Gary L. Wells (Ph.D. from Ohio State University, 1977) is Professor of Psychology at Iowa State University and holds the title of Distinguished Professor. He is an internationally recognized scholar in scientific psychology, and his studies of eyewitness memory are widely known and cited. Wells has authored over 100 articles and chapters and two books. Most of this work has been focused on the reliability of eyewitness identification. His research on eyewitness identification has been funded by the National Science Foundation, and his findings have been incorporated into standard textbooks in psychology and law. His studies demonstrate that rates of mistaken eyewitness identification can be exacerbated by the methods that crime investigators use in conducting lineups and photo spreads. His theories and staged-crime experiments led to the development of the sequential lineup, which is regarded as a superior way to conduct lineups. His development of lineup procedures, such as the use of double-blind techniques, are being increasingly accepted in law enforcement practices across the U.S.

Mr. Wells has served as an expert for the defense, prosecution, and plaintiffs in criminal and civil cases across the U.S. and Canada. His conclusions about eyewitness identification have received national media attention in such places as the New Yorker magazine, the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, and the New York Times. He has made appearances describing his work on CBS's 48 Hours and NBC's Today Show, among others. He has given workshops and presentations to trial judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and police across the U.S. and Canada.

Mr. Wells was a central member of the U.S. Department of Justice group that developed the first set of national guidelines for eyewitness evidence. He co-chaired the panel that wrote the Justice Department training manual for law enforcement on the collection and preservation of eyewitness identification evidence. In 2001, Wells worked with the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General to develop improved procedures for lineups conducted by police in New Jersey and is working to help prosecutors and police make improvements to lineup procedures in other places across the country. In 2001 Wells was awarded the Distinguished Contributions to Psychology and Law Award from the American Psychology-Law Society.

Last updated April 16, 2002