Job Information
Washington State University Staff Scientist (Faculty) in Pullman, Washington
Staff Scientist (Faculty)
Online applications must be received before 12:00am on:
October 7, 2024
If a date is not listed above, review the Applicant Instructions below for more details.
Available Title(s):
327-NN_FACULTY - Staff Scientist
Business Title:
Staff Scientist (Faculty)
Employee Type:
Faculty
Position Term:
12 Month
Position Details:
The Complex Social Interactions Lab (CSI) in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Washington State University (WSU) is excited to announce an opening for a Staff Scientist (faculty) in Pullman, WA. This fixed-term, non-tenure track faculty position will support efforts to assist police departments in Washington State in maximizing the utility of their body-worn camera (BWC) programs. This twelve-month, fixed-term position is renewable for up to three years from the hire date. The anticipated hire date is January 6, 2025. Renewal depends on satisfactory performance, the continued need for the position and contingent upon funding continuation.
About the CSI Lab:
The Complex Social Interactions (CSI) Lab at WSU is dedicated to improving police interactions by assisting law enforcement agencies with reviewing body-worn camera footage. Our mission is to advance our understanding of human behavior and social relationships within interactions that can become intensive, emotional, and complex, thereby enhancing law enforcement officers and their community's safety and well-being. By exploring the complexities of police-community interactions, we aim to identify evidence-based strategies for reducing conflicts, improving communication, and fostering trust between police agencies and the public, including developing new research methodologies and technologies to improve the operationalization of footage for evidence-based practice purposes. With over six years of experience analyzing large-scale datasets, including over 40,000 hours of un-redacted body-worn camera footage structured within the lab, we have established a reputation for producing high-impact research that informs policy and practice. The lab has involved over 300 undergraduate and graduate students since its inception, with regular semester participation of 40-50 students.
Job Duties:
• Conduct advanced statistical analyses using regression and matching techniques to evaluate the efficacy of training programs, policy changes, and risk management strategies among law enforcement agencies, as well as trends and patterns in police-community interactions.
• Conduct in-depth analyses of body-worn camera footage (SSEM, SSO, etc.) to identify best practices for de-escalation and non-escalation and develop evidence-based guidelines for law enforcement agencies.
• Design and implement new methodologies to improve body-worn camera footage analysis accuracy and efficiency, including machine learning algorithms and natural language processing tools.
• Collaborate with law enforcement agencies, researchers, and policymakers to refine data collection and analysis methods, ensuring that findings are generalizable and actionable.
• Design, implement, and query databases to store and analyze large datasets related to body-worn camera footage.
• Contribute to developing innovative data-driven solutions for improving police training and risk management outcomes, including de-escalation techniques and hardware/software technologies.
• Prepare regular reports and documentation summarizing findings