Molly Smith, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the School of Criminal Justice and Criminology at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She joined the faculty in the fall of 2016 after receiving her Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University. She also holds both a M.A. in Criminal Justice and Criminology and a B.A. in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University.
Dr. Smith’s research focuses on victimization, human trafficking, institutional corrections, and correctional healthcare. In particular, she is interested in how the demand for commercialized sex fuels trafficking victimization and the barriers incarcerated offenders face regarding receiving proper medical care. Her research has been published in journals such as Criminology, Journal of Developmental and Life-Course Criminology, Criminal Justice and Behavior, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, Public Health Ethics, and Journal of Correctional Health Care. She also mentors both undergraduate and graduate students on a variety of projects, including topics within corrections, life-course criminology, and campus crime. Several of her undergraduate mentees have won competitive state-wide Student Undergraduate Research Fellowships from the Arkansas Department of Higher Education; allowing them to present the findings of their research with her at national and regional conferences.
In addition to maintaining a dynamic research agenda and mentoring students, Dr. Smith is actively involved in the American Society of Criminology (ASC), Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS), and the Southwestern Association of Criminal Justice (SWACJ). She has served on SWACJ’s Executive Board as the Communications Liaison since 2017 and was the President of the organization during the 2022-2023 academic year. In her spare time, Dr. Smith volunteers on multiple event-planning committees in the Central Arkansas community and enjoys Pilates, cheering for the Houston Texans, and traveling with her husband Josh.
