About Me
Jeff Kukucka, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Psychology
Towson University
Liberal Arts 3143
Ph.D. (2014), Psychology, The Graduate Center, CUNY
M.A. (2012), Forensic Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
B.A. (2009), Psychology, Loyola College in Maryland
Education
In 2009, I graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Loyola College in Maryland. As an undergraduate, I became involved in research on conformity in eyewitness memory with Dr. Kerri Goodwin (Towson University) and research on child forensic interviewing and metacognition with Dr. Maggie Bruck (Johns Hopkins Medical Institute). In 2014, I graduated from the PhD Program in Psychology & Law at the CUNY Graduate Center, where I worked primarily under Dr. Saul Kassin (John Jay College of Criminal Justice).
Research Interests
Broadly, I am interested in using psychological science to understand, prevent, and remedy wrongful convictions in the criminal justice system. My primary lines of research include:
Cognitive forensics: Why do forensic scientists sometimes make mistakes, and how can we prevent these mistakes? How do unconscious cognitive biases affect forensic judgments? How do non-experts understand and use forensic evidence?
Life after exoneration: What sorts of challenges do wrongly convicted individuals face after leaving prison? How do experiences of stigma and discrimination impact exonerees' well-being? How can we better support exonerees' reintegration?
I also maintain secondary interests in interrogations and false confessions, eyewitness memory, lie detection, and jury decision-making.
Awards
2024 American Psychology-Law Society Early Career Teaching and Mentoring Award
2023 & 2016 Distinguished Graduate Faculty Award, Towson University Psychology Department
2021 Association for Psychological Science "Rising Star"
2020 American Psychology-Law Society Saleem Shah Award for Early Career Excellence
2020 St. Paul's School Distinguished Young Alumnus Award
2018 Towson University Honors College Professor of the Year
2017 Psi Chi Eastern Regional Faculty Advisor Award (co-winner with Dr. David Earnest)
2014 American Psychology-Law Society Dissertation Award (3rd place)