BIO

My academic journey began at Texas Christian University, where the professors taught criminal justice and criminology from interdisciplinary perspectives and encouraged us to b nce social scientific inquiry with humanistic appreciation. Two different opportunities to explore the UK made it clear that my next steps would lead there. At the London School of Economics & Political Science, I earned an M.Sc. in the Sociology of Crime, Control, and Globalisation and focused on the legal and sociological contours of the use of torture in the War on Terror.

Instead of immediately moving forward into a Ph.D. program, I entered ‘real world’ employment and left the door cracked for future study. It is difficult to overestimate how much my positions as a community mental health specialist and a Senior Probation & Parole Officer helped prepare me for my dream job: teaching. These professional experiences also provided the focus and fuel I needed to mount a Ph.D. project, through the University of Leicester (UK), which explored how community corrections officer training and occupational culture influence criminal legal reforms.

The College of Idaho’s liberal arts philosophy makes it the perfect home for interdisciplinary scholars who enjoy blending their research and teaching interests to craft innovative, impactful learning experiences. In addition to offering a wide range of criminology and sociology courses, I have had the opportunity to teach about housing issues, cultural criminology, and community corrections, (and more) all of which have intersected closely with my scholarly pursuits. While I continue my work on training and occupational culture, I am also collaborating with international, interdisciplinary partners on a multi-year wildlife trafficking project.

My professional joy lies primarily in the classroom, where I aim to build communities rooted in mutual respect and appreciation as well as active dialogue and the humble exploration of ideas that may challenge one’s own beliefs. In the act of leading classes through difficult, contentious, value-laden topics, I learn much from students’ vast experience of worlds that have not always been kind to them or fulfilled their needs. This mutual learning experience continues outside the classroom, where our enviable student/faculty ratio facilitates the mentorships that make this field so rewarding.

EDUCATION

Ph.D., Criminology, University of Leicester, 2024

M.Sc., Sociology of Crime, Control, and Globalisation, The London School of Economics & Political Science, 2010 B.S., Criminal Justice, Texas Christian University, 2009