Ian T. Adams is an assistant professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of South Carolina and a McCausland fellow in its College of Arts and Sciences. His research examines technology, policy, and personnel in policing, deliberately linking empirical evidence to the operational needs of law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve. In 2024, the American Society of Criminology’s Division of Policing recognized these contributions with its Early Career Award. Drawing on more than two decades of law enforcement experience, Adams maintains active partnerships with domestic and international police organizations and professional bodies such as the FBI National Academy, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the National Institute of Justice.
He has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed articles and chapters on topics including body-worn cameras, artificial intelligence, police behavior, and use of force. Adams holds appointments as an NIJ LEADS Academic, senior research advisor to the Excellence in Policing and Public Safety program at the Joseph F. Rice School of Law, affiliate of the Police Staffing Observatory at Michigan State University, and senior managing editor of Police Practice & Research: An International Journal. Across these roles he advances analytically rigorous, practitioner-focused evidence to improve policing outcomes.
