Duties and Responsibilities

Research Enterprise Development

• Developing and implementing a long-term research agenda focused on police training, communication, decision-making, procedural justice, officer wellness, instructional effectiveness, and adult learning.
• Building sustainable research infrastructure capable of supporting priority research initiatives and long-term program growth.
• Managing interdisciplinary research teams composed of university faculty, graduate students, research assistants, PTI instructors, and external collaborators.
• Designing and overseeing qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods, and experimental research studies.
• Establishing data governance practices, longitudinal research datasets, research protocols, and documentation that support future scholarship.
• Managing Institutional Review Board (IRB) submissions and research compliance activities.
• Producing scholarly publications, technical reports, conference presentations, practitioner publications, and research briefs.
• Identifying external funding opportunities and leading the development of competitive grant proposals.
• Translating research findings into evidence-based recommendations that improve police training.

Technology and Learning Innovation

• Evaluating, designing, and implementing instructional systems, assessment tools, and performance feedback technologies that are supported and enhanced by emerging technologies.
• Developing technology-mediated learning experiences that improve recruit learning and instructor effectiveness.
• Leading the design, implementation, and evaluation of virtual, augmented, and mixed-reality simulation environments.
• Developing adaptive learning pathways and personalized instructional approaches.
• Designing learning analytics systems that generate actionable performance insights.
• Piloting innovative instructional models and evaluating their effectiveness.
• Collaborating with university researchers and industry partners to develop, test, and validate emerging educational technologies.
• Scaling successful innovations into academy-wide instructional practice.

Instruction and Curriculum Innovation

• Teaching recruit, in-service, instructor development, and specialized training courses.
• Designing evidence-informed curriculum grounded in adult learning science, instructional design, and performance-based education.
• Developing scenario-based learning experiences that promote critical thinking, communication, decision-making, and professional judgment.
• Creating instructional resources, assessment instruments, performance rubrics, and learning materials.
• Conducting curriculum mapping, instructional analyses, and alignment studies.
• Consulting with instructors to strengthen curriculum and instructional practice.
• Developing online, hybrid, and technology-enhanced learning experiences.
• Integrating research findings into curriculum design, instructional practice, and academy-wide educational initiatives.
• Evaluating emerging instructional approaches and recommending improvements that strengthen recruit learning and performance.

Strategic Partnerships and External Engagement

• Developing partnerships with faculty, research centers, and interdisciplinary research teams across the University of Illinois.
• Building collaborative relationships with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.
• Managing partnerships with the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB), public safety organizations, and national professional associations.
• Engaging community organizations, government agencies, foundations, and industry partners in collaborative research and innovation.
• Creating graduate and undergraduate curricular and research opportunities that strengthen PTI’s research enterprise while preparing the next generation of police training researchers.
• Representing PTI in collaborative initiatives that advance evidence-based police training at the regional, state, and national levels.
• Supporting dissemination of PTI research through conferences, workshops, publications, and practitioner engagement.