Dr. Sarah Harper earned her Ph.D. in Criminology at the University of South Florida in 2023 and her B.A. (2015) and M.S. (2017) in Criminal Justice from the University of West Florida. She began her work an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminology and Political Science at Texas A&M--San Antonio in 2023. Her research interests include understanding non-attorney interactions with courts (e.g. litigants, jurors, and witnesses) and deviance in online-based communities. Her current research projects explore state court practices for cases involving self-represented litigants, encounters between frontline government actors and anti-government/anti-authoritarian believers, and legal literacy.

Beyond her academic pursuits, Dr. Harper is a dedicated advocate for access to justice, as well as civic and information literacy. She collaborates with policymakers and court officials to advance meaningful change in these areas.  Drawing on her prior experience as internship coordinator at the University of West Florida, she has facilitated relationships between her departments and practitioners to support students pursuing valuable research and professional opportunities. She regularly involves undergraduate researchers in her projects, incorporating fourteen students on her research teams since 2021. Her time in graduate school was preceded by work in K-12 special education, where she witnessed firsthand the importance of accessibility in education and fostering civic engagement. Her work and lived experience with disabilities fuel her commitment to promoting accessibility and empowerment, particularly within the educational and legal spheres.