Laura Kunard, Ph.D.

Laura Kunard is a criminologist with more than 25 years of experience in research, teaching, instructional design, and technical assistance in the fields of policing, criminal justice, emergency management, public policy, community organizing, corrections, and organizational development. Her recent research topics include police professionalism and reform. She currently serves as associate monitor for crisis intervention on the independent monitoring team overseeing the Albuquerque Police Department’s court-approved settlement agreement and as project director on the independent monitoring team overseeing the Chicago Police Department’s consent decree. She also has expertise in police training and education in topics such as community policing, procedural justice, impartial policing, de-escalation, and crisis intervention teams.

Kunard is an experienced researcher, writer, project manager, speaker, and professor, regularly teaching a variety of courses, including Psychology of Police Organizations; Criminological Theory; and Public Policy, Advocacy, and Social Change. Prior to joining CNA, she served as director of the Center for Public Safety and Justice at the University of Illinois, where she focused on police training and community interactions. She earned her Ph.D. in criminology and her Master of Arts in criminal justice from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in sociology and psychology from Northwestern University.