Rebecca K . Murray, MA, PhD

Professor

Professor

photo placeholder for Murray, Rebecca K

Contact

RebeccaMurray@creighton.edu
College of Arts and Sciences
Cultural & Social Studies
Criminal Justice
EPLY - Eppley Building - 212

Rebecca K . Murray, MA, PhD

Professor

Professor

Dr. Rebecca Murray is the Associate Dean of Social and Applied Sciences for the Creighton College of Arts and Sciences.  She received her Ph.D. In Criminal Justice from the University of Nebraska in 2005 and has been at Creighton since then as a Sociology and now Criminal Justice faculty.  She served as chair of the Department of Cultural and Social Studies from 2012-2016.   Dr. Murray has served in several roles of faculty governance, serving two terms as Vice President of the College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Senate, and has been an active member of the steering committee for the College's Mission Catalysts.  She has authored/co-authored 3 books and over a dozen articles that research a number of topics, including  the spatial analysis of crime,  and the effect of urban structures on crime and violence. She has also been the Primary Investigator for two grants (one federal and one state), which have supported the creation and operation of the Nebraska Victim Assistance Academy, which is located at Creighton but which serves victim advocates across the state.  She has also been the recipeint of several local grants, one of which is supporting her current research looking at judicial discretion in domestic violence protection orders.  She has partnered with the city of Omaha in evaluating several grants, including the federal Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation grant, and aiding numerous non-profit agencies with evaluating their effots at violence intervention and prevention. She currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Police Research and Policy Group, as well as the Nebraska Innocence Project.  

Research Focus

Spatial analysis of crime
Victim advocacy
Wrongful convictions
Sociology of Religion

Department

Cultural and Social Studies

Position

Professor

Books

  • Murray Rebecca K., Using Statistics in Criminal Justice 2016
  • Murray Rebecca K., Innocence Project [Book Chapter] 2014
  • Murray Rebecca K., etal Year 1 Evaluation of the JJPF Comprehensive Community Plan: Final Report. Douglas County, NE: Juvenile Justice Provider Forum. 2014
  • Wrongful Conviction and Criminal Justice Reform : Making Justice
    Murray Rebecca K., etal Policies, procedures, and the police [Book Chapter] 2013
  • Making Justice: Wrongful Conviction and Criminal Justice Reform
    Murray Rebecca K., etal Policies, Procedures and the Police: An Assessment of Wrongful Conviction Risk in Nebraska [Book Chapter] 2013
  • The Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice
    Murray Rebecca K., Innocence Project [Book Chapter] 2013
  • Crank John, etal Mission Based Policing 2011
  • Criminology and Criminal Justice: Theory, Research Methods and Statistics
    Murray Rebecca K., Examining Measurement Issues in Alcohol Establishment Research [Book Chapter] 2010
  • Statistics in Criminology and Criminal Justice: Analysis and Interpretation.
    Murray Rebecca K., Chaptern 13: Limited dependent variables [Book Chapter] 2005

Publications

  • Social Network Analysis and Mining
    Murray Rebecca, etal Constructing a multi-theoretical framework for mob modeling
    15:1, p. 33 2025
  • Al-khateeb Samer, etal AN AGENT-BASED MODEL OF MOBS USING THEORETICAL CONSTRUCTS OF COLLECTIVE ACTION 2023
  • Contemporary Justice Review: Issues in Criminal, Social, and Restorative Justice
    Murray Rebecca K., etal Evolution of the researcher–practitioner partner model and the role of academic research partners in Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation (BCJI) Grants
    23:1, p. 44 - 64 2020
  • Crime and Delinquency
    Murray Rebecca K., etal Disaggregating the Relationship Between Schools and Crime: A Spatial Analysis
    59:2, p. 163 - 190 2013
  • Police Practice & Research
    Crank John, etal Mission-based policing: Rethinking the relationship of police to crime
    13:2, p. 103 - 120 2012
  • ACJS Today
    Murray Rebecca K., Researchers, Police and Crime Analysts: A Conversation with the Deaf and a Tour with the Blind
    37:1, p. 13 - 19 2012
  • Journal of Criminal Justice Education
    Maloney Erin, etal Book Reviews
    20:2, p. 203 - 213 2009
  • Journal of Criminal Justice Education
    Murray Rebecca K., [Review of Mason, S. (Director). 2008 Writ Writer [motion picture] United States: Passage Productions and Independent Television Service]
    20:2 2009
  • Murray Rebecca K., All Stars Evaluation 2008-2009: Final Report 2009
  • Choice
    Murray Rebecca K., [Review of Gustavsson, Bengt. (ed.) the principles of knowledge creation: research methods in the soical sciences. E.Elgar, 2007] 2008
  • Criminal Justice Review
    Murray Rebecca K., etal Measuring diffusion of assaults around bars through radius and adjacency techniques
    33:2, p. 199 - 220 2008
  • Journal of Social and Ecological Boundries
    Murray Rebecca K., Immigrant Communities and Media Perceptions of Place
    3:2, p. 33 - 52 2008
  • Journal of Drug Issues
    Herz Denise C., etal Exploring arrestee drug use in rural Nebraska
    33:1, p. 99 - 117 2003
  • Comparative Sociology
    Maguire Edward R., etal Issues and Patterns in the Comparative International Study of Police Strength
    42:1-2, p. 74 - 100 2001
  • Review of Religious Research
    Harper Charles L., etal Religion and the sociology of culture
    40:2, p. 101 - 119 1998

Grants

  • Just one Jesuit: Communities' Accounts of the Effects of Clergy Sexual Abuse Through the Lens of a Singular Priest's Mission Activities/Sponsor: Fordham University

  • Building a Computational Model of Mobs Leveraging Social Science Theories/Sponsor: Air Force Office of Scientific Research

Awards

  • Rising Star Alumni Award
    Presented to an alumnus for a rapid record of accomplishments reflecting the education received in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska, Omaha
    University of Nebraska at Omaha