration Association Advisory Council.

As a professional consultant, Ticknor conducts trainings, program evaluations, and curriculum/program development for criminal justice agencies across the country. She also works internationally with several criminal justice agencies and universities on programming for corrections and law enforcement.