Claire Scott-Bacon is a fifth year Clinical-Forensic Psychology Ph.D. student in the Psychology Department, a Ronald E. McNair Fellow, a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, and a LASER Fellow at the University of Notre Dame. Broadly interested in psycho-legal issues, her research focuses on issues related to mental health assessment, malevolent personality disorders, psychopathy, and comorbid characteristics this personality disorder shares with autism. Her dissertation will use structural equation modeling (latent trait modeling), factor analysis, and hierarchical regression methods to analyze data collected from non-institutionalized community and student samples to better understand the role intelligence and psychopathy traits play in criminal and antisocial behavior of people with autism.

Claire received her undergraduate degree from the Florida International University in 2016 with a B.A. with honors in Psychology and a B.S. in Criminal Justice. Shortly after she began teaching high school in Miami-Dade, Florida, Claire was awarded a predoctoral NSF-GRFP award and the opportunity to attend Notre Dame to pursue her doctorate degree. Claire's research also addresses issues surrounding crime scene investigation, forensic evidence, and jury decision-making. Claire’s dissertation has been supported with a Frazier Thompson Scholarship.

In addition to her research, teaching, and mentorship, Claire's clinical practicum training allows her to conduct forensic mental health interviews and assessments for South Bend juvenile and adult courts and the Department of Child Services regarding criminal and civil matters. Claire has served in various capacities, such as a graduate student intern at the County Metro Homicide Unit, in South Bend, and as a volunteer at the South Bend LGBTQ Center. After completing a required one-year clinical internship, Claire plans to continue using her clinical and research training in the role of clinical-forensic psychologist in private practice serving the Michiana community and in academia in the role of psycho-legal instructor. Some of her current professional affiliations include the Indiana Psychological Association, where she has served four years on the graduate student committee, the American Psychology and Law Society (APA: DIV 41), where she served as diversity liaison, and the American Psychology Association, where she serves as a graduate student member for the Undergraduate Grants in Need committee.