John W. Barbrey

John Barbrey was born-and-raised in small Fountain Inn, South Carolina.  His degrees are: a BA in History from Clemson with a Minor in International Studies; a Master’s of Public Administration from a Clemson / Univ. of S. Carolina joint program; and a PhD in Political Science with subfields in Policy Process, Judicial Behavior, and Political Parties & Interest Groups, from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Before returning to grad school for the PhD, he worked five years in his 20s for the Parks & Rec Division of the City of Greenville, SC.  He handled purchasing and grant administration tasks, and became a Certified Purchasing Manager and a CPR/First Aid Instructor for the American Red Cross.  As a “cop’s kid” with an interest in law, his PhD studies and teaching career veered early into a Crim Justice direction, but he also teaches Political Science courses at Greensboro College.    

Including graduate school as a Teaching Assistant, he has been teaching at four-year institutions since 2000.   Beginning his career, he was chasing a tenure-track position.  In 2007, family obligations necessitated a gradual re-location closer to family in the Carolinas.  Consequently, he has taught in Tennessee, Georgia, Colorado, Virginia, and NC.  He earned tenure at GC in 2019.  

Among his research, the piece which receives the most views online comes from 2013: “Chapter 1.  Evaluating Campus Safety Efforts at 99 Public Universities in 2010.” In Using Social and Information Technologies for Disaster and Crisis Management, Edited by Murray E. Jennex.   Publisher: IGI Global.

A publication in an important CJ journal was co-authored with a friend from grad school:  2008. Keith E. Clement and John W. Barbrey. “Criminal Laws on the Fringe: An Analysis of Legislated Punishments for Morality Crimes in the Fifty States.” Critical Criminology, Vol. 16, No. 2.