Division of Criminological Theory and Juvenile Justice

Chair: Dr. Hyunin Baek (New Mexico State University), [email protected]

Division of Criminological Theory and Juvenile Justice seeks to enhance the understanding of the etiology of criminal and delinquent behaviors from diverse theoretical perspectives. The Division is committed to fostering and promoting open and constructive dialogue, rigorous scientific research, and collaboration among academic scholars, practitioners, and policy-makers to develop effective and comprehensive delinquent criminal behavior prevention programs and strategies. Please contact Dr. Baek for more information and membership!

Division of Cybercriminology

Chair: Dr. Sinchul Back (University of Scranton), [email protected]

The Division of Cybercriminology at the Korean Society of Criminology in America (KOSCA) is dedicated to fostering scholarly, scientific, and practical exchange and collaboration in the realms of cybercrime and cybersecurity from a global perspective. We extend a warm invitation to educators, researchers, practitioners, and students interested in these critical fields to join our membership base.

Highlights of Our Division:

• Innovative Robot Patrol Program: Our division is at the forefront of a pioneering robot patrol initiative in Boston. Funded by the South Korean robotics company iDro, this program leverages AI-driven self-navigation, secure networking, and advanced security monitoring technologies to enhance urban safety.

• Success in BJA’s Student Computer Forensics Program: Led by Dr. Kyungshick Choi, Dr. Kyungseok Choo, and Dr. Sinchul Back, our division has successfully concluded a project under the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). This initiative, part of the “Student Computer Forensics and Digital Evidence Educational Opportunities Program,” has delivered outstanding outcomes, furthering educational opportunities in computer forensics.

• OJJDP Funded Project on Cybercrime Investigation: Our division is leading a significant project funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). Dr. Choi and the Boston University MET CIC team, in collaboration with ATII, UTSA, and WestEd, have secured a $437,500 grant for the project titled “Innovative ICAC Investigation Training on IoT, OSINT, Dark Web, and Crypto.” This initiative enhances ICAC Task Force investigations, with active contributions from our division members.

• 5th International White Hat Conference: Held in June 2024, our division members played a prominent role in this prestigious event in South Korea. Organized by esteemed academic and law enforcement institutions such as Boston University, the Korean National Police University, and other Korean entities, the summit spotlighted the latest advancements in AI and robotics, particularly their applications in cybersecurity and cybercrime defense. The theme for the 2024 International White Hat Conference was “2024 Global Cybersecurity Summit: Cybercrime Defense in Preparation for the AI and Robotics Revolution.”

​​Division of Korean Community and Criminal Justice

Chair: Sinyong Choi (Kennesaw State University), [email protected]

The Division of Korean Community and Criminal Justice has been actively involved in various research endeavors over the past months. Ongoing research titled “Investigation of the Impact of the Outbreak of COVID-19 Pandemic on a Surge in Anti-Asian Hate Crime in the United States.” This project is currently underway and is funded by a hate crime research grant obtained in 2023. The division is also working on a new project titled “The Willingness of Korean Americans to Report Hate Crime to the Police: Hate Crime Victimization Experience and Perceived Police Legitimacy.” This project was presented at the 2023 ASC annual meeting in November 2023. Division members actively participated in the Georgia Advocates for Crime Prevention 5th Annual Award Gala & Lecture event in January 2024. During this event, Dr. Taemyung Choo and Dr. Sinyong Choi received appreciation awards. Moreover, Dr. Insun Park and Dr. Sinyong Choi led a panel discussion titled “Exploring Police Legitimacy and Other Factors in Predicting Cooperation with Police in the Atlanta Korean American Community,” with Dr. Insun Park serving as a moderator and Dr. Sinyong Choi as presenter. Are you passionate about criminal justice topics, especially those focused on the Korean community? We are actively seeking dedicated individuals to join our dynamic team. If you’re interested in becoming part of the division, please reach out to the division chair, Dr. Sinyong Choi, at [email protected]. We look forward to welcoming you on board!

Division of Policing and Public Safety

Chair: Hyunjung Cheon (University of Texas at EI Paso), [email protected])

The division seeks to contribute professional expertise to policing and public safety via research, collaboration, and social networking. Keeping in mind the plethora of new practices in policing and the importance of collaboration between/among the police and researchers, the division can provide great opportunities to work along with members in re-search projects and to share their professional expertise through multiple channels (e.g. academic meetings, discussion boards and social media). Any researchers and practitioners in policing and public safety are welcome to join.

Division of Women and Gender

Chair: Dr. Chunrye Kim (Saint Joseph’s University), [email protected])

Division of Women and Gender serves to bring together ALL members who are interested in addressing the concerns and issues of gender equality and women’s empowerment in the study of crime, justice, and the crime-processing system. The primary goals of this section are to facilitate and promote research and exchange of information concerning women and gender issues in the field and to develop effective pedagogical strategies and curricula for women, gender, and crime courses. The Women and Crime Section also encourages networking and interaction among members by providing various professional and social interaction opportunities, including: panels and presentations on gender, crime and justice; and mentoring for female faculty and student members in the discipline. KOSCA Academic Divisions Our academic divisions serve as the foundation of the association, bringing together individuals with shared interests to foster mutual growth and learning. Please explore the activities of each division and consider reaching out to them for membership!

Division of Artificial Intelligence and Criminal Justice

Chair: Dr. Hyongah Park (Saint Peter’s University), [email protected])

The division of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Criminal Justice (CJ) is committed to understanding and utilizing Artificial Intelligence, such as Random Forests, Neural Networks, Support Vector Machine Learning, etc., in crime prediction, crime prevention, crime investigations, corrections, and so on. It seeks the collaboration of scholars, interdisciplinary research, and cooperation with practitioners, community members, and policymakers on topics that have recently gained more attention, such as Crime Forecasting, Recidivism Prediction, Smart Crime Maps, Smart CCTV, Facial Recognition, Fingerprint Identification, DNA Matching, Cyber Security, Abnormal Behavior Detection, Gun Shot Detection, Monitoring Social Networks, Plate Number Chasing, and any other utilization of AI and Machine Learning in CJ. Our Divisions are currently accepting proposals for Student-led grant initiatives. On Feb 16, The Student division held a virtual informational session for KOSCA Student-led Grant Project initiatives. KOSCA President Dr. Choi, Executive Board members, and Division Chairs introduced the students to Divisions and their Student-led grant announcements. For more information about the session, please contact the Student Division chair Bora Jung at [email protected].