KEVIN H. WOZNIAK
University of Massachusetts Boston
Department of Sociology
100 Morrissey Boulevard
Boston, Massachusetts 02125
kevin.wozniak@umb.edu
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR of Sociology, University of Massachusetts Boston (Sept. 2013 – present)
LEGISLATIVE FELLOW, Office of Representative Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA-03), United States
House of Representatives (Jan. 2013 – Aug. 2013)
LECTURER in Justice, Law, & Society; American University (May 2012)
EDUCATION
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY, Washington, D.C.
 Doctor of Philosophy, Concentrations: Justice, Law, & Society; American Politics (2012)
 Master of Science, Concentration: Justice, Law, & Society (2010)
SKIDMORE COLLEGE, Saratoga Springs, NY
 Bachelor of Arts, Major: Psychology; Minor: Government, summa cum laude (2005)
RESEARCH INTERESTS
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Penological theory testing
Politics and punishment
Legislation of criminal justice policy
Public opinion about crime and punishment
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Causes and consequences of mass
incarceration
Differentiating the predictors of violent
versus nonviolent crime
PUBLICATIONS
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
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Wozniak, K.H. (2015). The relationship between perceptions of prison and support for the death
penalty versus life without parole. Journal of Crime and Justice. Online ahead of print. doi:
10.1080/0735648X.2015.1050598
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Wozniak, K.H. (2015). Public opinion about gun control post-Sandy Hook. Criminal Justice Policy
Review. Online ahead of print. doi:10.1177/0887403415577192
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Wozniak, K.H. (2014). American public opinion about prisons. Criminal Justice Review, 39(3), 305324.
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Wozniak, K.H. (2012). Legislative abolition of the death penalty: A qualitative analysis. Studies in
Law, Politics, and Society, 57, 31-70.
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Wozniak, K.H. and Lewis, A.R. (2010). Reexamining the effect of Christian denominational
affiliation on death penalty support. The Journal of Criminal Justice, 38(5), 1082-1089.
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Foley, M.A., Wozniak, K.H., and Gillum, A. (2006). Imagination and false memory induction:
Investigating the role of process, content, and source of imagery. Applied Cognitive Psychology,
20(9), 1119-1141.
Dissertation
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Wozniak, K.H. (2012). The effect of exposure to political rhetoric on public opinion about criminal
justice. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (Order Number
3523746).
Other Publications
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Wozniak, K.H. (2015, May 28). American public opinion about gun control remained polarized and
politicized in the wake of the Sandy Hook mass shooting. London School of Economics and Political
Science USA Politics & Policy Blog. Available online: http://bit.ly/1FEURSu
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Wozniak, K.H. (2014). A political science assessment of the House Democratic Gun Violence
Prevention Task Force. PS: Political Science & Politics, 47(2), 550-552.
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Miller, L.L. and Wozniak, K.H. (2013). Criminology and political science. In R. Wright (Ed.), Oxford
bibliographies online: Criminology. New York: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/obo/
9780195396607-0179
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Wozniak, K.H. (2010). Krivo, Lauren J. and Ruth D. Peterson: Extreme disadvantage and crime. In
F.T. Cullen and P. Wilcox (Eds.), The encyclopedia of criminological theory. Sage.
WORKS-IN-PROGRESS AND UNDER REVIEW
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Wozniak, K.H. “Perceptions of prison and punitive attitudes: A test of the penal escalation
hypothesis.” Manuscript under review.
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Savage, J., Ellis, S., and Wozniak, K.H. “Distinguishing violent from chronic, nonviolent offenders:
The role of income and poverty.” Manuscript under review.
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Savage, J. and Wozniak, K.H. The differential etiology of violence. Book under contract with Oxford
University Press.
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Johnson, D., Maguire, E.R., and Wozniak, K.H. "Support for punitive and preventative criminal
justice policies in the Caribbean." Manuscript in progress.
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Wozniak, K.H. “Social anxiety, racial tension, and confidence in the police in the wake of Ferguson.”
Manuscript in progress.
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RESEARCH GRANTS
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Wozniak, K.H., Calfano, B. and Drakulich, K. (2015). “Exposure to images of police-civilian
interactions and public opinion about law enforcement and government: An experimental test.”
Joseph P. Healey Research Grant, University of Massachusetts, Boston ($11,954.00; funded). CoPrincipal Investigator.
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Creighton, M.J. and Wozniak, K.H. (2015). “Who cares about mass incarceration? An experimental
test of public opinion.” Joseph P. Healey Research Grant, University of Massachusetts, Boston
($7,416.00; funded). Co-Principal Investigator.
