I am an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Studies and affiliate of Women's and Gender Studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. I hold a PhD in Justice, Law and Criminology from American University (2016), an MA in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Eastern Michigan University (2011), and a BA in Social Anthropology and Peace and Social Justice from the University of Michigan (2009). My research brings together the areas of law, deviance, fairness, immigration, and power, utilizing interdisciplinary approaches that span the fields of criminology, law and society, and anthropology.
My teaching philosophy is characterized by the pursuit of a critical student-centered approach to learning. Deeply influenced by Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed, I seek to place learning and power in the hands of students through open dialogue and mutual respect. I consider students to be partners in their own learning. My courses are structured to facilitate critical thinking and reflection through discussion, interaction, and activities that extend beyond the bounds of the classroom, all the while being cognizant of varying learning styles, needs, and interests. I accomplish this through flexibility and responsiveness, structure, transparency, and the maintenance of high intellectual standards.
I teach several core undergraduate and graduate courses in the Criminology and Criminal Justice program at UM-Dearborn, including: Introduction to Criminal Justice (CRJ 200), Quantitative Research Methods (CRJ 410), Crimmigration: Intersections of Immigration and Criminal Justice (CRJ 417/517), Criminal Justice Research Methods (CRJ 418/518), LGBTQ+ Criminology (CRJ 419/519), Forensic Science (CRJ 487), and Applied Criminal Justice Theory (CRJ 480/580).
I was awarded an Academic Service-Learning Faculty Fellowship in 2017-2018 to develop innovative courses that connect students with the community through participatory research collaborations. In 2020, I was awarded a Virtual Exchange Initiative grant to develop a collaborative course with global partners. I was selected as a 2021 Hub Faculty Affiliate with UM-Dearborn's Hub for Teaching and Learning Resources. My year-long Affiliate project centers upon "students as partners." My innovative pedagogical contributions to UM-Dearborn--which also include the creation of DigPed at Dearborn, a digital pedagogy group--were recently recognized when I was awarded the 2021 University of Michigan-Dearborn Distinguished Digital Education Award.
Learn more about my publications here.
Learn more about my creative projects here.
Find out more about my academic interests in an interview with the ASC's Division on Critical Criminology Spring 2015 Newsletter (Vol. 23, Issue 5).
My teaching philosophy is characterized by the pursuit of a critical student-centered approach to learning. Deeply influenced by Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed, I seek to place learning and power in the hands of students through open dialogue and mutual respect. I consider students to be partners in their own learning. My courses are structured to facilitate critical thinking and reflection through discussion, interaction, and activities that extend beyond the bounds of the classroom, all the while being cognizant of varying learning styles, needs, and interests. I accomplish this through flexibility and responsiveness, structure, transparency, and the maintenance of high intellectual standards.
I teach several core undergraduate and graduate courses in the Criminology and Criminal Justice program at UM-Dearborn, including: Introduction to Criminal Justice (CRJ 200), Quantitative Research Methods (CRJ 410), Crimmigration: Intersections of Immigration and Criminal Justice (CRJ 417/517), Criminal Justice Research Methods (CRJ 418/518), LGBTQ+ Criminology (CRJ 419/519), Forensic Science (CRJ 487), and Applied Criminal Justice Theory (CRJ 480/580).
I was awarded an Academic Service-Learning Faculty Fellowship in 2017-2018 to develop innovative courses that connect students with the community through participatory research collaborations. In 2020, I was awarded a Virtual Exchange Initiative grant to develop a collaborative course with global partners. I was selected as a 2021 Hub Faculty Affiliate with UM-Dearborn's Hub for Teaching and Learning Resources. My year-long Affiliate project centers upon "students as partners." My innovative pedagogical contributions to UM-Dearborn--which also include the creation of DigPed at Dearborn, a digital pedagogy group--were recently recognized when I was awarded the 2021 University of Michigan-Dearborn Distinguished Digital Education Award.
Learn more about my publications here.
Learn more about my creative projects here.
Find out more about my academic interests in an interview with the ASC's Division on Critical Criminology Spring 2015 Newsletter (Vol. 23, Issue 5).
