Fisher College Faculty
Meridith Spencer
- Program Director, Criminal Justice
- Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice
- B.A., Political Science, Providence College
- Certificate, Public Administration, Providence College
- Masters in Criminal Justice, University of Colorado, Denver
- Graduate Certificate, Forensic Criminology, University of Massachusetts, Lowell
- Office: 108 Beacon Street, 5th Floor
- Tel. 617-670-4456
- E-mail:mspencer@fisher.edu
Professor Meridith Spencer began her teaching career as an adjunct professor at Fisher College in 2002 teaching Juvenile Justice while working full time with at risk, high risk, and court involved youth in a variety of settings ranging from residential treatment to juvenile diversion. Professor Spencer eventually began teaching as an adjunct at a variety of Boston area colleges, prior to joining Fisher College as an Assistant Professor and Program Director of Criminal Justice in 2011. Professor Spencer received her undergraduate degree in political science and public administration from Providence College, her master's degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Colorado, a graduate certificate in Forensic Criminology from the University of Massachusetts and is currently working towards her PhD in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.
In addition to teaching, Professor Spencer volunteers with the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center as a Medical Advocacy Peer Supervisor supporting survivors in the immediate aftermath of a sexual assault. In 2011, she won the Melissa Gosule Award for outstanding service as a medical advocate. She also works as a researcher with the Center for Leadership in Public Service at Fisher College where is she currently supervising several criminal justice student research assistants on a National Institute of Justice funded research project that aims to determine the impact of forensic evidence in sexual assault cases.
Professor Spencer's research interests focus on sexual offending behavior, as well as criminal justice public policy. She teaches courses in criminology, deviance and social control, corrections, juvenile justice, criminal law, public policy and investigations. She is passionate about bringing the real world into the classroom and encourages her students to do the same.