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Wozniak, K.H. (2014). “Racialized cues and support for justice reinvestment: A mixed-method study
of public opinion.” W.E.B. Du Bois Fellowship for Research in Race, Gender, Culture, and Crime,
National Institute of Justice. ($144,329.00; under review). Principal investigator.
PRESENTATIONS
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Wozniak, K.H. (April, 2015). American public opinion about prisons: Causes and consequences.
Paper presented at the 1st meeting of the UMass Interdisciplinary Legal Studies Colloquium. Boston,
MA.
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Wozniak, K.H. (November, 2014). An overview of death penalty abolition in 21st century America.
Paper presented at the 69th meeting of the American Society of Criminology, Atlanta, GA.
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Wozniak, K.H. (November, 2013). A mixed-method evaluation of public opinion about criminal
justice. Paper presented at the 70th meeting of the American Society of Criminology, San Francisco,
CA.
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Wozniak, K.H. (November, 2011). Analyzing the effect of exposure to political rhetoric on public
opinion about punishment. Paper presented at the 63rd meeting of the American Society of
Criminology, Washington, D.C.
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Savage, J. and Wozniak, K.H. (November, 2009). Reexamining the implications of neighborhood
factors for violent versus nonviolent crime. Paper presented at the 61st meeting of the American
Society of Criminology, Philadelphia, PA.
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Savage, J., Ellis, S., and Wozniak, K.H. (November, 2009). Poverty and violence revisited: Does
severe or chronic poverty help us predict the most serious offending? Paper presented at the 61st
meeting of the American Society of Criminology, Philadelphia, PA.
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Wozniak, K.H. and Lewis, A.R. (November, 2009). Reexamining the effect of Christian
denominational affiliation on support for the death penalty. Paper presented at the 61st meeting of the
American Society of Criminology, Philadelphia, PA.
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Wozniak, K.H. (April, 2009). The effects of Christian religiosity on support for the death penalty
versus life without parole. Paper presented at the 2009 Religion and Politics Conference, Southern
Illinois University, Carbondale, IL.
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Wozniak, K.H. (November, 2008). Christian religious beliefs, political ideology, and attitudes toward
punishment: Testing for an interactive effect. Paper presented at the 60th meeting of the American
Society of Criminology, St. Louis, MO.
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Savage, J. and Wozniak, K.H. (November, 2008). The role of poverty in the differential etiology of
violence. Paper presented at the 60th meeting of the American Society of Criminology, St. Louis, MO.
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Savage, J. and Wozniak, K.H. (November, 2007). Distinguishing violence from other types of
criminal behavior: Organizing the scholarly literature. Paper presented at the 59th meeting of the
American Society of Criminology, Atlanta, GA.
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Hodgins, H. S., Shiffman, S., Adair, K., Gordon, R., Wozniak, K.H., & Saavedra, Y. (January, 2005).
Clinging to positive feedback as a function of autonomy and control motivation. Poster presented at
the 7th meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Palm Springs, CA.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
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Assistant Professor – UMass Boston
 SOC 104 – Introduction to Criminal Justice
 SOC 323 – Race, Incarceration, and Deportation
 SOC 351 – Methods of Research
 SOC 642 – Social Policy
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Instructor – American University
 JLS 103 - Critical Issues in Justice
 JLS 245 – Cities and Crime
 JLS 280 - Introduction to Justice Research Methods
UNIVERSITY SERVICE
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Sociology Department
 Undergraduate Studies Committee, Member (2013 – present)
 Criminal Justice Committee, Member (2013 – present)
 Social Theory Forum Committee, Member (2014 – 2015)
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College of Liberal Arts
 Faculty Senate, Member (Spring 2015)
 Pre-Law Advisory Committee (2015 – present)
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UMass Boston
 Faculty Council, Member (Fall 2014, 2015 - present)
FELLOWSHIPS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
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Congressional Fellowship, American Political Science Association (2012 - 2013)
Doctoral Student Research Award, Office of the Provost, American University (2011)
Gill Family Foundation Scholarship for dissertation research (2010 –2011)
Ann and Neil Kerwin Ph.D. Fellowship, American University (2010 –2011)
Jacob K. Javits Graduate Fellow, U.S. Department of Education (2006 –2010)
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HONORS AND AWARDS
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Outstanding scholarship at the graduate level, School of Public Affairs, American University (2012)
Outstanding scholarship at the graduate level, Department of Justice, Law, & Society,
American University (2012)
Chair’s award for outstanding service, Department of Justice, Law, & Society,
American University (2011)
American politics Ph.D. comprehensive exam passed with distinction (2010)
Justice, law, and society Ph.D. comprehensive exam passed with distinction (2009)
Phi Beta Kappa national honor society (2005)
Pi Sigma Alpha national political science honor society (2005)
Psi Chi national psychology honor society (2003)
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
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American Society of Criminology
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