Rate My Professor Adam Masters

Dr Adam Masters is a Senior Lecturer in criminology in the Centre for Social Research and Methods at the Australian National University College of Arts and Social Sciences, where he also holds the position of CASS Associate Dean for Student Experience and Integrity. He serves as Executive Director of the Transnational Research Institute on Corruption (TRIC), with which he has been affiliated since 2010. Masters, who holds a BA (Hons) and PhD, transitioned to an academic career in mid-2009 following a 24-year tenure in the Australian public sector. His government service included positions at the Department of Defence and the Australian Taxation Office, as well as 18 years with the Australian Federal Police. During his time at the AFP, he acted as team leader for Interpol Canberra for nearly a decade and taught counter-terrorism investigations at the AFP College for two years. This extensive practical experience informs his teaching and research in Social Science, particularly within criminology.

Masters' research specializations encompass quality of governance, corruption prevention, organised crime, and sport integrity. He convenes and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on corruption and organised crime. Key publications include the book Cultural Influences on Public-Private Partnerships in Global Governance (2018); contributions to Quality of Governance: Values and Violations (2020), such as chapters on robustness, governance sins, and reviewing quality of governance; Leadership Performance and Rhetoric (2017); the article 'Bureaucratic bastardry: robodebt/debt recovery, AI and the stigmatisation of citizens by machines and systems' (2022, with A. Graycar); 'Preventing malfeasance in low corruption environments: Twenty public administration responses' (2017); 'Corruption in sport: From the playing field to the field of policy' (2015); 'Making Corruption Disappear in Local Government' (2016); and 'Corruption in Australia and New Zealand' (2019). Recent works feature the commissioned report Young Adults Gambling Online in the ACT (2024, co-authored) and a submission to the Inquiry into the Adequacy of the Legislative Framework for IBAC (2025). Masters continues to advance understanding of corruption dynamics through his roles at ANU.