Rate My Professor Cynthia Lum

Cynthia Lum is a Distinguished University Professor of Criminology, Law and Society at George Mason University, contributing to the Social Science faculty as Director of the Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy. She earned a Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland in 2003, an M.Sc. in Criminology from the London School of Economics in 1996, and dual B.A. degrees in Political Science and Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1995. Her research specializations include evidence-based policing, police organizations, patrol and investigations, police technologies, evidence-based crime policy, and translational criminology. Lum has extensively studied patrol operations, police crime prevention activities, investigations, detective work, and strategies to translate research into law enforcement practice.

Lum's career features prominent appointments such as appointed member of the National Academies of Sciences' Committee on Law and Justice, service on its ad hoc committees on Proactive Policing and Evidence to Advance Reform in the Global Security and Justice Sectors, Board Trustee of the Council on Criminal Justice, and Board Director for the National Policing Institute. She serves as founding editor of Translational Criminology Magazine and was Editor-in-Chief, with Christopher Koper, of Criminology & Public Policy from 2019 to 2024. Key publications include the foundational book Evidence-Based Policing: Translating Research Into Practice (Oxford University Press), recipient of the American Society of Criminology Division of Policing 2020 Outstanding Book Award; "Trajectories of crime at places: A longitudinal study of street segments in the city of Seattle" (2004, Criminology); "The evidence-based policing matrix" (2011, Journal of Experimental Criminology); "Research on body‐worn cameras: What we know, what we need to know" (2019, Criminology & Public Policy); and recent works such as "The Evidence-Based Policing Matrix at 14 Years" (2025, Journal of Experimental Criminology) and "Evidence-based recommendations for effective investigations" (2025, Police Chief). Her influence is evident in tools like the Evidence-Based Policing Matrix and active grants on improving clearance rates, police careers, and institutionalizing evidence-based approaches. Major awards include election as Fellow of the American Society of Criminology; 2025 Joan McCord Award (Academy of Experimental Criminology); 2023 Herbert Bloch Award and Distinguished Scholar Award (ASC Division of Policing); 2017 inaugural Mason Presidential Medal for Excellence in Social Impact; and 2020 Virginia State Council for Higher Education Outstanding Faculty Award.