Dr. Randy Garner is a Professor of Behavioral Sciences and former Associate Dean in the College of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University. He holds a B.S., M.A., and Ph.D. in Psychology, with specialization in the area of Social Psychology, and a doctoral minor in Organizational Behavior and Management. Dr. Garner was the founding Director of the Texas Regional Community Policing Institute (TRCPI) and served as the Executive Director of the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT) before his appointment as Associate Dean. Prior to coming to SHSU, Dr. Garner was the Associate Director of Behavioral Medicine at the University of Houston.
Dr. Garner has received numerous academic awards and honors including the Excellence in Educational Instruction award in 2006, the University of Houston's 2005-2006 Distinguished Alumni Award - the highest honor the association and the University can bestow upon an alumnus, and the Social Psychologist in Texas award in 2004.
Dr. Garner has authored numerous books and professional publications with particular emphasis in the areas of social influence, persuasion, and leadership. His latest book, Criticism Management: How to More Effectively Give, Receive, and Seek Criticism in Our Lives has been adopted by command colleges, leadership courses, and communication programs across the country. Additionally, Dr. Garner is the Editor-in-Chief of Applied Psychology in Criminal Justice, an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed, academic journal that examines the social and psychological aspects of human behavior as related to applied societal and criminal justice settings.
Prior to moving into academia, Dr. Garner began his 30 years of law enforcement service in 1976 and has worked in all divisions and levels of command. He was appointed as the Chief of Police for a Houston-area agency inthe mid 1980's where he was active ina variety of national, state, and local law enforcement organizations. Dr. Garner has taught with or is a graduate of all of the major police command colleges in the country, including the F.B.I. National Academy, the Graduate Management Institute, the Leadership and Command College (LEMIT), the Institute for Law Enforcement Administration, and the Southern Police Institute (University of Louisville).