GEORGE CRONIN, PhD Professional Biography
Dr. George Cronin is a distinguished criminologist and forensic expert with over 30 years of combined experience in law enforcement, academia, and criminal justice reform. He holds a PhD in Criminal Justice from Temple University and provides a unique practitioner-scholar perspective.
Dr. Cronin served with distinction for 30 years with the Pennsylvania State Police, the majority of his career was spent as a Criminal Investigation Assessment Officer specializing in homicides, unsolved cases, equivocal deaths, sexual offenses, and serial crimes. In this capacity, he provided critical investigative support to municipal police agencies through crime scene analysis, personality assessment, and strategic case consultation. His exceptional service earned him numerous commendations, including the Franklin County Trooper of the Year award and an award for heroism.
Following his retirement from law enforcement in 2015, Dr. Cronin transitioned to academic and consulting roles where he continues to shape criminal justice practices. He served as Forensics Lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (2008-2019) and as an Affiliated Criminologist with the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at Penn Law School (2019-2024). His research has focused on homicide in rural communities and evidence-based approaches to criminal investigations.
Dr. Cronin is nationally recognized for his expertise in interviewing techniques and false confession prevention. He currently serves as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance and the National Institute of Justice Office for Victims of Crime, and has consulted on high-profile conviction review cases.
His professional contributions extend to national standards development. Dr. Cronin serves on the American Academy of Forensic Sciences Standards Board's Medicolegal Death Investigation Consensus Body and previously contributed to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Crime Scene Death Investigation Committee, where he was nominated as Vice-Chair.
As a sought-after presenter and educator, Dr. Cronin has delivered workshops and lectures to law enforcement agencies, medical professionals, legal practitioners, and academic institutions nationwide. He has also served on multiple child death review panels and criminal justice advisory boards, demonstrating his commitment to systemic improvement in public safety and justice administration.
Dr. Cronin is a certified trainer for SAMHSA's trauma-informed criminal justice responses and maintains active memberships in the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, Pennsylvania Homicide Investigators Association, and the Vidocq Society. He has authored publications on police practices and false confessions and contributed a chapter to "The Evolution of Forensic Psychiatry"(Oxford University Press, 2015).