Karyn Sporer
Karyn Sporer, PhD, Associate Professor
5728 Fernald Hall, Room 201C
Orono, ME 04469-5728
(207) 581-2361
(207) 581-1762 (Fax)
karyn.sporer@maine.edu
Link to Karyn Sporer’s CV
Dr. Sporer earned her Ph.D. in criminology and criminal justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, her M.S. in criminal justice at Northeastern University, and her B.A. at Saint Michael’s College in Vermont. She is an expert in qualitative methods and life history interviewing of hidden and marginalized populations. Her main areas of research are violent extremism and terrorism, family violence and victimization, mental illness and violence, and drug policy. Dr. Sporer’s work has been published in various journals, like the Journal of Qualitative Criminal Justice and Criminology, Journal of Family Issues, Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict: Pathways toward Terrorism and Violent Extremism, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, and Journal of Family Violence. A 2018 paper in Southern Communication Journal received an article of the year award. Dr. Sporer is a successful grant writer, securing funds to support her research on terrorism (Department of Homeland Security, $263,559) and on drug decriminalization (Open Society Foundation, $109,525; U.S. Department of State, $$34,999.84). She teaches a variety of classes, such as Introduction to Sociology, Survey of Criminal Justice, Domestic Violence, and Problems of Violence & Terrorism. She has established a record as an effective teacher as evidenced by her receiving the 2021 CLAS Outstanding Faculty Award in teaching/advising.