Tolu Odukoya

I am an Assistant Professor at Georgia Southern University with a joint appointment in the Department of Political Science and International Studies and the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology. 

My research sits at the intersection of terrorism and counterterrorism, artificial intelligence, criminology, computational social science, and public policy. I study how emerging technologies shape security, governance, and extremist behavior, with a particular focus on ethical and trustworthy AI, violent extremism, homeland security, and evidence-based policymaking.

I am particularly interested in developing trustworthy and ethical AI systems for national security applications, countering extremist organizations and improving our understanding of online harms, and translating research into practical solutions for policymakers and practitioners.

My research utilizes an interdisciplinary toolkit including R, Python, TensorFlow, LLMs, Qualtrics, SQL, Tableau, Power BI, and LaTeX, and spans several projects. My research portfolio is available here.

Beyond academia, I am passionate about leveraging technology for social good, strengthening democratic institutions, advancing ethical artificial intelligence, and applying data-driven insights to complex challenges in security, governance, and public policy.

I received my Ph.D. in Politics from the University of Virginia in 2025. I also hold an M.S. in Terrorism and Homeland Security Policy and an LL.M. in Law, Politics, and Legislation, as well as Criminal Law, from American University. I received my LL.B. (J.D.) from the University of Lagos.