Leigh Anderson, PhD

Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Leigh R. Anderson graduated summa cum laude from Howard University with bachelor of arts degrees in administration of justice and in Spanish. She went on to graduate from John Jay College of Criminal Justice’s Masters of Public Administration-Inspector General Program, and then obtained a PhD in public policy and management from the John Glenn College of Public Affairs. In addition, Anderson is a Certified Inspector General Auditor, a Certified Inspector General Inspector/Evaluator and a Certified Homicide Investigator.

She consults with a number of police departments to assist with the formulation of concepts, methods, and techniques related to organizational theory and administrative processes for public safety policy creation and implementation. 

She is passionate about helping local governments explore diverse perspectives and experiences related to police accountability and public safety policy. Previously, she served as a chief performance analyst in the Public Safety Section of the City of Chicago Office of Inspector General, where she led and conducted audits and evaluations of the Chicago Police Department, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability and the Police Board to increase public safety, protect civil liberties and increase the public’s confidence in the City of Chicago public safety structure. In 2016, when the City of Ferguson, Missouri, and the U.S. Department of Justice entered into a Consent Decree after a justice department investigation found a “pattern and practice” of unlawful and racially-biased conduct by the city’s police department and court system, she was a member of the Federal Consent Decree Monitoring Team.

Her research specialization areas include community engagement and policing; intergovernmental relations; federalism and public safety; police accountability and oversight; monitoring and evaluation; and leadership and procedural justice. She is co-author of the book “Policing in Natural Disasters” (2019) as well as co-author of the publication “Coping through a Disaster: Lessons from Hurricane Katrina” in the Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Her research has also been published as a chapter within the Department of Homeland Security-sponsored book, “Developing NextGeneration Countermeasures for Homeland Security Threat Prevention” (2016). She is currently working on another book, focusing on case studies detailing best practices for analyzing, researching and providing recommendations to senior officials regarding the most effective and efficient manner in which to deliver resources and services to public safety organizations while highlighting accountability and oversight principles.

My strongest connection to the Glenn College is the mentor I found in Professor Emeritus Charles Wise, founding director of the then-John Glenn School of Public Affairs. Dr. Wise is a brilliant scholar that took me under his wing and ensured that I received the mentorship, guidance and support required to trail blaze in both academia and practice.

I consult with a number of police departments to assist with police accountability and reform efforts, developing sets of policies and procedures that are in line with 21st Century Policing best practices and the tenets of procedural justice. I am an instructor for the Association of Inspectors General - Inspector General Institute Certified Inspector/Evaluator Course, certified by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy.

I also serve on the boards of directors of the Rainey Institute, a nonprofit community arts center dedicated to engaging Cleveland’s youth through dance, drama, music and visual arts, and the Journey Center for Safety and Healing, Cuyahoga County’s most comprehensive domestic violence agency, which provides services that foster safety and healing for those affected by child abuse and domestic violence and prevents abuse through education, advocacy and systemic change.

I am ecstatic about the future of the Glenn College! I am most inspired to read and refer to the college’s diversity values statement:

“The Glenn College is committed to nurturing a diverse and inclusive environment for our students, faculty, staff and guests that celebrates the fundamental value and dignity of everyone by recognizing differences and supporting individuality. We are dedicated to creating a safe space and promoting civil discourse that acknowledges and embraces diverse perspectives on issues and challenges that affect our community.” 

As an alumna, I have witnessed these values permeate through the college’s diverse faculty and student talent, recent publications, degree programs, course curricula and overall energy towards inspiring civic engagement and leadership in both academia and society at large.