SAMANTHA ALLEN
St. Charles, Illinois
Education
B.S. Criminology, Florida State University
M.S. Criminology, Florida State University
Professional Summary: Samantha’s research focuses on consequences of living and working within correctional settings, with recent publications examining correctional officer stress and mental health. Her secondary interests include officer turnover, job perceptions, and prison ecology. She is currently collaborating with university and community partners to assess outcomes among jail employees and first responders. Samantha also serves as managing editor of the Journal of Drug Issues and has taught courses on human behavior, corrections, punishment, and research methods.
ALEX BILLMEIER
Daytona Beach, Florida
Education
B.A. Criminology, Florida State University
M.S. Criminology, Florida State University
Professional Summary: Alex's research focuses on policing with an emphasis on developing policing technologies. Additionally, he studies the dynamics of residential segregation and racial threat. His dissertation examines the growth of private police in cities and how this may be impacted by changes in the populations of racial minorities or widespread social movements.
CHRISTOPHER D. CASSITY
Springfield, Missouri
Education
B.A. Criminology and Sociology, minor in psychology, Drury University
M.A. Criminology, University of Missouri, St. Louis
Professional Summary: Chris' research focuses on computational criminology, machine learning, and structural equation modeling. His research examines attitude formation, and the link between online hate speech and real-world hate crimes. His dissertation applies machine learning to classify millions of social media comments to analyze how hate spreads. Classes taught include Research Methods, Cyber-criminology, and Introduction to Criminology.
DEQUAN COWELL
Pensacola, Florida
Education
B.A. Criminal Justice, University of South Alabama
M.S. Criminology, Florida State University
Professional Summary: Dequan's research interests include racial disparities in crime and arrest rates, juvenile justice, and policing practices.
LIAM GIBBS
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Education
B.S. Biological Sciences, Duquesne University
M.S. Forensic Science and Law, Duquesne University
M.S. Criminology, Florida State University
Professional Summary: Liam's research focuses on the biological and environmental factors that influence antisocial behavior. He is also interested in neuropsychological development and offender health across the life course. he has previously worked on projects in molecular genetics and evolutionary biology.
Chris Jodis
Savannah, Georgia
Education
B.S. Kinesiology, California State University-Monterey Bay
M.S. Criminology, Saint Vincent College
Professional Summary: Chris' research focuses on the intersection of the criminal justice system, stress and health outcomes. He is also interested in the effects of social support and other factors that might translate into practices to improve both criminal justice and health-related outcomes. He has authored or co-authored publications in Criminology, Journal of Experimental Criminology, Alcohol and Alcoholism, International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, and Current Opinions in Psychology. He has taught courses on criminology, drugs and crime, and cybercrime and assisted in courses on research methods, corrections and punishment.
JACOB JUDD
Clinton, Iowa
Education
B.S. Law Enforcement and Justice Administration, Western Illinois University
M.A. Law Enforcement and Justice Administration, Western Illinois University
Professional Summary: Jacob's primary research focuses on the variability of self-control and its impacts over the life-course. Additionally, he has a secondary research interest in the effects of various criminal justice policies and practices on offending, recidivism, and victimization. He is currently working on his dissertation, which investigates within-individual change in self-control.
KYLE G. KNAPP
Chetek, Wisconsin
Education
B.A. Anthropology and Criminology and Criminal Justice, Hamline University
M.S. Criminology, Florida State University
Professional Summary: Kyle’s research examines correlates of violence focusing on mass shootings, school shootings, youth gun violence, intimate partner violence, and homicide. His research has been published in the Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Crime & Delinquency, Journal of Public Health Policy, and Psychology, and Psychology, Public Policy, and Law. He has also helped build data bases of Risk Protection Orders in Florida and the psychosocial life histories of public mass shooters.
ALYSSA TALAUGON
Santa Barbara, California
Education
B.A. Criminology, Law and Society, University of California, Irvine
M.S. Criminology and Criminal Justice, Northeastern University
Professional Summary: Alyssa’s primary research interests include life-course criminology, exposure to violence, and the harms of punishment and justice system contact. Her research has been published in Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, Journal of School Violence, and Journal of Criminal Justice. She has taught a course on criminological theory and has assisted with research projects funded by the National Institute of Justice. Her dissertation examines how adolescent police contact shapes the transition to adulthood.
MATTHEW VANDEN BOSCH 
Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Education
B.A. Criminal Justice, Marshall University
M.S. Criminal Justice, Marshall University
Professional Summary: Matthew's research interests focus on hate crime, public opinion & policy, and sexual violence. His recent publications have appeared in Crime & Delinquency among others. His own research has been funded by Arizona State University’s Law & Science Dissertation Grant (funded by the National Science Foundation) and by Florida State University’s Institute of Politics. He has taught courses on peer influence in delinquency and on gangs, as well as assisting in courses on research methods and punitiveness. His dissertation focuses on beliefs in hate crime myths.
SARAH WOUTERS
Port Saint Lucie, Florida
Education
B.S. Criminology, minor in Education, Florida State University
M.S. Criminology, Florida State University
Professional Summary: Sarah's research focuses on the correlates and consequences of violent victimization for marginalized and vulnerable populations, with an emphasis on hate crimes and child abuse. She also studies individual and institutional responses to victimization, including victim reporting/help-seeking behaviors and victim services programs. her dissertation evaluates how victim help-seeking behaviors mitigate adverse psychological consequences of victimization, interrupting potential trajectories between victimization and subsequent offending.