Jared Del Rosso

Jared Del Rosso is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology & Criminology at the University of Denver. He joined the University of Denver in 2012. Prior to that, he spent a decade in New England, earning his BA from Brandeis University (2003), his Ph.D. from Boston College (2012), and holding a lectureship position in Sociology and Justice Studies at the University of New Hampshire (2011-12).

During his time at DU, Del Rosso has researched the politics of torture in the U.S. His scholarly articles and first book, Talking About Torture (Columbia University Press, 2015), reveal the forms of denial and acknowledgment used in debates about waterboarding, force feeding, and other forms of torture employed during the war on terror.

A new book on the sociology of denial, Denial: How We Hide, Ignore, and Explain Away Problems, was published by NYU Press in July 2022.

In addition to this research, Del Rosso has over a decade of teaching experience in a range of areas, including denial, violence, social theory, and the environment. His courses involve a mix of lectures, small and large group discussions, exercises, simulations, and pedagogical games. He is currently a Faculty Fellow of Teaching & Learning with DU's Office of Teaching and Learning.

Beyond this work, Del Rosso volunteers with several environmental organizations in Colorado, including Denver Field Ornithologists, the High Line Canal Conservancy, and 350 Colorado.