Owens is the Deans’ Professor of Criminology and Economics and Chair of the Department of Criminology, Law, and Society at the University of California, Irvine. She holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Economics. Professor Owens studies a wide range of topics related to the economics of crime, including policing, sentencing, and the impact of local public policies on criminal behavior. Her research examines how government policies affect the prevalence of criminal activity as well as how agents within the criminal justice system, particularly police, prosecutors, and judges, respond to policy changes. Professor Owens is engaged in ongoing research projects on police training, alcohol regulation, immigration policy, and local economic development programs. She received her Ph.D. in economics from the University of Maryland-College Park.
