William Wells

Dr. William Wells joined the University of Colorado Colorado Springs as Dean of the College of Public Service in July 2025. He earned his bachelor's in Psychology from Ohio University, master's in Criminal Justice from Indiana University, and Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from the University of Nebraska Omaha.

Dr. Wells comes to UCCS from Sam Houston State University (2007-2025), where he served as Chair in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology (2016-2022), leading one of the largest criminal justice programs in the United States. In 2022, he established a regional de-escalation training center and served as Director of the Center for Intelligence and Crime Analysis beginning in January 2023. He also served as Acting Vice President for Research and Strategic Partnerships (2025).

Dr. Wells received the SHSU award for Excellence in Scholarly and Creative Accomplishments (2021), the SHSU Inclusive Excellence Award (2023), and the College of Criminal Justice Excellence in Community Engagement Award (2023). He also previously received the Gold Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement Research from the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Dr. Wells has done international work in China, Thailand, Philippines, and Trinidad and Tobago.

When not working, Dr. Wells enjoys hiking, camping, biking, and trail running. He also follows college and professional sports, especially the NBA, professional baseball, and college football. Dr. Wells and his wife, Amy, have three children. 

Dr. Wells has conducted applied criminal justice research since 1995. While in Texas, he worked closely with the Houston Police Department and Harris County Sheriff's office. He enjoys collaborating with agencies on projects that can help improve policies and practices.

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