Expert Profile
Jon Gould
Dean
Jon Gould is a distinguished scholar in justice policy, social change and government reform.
Areas of Expertise
- International Human Rights
- Hate Speech
- Indigent Defense
- Government Reform
- Justice Policy
- Social Change
- Erroneous Convictions
- Prosecutorial Innovation
- Sexual Harassment
Biography
Jon Gould is a distinguished scholar in justice policy, social change and government reform who has held key positions in the U.S. Department of Justice and the National Science Foundation. He assumed the deanship on Jan. 1, 2022.
Gould leads the nation’s first school of social ecology, established in 1970 in response to high demand for more socially relevant research. For more than 50 years, the school has been an internationally recognized pioneer in developing interdisciplinary approaches to social problems. Its highly ranked faculty in criminology, law and society; urban planning and public policy; and psychological science engage in research and education to foster informed social action and make the world a better place.
Gould’s expertise covers justice policy, social change and government reform. He was the principal investigator for the Preventing Wrongful Convictions Project, a multiyear research initiative funded by the National Institute of Justice. He is the author of five books and more than 100 articles and reports on such diverse subjects as erroneous convictions, indigent defense, prosecutorial innovation, police behavior, hate speech, sexual harassment and international human rights.
Gould has filled a range of government leadership roles, including senior policy adviser in the U.S. Department of Justice and director of the Law & Social Sciences Program at the National Science Foundation. In 2015, U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts appointed him as reporter for a committee of the federal courts evaluating the operation of the Criminal Justice Act. Gould is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation, a former U.S. Supreme Court Fellow and a former trustee of the Law & Society Association. He received the Administration of Justice Award from the U.S. Supreme Court Fellows Alumni Association in 2017.
Media
Media Appearances
Former Sen. Josh Newman joins UC Irvine to teach a class on California’s future
The Orange County Register, 1/16/2025
For Laguna Beach philanthropist Alec Glasser, endowing new UCI center on the ‘power of music’ is personal
MSN, 1/13/2025
‘Highest level of integrity’: Grand jury report affirms credibility of O.C. elections
Daily Pilot, 1/8/2025
Why the American dream of owning property is dying
Yahoo News (The Telegraph), 1/4/2025
Economy was the biggest driver for Orange County voters in 2024, poll finds
The Orange County Register, 12/6/2024
Why Donald Trump still could not conquer Orange County
Los Angeles Times, 11/28/2024
Vote counting continues in Orange County, where all eyes are on the race for Congress' District 45
KCBS/KCAL, 11/20/2024
As anti-immigrant politics sweep the nation, Santa Ana voters reject measure allowing noncitizens to vote in local races
Los Angeles Times, 11/12/2024
Trump inheriting a "very good economy", will his plan for tariffs 'send it into a tailspin'?
France24, 11/7/2024
How Republicans’ votes on the Violence Against Women Act have become a sticking point in the 2024 elections
The Orange County Register, 9/23/2024
Articles
Qualifying Prosecutorial Immunity Through Brady Claims
Iowa Law Review
Theorizing Failed Prosecutions
Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology
When the Courts Are Indifferent and Legislators Apathetic: Partnering with Prosecutors to Protect Public Defense
Criminal Law Bulletin
“Heart and Soul of a Prosecutor”: The Impact of Prosecutor Role Orientation on Charging Decisions
Criminal Justice and Behavior
Biden's First 100 Days: Putting the Federal Death Penalty on Life Support
Illinois Law Review
Education
University of Chicago
Ph.D., Political Science, 1999
Harvard Law School
J.D., 1989
Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government
M.P.P., 1989
University of Michigan
A.B., Public Policy, 1985
Accomplishments
- Paul Tappan Award
- Administration of Justice Award
- Social Activist Award
- Herbert Jacob Best Book Award
- Outstanding Academic Title
Affiliations
- Arnold Foundation Eyewitness Identification Advisory Group
- Law & Society Review : Associate Editor
- Wrongful Conviction Law Review : Editorial Board
Research Grants
Principal investigator of 18-month project studying prosecutorial discretion in three district attorneys’ offices
Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center, 2018-2019
Co-director of project to administer the National Science Foundation’s former grant program
Law and Science Dissertation Grant Program, 2020-2022
Principal investigator of three-year project applying social science methods to the study of wrongful convictions
National Institute of Justice, 2010-2013