Sue-Ming Yang

How long have you been at George Mason University and what was your path like to get here?

This is my tenth year at Mason, yet it feels like just yesterday that I arrived. I have held several positions in the past. My first academic appointment was at Georgia State University, followed by an academic position in Taiwan. I left a tenured position to come to Mason, so it is fair to say that I chose Mason because I believed it was the right place for me to develop my research.

Can you tell me a little bit about your current research?

My research program focuses on crime and place, police response to community mental health, officer wellness, survey methodology, and terrorism studies. I currently lead and collaborate on several active projects with multiple police agencies aimed at enhancing responses to community mental health crises and improving officer wellness. These projects have generated a robust dataset, including longitudinal administrative crime data with geographic and contextual variables, officer surveys, and qualitative interviews.

I also conduct experimental research, both in the field and in laboratory settings, evaluating officers’ use-of-force behavior. A central methodological interest of mine lies in survey design and its influence on participants’ responses—particularly regarding fear of crime. My colleagues and I have compiled a comprehensive dataset of studies published since 1978 to examine how variations in survey design contribute to differences in findings.

In addition, my work examines the role of ideology in both domestic and international terrorist attacks. This includes an ongoing project analyzing the desistance of terrorism in Sri Lanka. Across these lines of inquiry, my research integrates multiple methodological approaches—experimental, longitudinal, program evaluation, survey, and qualitative methods—to address pressing questions in criminal justice and public safety.

What do you like most about working with graduate students?

Working with motivated students is a great deal of fun. Mentoring is often a two-way street: I guide students in conducting research, cultivating perspectives, and building relationships with practitioner collaborators. At the same time, I learn from my students and am inspired by their insightful questions and inquisitive minds.

What skills or experiences can students gain while working with you?

I work on several projects that employ a variety of research methods, including experimental research, longitudinal    analysis, program evaluation, survey methodologies, and qualitative approaches. Most of the time, I focus on original research, but I also work extensively with data from criminal justice agencies, which provides excellent opportunities for secondary data analysis.

Students who have worked with me in the past have gained experience in data collection and processing (both quantitative and qualitative), data analysis across multiple data types, designing experimental research, developing surveys, and building relationships with practitioners. These are highly valuable skills. One of my former students secured a position at the Urban Institute upon completing her M.A. – a rare achievement. She told me the offer came before graduation because of her extensive research experience with data and her collaboration with practitioners while working on our BJA-sponsored grant.

I involve students in various stages of the research process so they can learn it firsthand. I also emphasize training students to be critical thinkers and independent scholars by cultivating their ability to see the big picture while remaining attentive to detail.

What graduate classes do you teach?

I regularly teach CRIM 783 Stats II and CRIM 562 Crime and Place. I have also taught other special topic courses like urban disorder and crime perception.