Eric F. Bronson, Ph.D.

Eric Bronson is a Professor of Criminal Justice at Roger Williams University, renowned for his expertise in capital punishment and criminal justice policy. As dean of the Roger Williams University School of Justice Studies from July 2017 to August 2023, Bronson orchestrated a period of significant transformation and advancement within RWU’s acclaimed Criminal Justice, Cybersecurity, and Forensic Science programs.

One of the hallmark programs he championed is an innovative course exploring capital punishment and the death penalty in the United States, with a week spent in New Orleans and rural Louisiana, providing students with firsthand insights into the complexities and impact of capital punishment within the criminal justice system. The course is called "Dead Man Walking," examining the historical, legal, and social dimensions of the death penalty debate through economic and racial lenses, with a focus on the work of the renowned human rights advocate, Sister Helen Prejean.

In addition to his teaching, Bronson is committed to addressing the pressing criminal justice issues of our time. In 2018, he was appointed to Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo’s Gun Safety Working Group, which focused on developing comprehensive recommendations to combat the gun violence epidemic, identifying loopholes in background check systems, and refining reporting processes to prevent unauthorized access to firearms. Bronson also serves as a researcher affiliated with States for Gun Safety’s Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium., where he contributes to groundbreaking interdisciplinary research and analysis aimed at reducing violence associated with firearms, making significant strides in the realm of gun safety and violence prevention.

Bronson earned his degrees from Bowling Green State University and Western Kentucky University. He has held faculty positions at institutions such as Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn., and West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas. Prior to his tenure at RWU, Bronson served as the director of criminal justice and associate professor at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, starting in 2009. At Lamar, he also held the role of co-director of the Center for Death Penalty Studies, where his research and advocacy left a lasting impact.