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Faculty
Faculty

Terri Adams-Fuller

Professor

  • Sociology & Criminology
  • College of Arts & Sciences

Biography

Terri Adams, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology at Howard University. She currently serves as the Associate Dean of the Office of External Affairs, responsible for the research portfolio at the Graduate School. Dr. Adams also serves as the Deputy Director of the NOAA Cooperative Science Center in Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology (NCAS-M) at Howard University and Director of the Howard University Initiative on Public Opinion. Her research takes an interdisciplinary approach to examine issues with theoretical and practical implications.

Dr. Adams’ specific research interests include emergency management, behavioral responses to severe weather and climate, and the impact of trauma and disasters on individuals and organizations. Her work centers on individuals' and organizations' decision-making processes in the face of crisis events. She is the author of Policing During in Natural Disasters:  Stress, Resilience, and the Challenges of Emergency Management, which takes a critical review of the challenges faced by first responders before, during, and after natural disasters. 

 

 

 

Education & Expertise

Education

Government & Politics

B.A.
University of Maryland, College Park

Sociology

M.A.
Howard University

Sociology

Ph.D.
Howard University

Expertise

Sociology of Disaster

Emergency Management

Policing

Gender Studies

Criminology

Academics

Academics

Victimology

This course is designed to introduce students to the study of victimology and the typologies of victimization.  The course focuses on the following types of victimization: intimate partner violence, child abuse, and sexual assault.  We will review the development of concepts and theories of victimization and the implications of these developments.  This aspect of the course also reviews the criminal justice system’s response to victims.  The second stage of the course delves into the different types of victimization, the various types of victims, as well as explanations for their victimization.  Lastly, the course examines the conditions under which individuals are victimized and the impact of victimization on interpersonal and intrapersonal relations.

Police, Law, & Society

This course reviews the role of law and law enforcement in modern society from a multi-disciplinary approach.  The course examines critical issues related to policing including: the various styles and models of policing; the various types of police misconduct and corruption; the challenges of the profession; the nuances of police culture; and the nature of the relationship between the police and the community.  

Social Change and Criminal Justice

This course is designed for graduate students only.  The course examines the interconnection between political ideology, public discourse, political pressures, and changes in criminal justice policies.  We will explore the political and ideological shifts that have led to some of the significant historical changes in the criminal justice system.  Some of the major changes in criminal justice policy have been driven by political hype and mass hysteria.  The underpinnings of these changes are sometimes driven by political gamesmanship and fear.  However, some of the changes in criminal justice policies were pushed forward through the pressures of grassroots movements.  This course will explore these issues and others to gain a sense of how criminal justice policies are influenced, drafted, altered, and changed.

Deviance in the Community

This course will review the types of individual and institutional forms of deviance.  Specifically, the course examines and assess the theoretical approaches associated with the study of deviance and society’s reaction to such phenomena.  

Research

Research

Specialty

Sociology of Disaster, Public Safety; Emergency Management; and Gender Studies

Funding

NOAA and NSF

Group Information

PIs:  Carolyn Stroman, Tia Tyree, & Haydar Kurbin

Graduate Students:  Anas Askar, Anjerrika Bean, Cassandra Jean, Kenya Moore, Shadya Sanders, & Mi'Cheal Wright

Related Articles

Policing During Natural Disasters: Stress, Resilience, and the Challenges of Emergency Management

Adams, T and Anderson, L.  2018.  Policing During Natural Disasters:  Stress, Resilience, and the Challenges of Emergency Management.  Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.  https://www.amazon.com/Policing-Natural-Disasters-Resilience-Challenges/...

Professional Responsibilities vs. Familial Responsibilities: An Examination of Role Conflict Among First Responders During the Hurricane Katrina Disaster

Adams, T. and M. Turner.  2014. “Professional Responsibilities vs. Familial Responsibilities:  An Examination of Role Conflict Among First Responders During the Hurricane Katrina Disaster.”  Journal of Emergency Management, 12(1).

Awareness and Response to Weather Alerts: An Examination of the Latino American Experience in Oklahoma

Adams, T. and A. Núñez.  2015. “Awareness and Response to Weather Alerts:  An Examination of the Latino American Experience in Oklahoma.” Journal of Risk Crisis Communication, March.