Incoming Fulbright scholar Jelmar Meester shares his work in the criminology field exploring methods traditionally used to study individual crimes into a corporate crime context.

1. Describe your field and the scope of your Fulbright project. How would you explain it to someone who is unfamiliar?

I am a Ph.D. candidate in criminology at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands. In my research, I focus on the development of corporate offending. I apply concepts and methods that are traditionally used to study individual crimes such as violent and property crime to study wrongdoing by corporations. In corporate crime there are often no direct victims, offending happens in certain closed off spaces, and offenses are complex. However, economic, environmental, public health and safety risks can be especially high. And so, it is important that offenses by corporations are correctly detected. 

The limitedly available data on corporate offending is typically collected by regulatory agencies. Although this data can be very informative, it can also be biased. That is because only detected violations can be registered. Using econometric models, it is possible to estimate how much offending remains undetected. In my Fulbright project, together with Prof. Emerita Sally Simpson, Prof. Dr. Robert Brame, and Prof. Bianca Bersani, we want to assess this detection process and estimate the undetected portion of corporate offending.

2. Who are the communities that will be impacted by your work?

My Fulbright project most directly impacts the way we should interpret corporate violation data in research and in regulatory practice. More indirectly, a better understanding of corporate crime and better governmental monitoring and regulatory practices can be beneficial for the economy, environment and public health and safety, which benefits all of us.

3. How and why did you choose UMD?

I wanted to visit the University of Maryland because of the work of Prof. Simpson. Her extensive work on white-collar crime and corporate crime has been very influential in our field. Through my supervisors in the Netherlands, Prof. Dr. Wim Huisman, Prof. Dr. Arjan Blokland, and Dr. Marieke Kluin, I was able to get in contact with Prof. Simpson and set up this project. Profs. Brame and Bersani joined the project because of their knowledge on quantitative criminology and life-course criminology.

4. Why is international research important to you? And will your research collaboration continue past Fulbright?

International collaboration allows us to exchange knowledge, experience, and data. Doing this in person, instead of over an internet connection, greatly increases the speed at which you can do interesting research. It also creates opportunities to discuss creative ideas that were not originally part of the project. In the many conversations that we have had we have come up with additional research ideas that we could definitely collaborate on past Fulbright!

5. What was it like as an international Fulbright scholar to integrate into the UMD community?

Coming to UMD has been great! From the start, I got invited to join formal and informal activities with faculty and Ph.D. students and candidates. This has been great to get to know everybody, their research, and the university. Several people have shown me around campus and told me stories about their time at UMD or the university's history. Joining my colleagues at activities such as the homecoming tailgate have been especially fun, because this is also a little insight into American and the university's culture.

6. What cross cultural knowledge do you gain from participating in a program like this?

The most impressive thing for me is that I am in the United States during the 2024 presidential election. It has been so interesting to be able to follow the candidates' campaigns, talking to colleagues about their political preferences, and sharing my knowledge on Dutch politics and policies. As a social science, criminology is very much related to political developments, so it has been very interesting to discuss how our political climates influence the cultural understanding of law, crime, criminality, and policy.

7. For other scholars that are considering UMD for their Fulbright, what perspective would you offer them?

Just do it! The application process alone can urge you to come up with new and innovative research ideas and to get in touch with people in your field that have done inspiring work and encourage collaboration.