Jonathan R. White

Jonathan R. White is professor of honors, emeritus, in the Frederik Meijer Honors College of Grand Valley State University.

Background In 1982, White completed his PhD in criminal justice at Michigan State University. He served on a SWAT Team in Jackson, Mississippi during the 1970s. He was ordained as a minister in 1992.

Career In 1983, White took a faculty job at Grand Valley State University, teaching criminal justice and in liberal studies and the Honors College. Over 36 years at GVSU, he worked as dean of social sciences, founded the criminal justice program, and served as executive director of the homeland security initiative.

From 2001 to 2005, he worked for the Department of Justice. He served as director of the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance's State and Local Anti-Terrorism Training (SLATT) program, receiving a Special Recognition from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Outstanding Service Recognition Award from the U.S. Department of Justice. He conducted counterterrorism training for law enforcement and military forces in Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and throughout the United States.

Publications White has written nine books on terrorism. "Terrorism and Homeland Security," a widely adopted textbook from Cengage, has run to ten editions.

Controversy In August 2024, Florida politician Randy Fine accused Florida International University of antisemitism because it used White's textbook.