Find Academic Supervisors

Karen BarneyView profile

Academic

• Occupational Therapy
• Gerontology
• Disability Studies
• +3 more

Karen Barney, Ph.D., is a Professor Emerita at the Doisy College of Health Sciences, Saint Louis University, specializing in Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. Her academic career spans over four decades, with leadership roles including Department Chair and contributions to curricular development. She holds a Ph.D. in Health Services Research from Saint Louis University and has extensive experience in gerontology, disability advocacy, and criminal justice reentry programs. Education: Doctor of Philosophy (Health Services Research), Saint Louis University (2002) Master of Science (Adult Education), University of Wisconsin (1982) Bachelor of Science (Occupational Therapy), University of Wisconsin (1966) Research Interests: Focuses on occupational justice, aging populations, disability policy, and reentry programs for incarcerated individuals. Her work integrates occupational science with advocacy for marginalized groups, particularly in criminal justice and healthcare systems. She pioneered initiatives like the Competent Citizen Reentry Program (CCRP) and the Transformative Justice Initiative (TJI). Key areas include: Health services research Universal design for aging populations Disability awareness in Afghanistan Geriatric occupational therapy practices Recent Article Trends: Recent publications emphasize occupational therapy's role in criminal justice systems, reentry interventions, and addressing systemic racism in healthcare. She also explores parallels between occupational analysis and criminology. Awards: Honors include the 2022 Ageless Remarkable Saint Louisans, 2016 Arcus Award, and induction into Alpha Sigma Nu (2015). Her grants include the Hearst Foundation Prison Program funding and Raskob Foundation support for juvenile reentry programs. Advising & Grants: Played a key role in Saint Louis University's Prison Program and developed interprofessional reentry models. Focused on translational research to improve healthcare access for older adults and incarcerated individuals. Labs/Teams: Co-founded the Justice-Based Occupational Therapy (JBOT) Network and the Occupational Therapy Transition & Integration Services (OTTIS) program. Collaborates with global initiatives like the European Network of Occupational Therapy in Higher Education (ENOTHE).

Kimberly M. DavidsonView profile

Assistant Professor

• Corrections
• Programming and Rehabilitation
• Community Reentry
• +3 more

Kimberly M. Davidson is an Assistant Professor at the College of Criminology & Criminal Justice at Florida State University. Her work focuses on corrections, rehabilitation, community reentry, and substance use. She holds a Ph.D. in Criminology (2021) from Penn State University, along with a B.M. in Music Therapy and Psychology from the University of Kansas. Education : Ph.D. in Criminology, The Pennsylvania State University (2021) M.A. in Criminology, The Pennsylvania State University (2017) B.M. in Music Therapy (Major) and Psychology (Minor), University of Kansas (2008) Research Interests : Dr. Davidson investigates correctional programming efficacy, reentry challenges for offenders with substance use disorders, and the role of therapeutic communities in prisons. Her work emphasizes mixed-methods approaches to understanding desistance processes and systemic inequities in criminal justice systems. Recent Work Trends : Her publications explore prison-based therapeutic communities, parole supervision dynamics, and the intersection of fatherhood/recovery with criminal justice outcomes. She has conducted extensive research on substance use among probation populations and gendered experiences in incarceration. Awards : Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Top Honors for Book (2021) National Institute of Justice Graduate Research Fellowship (2020-2021) Grants & Collaborations : Principal Investigator: $91k NIJ Fellowship on opioid crisis impacts on prison reentry (2020-2021) Lead Researcher: $109k PA DOC pilot on recovery specialists in prisons (2019-2020) Key contributor to $685k NIJ grant on women’s prison networks (2017-2020) Teaching : She instructs courses including CCJ2020 and CJC4410 , emphasizing practical applications of criminological theory.

Jemma CollovaView profile

Research Fellow

• Indigenous Mental Health
• Cultural Safety in Healthcare
• Decolonization of Research
• +3 more

Jemma Collova is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia's School of Indigenous Studies, located on Whadjuk Noongar Country. She holds a PhD in Psychology from UWA and focuses on Indigenous-led mental health research, emphasizing decolonization and cultural safety in healthcare. Her work bridges academic research with practical government and police sector collaborations. She is a Chief Investigator on two NHMRC grants aimed at transforming mental health service delivery for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Education: PhD in Psychology (UWA), prior studies not detailed. Research interests include mental health equity, participatory research methods, and policy development with Indigenous communities. She has co-designed culturally responsive programs in prisons and universities, emphasizing co-creation and Indigenous authorship. Key projects include evaluating the Cultural, Social and Emotional Wellbeing Program for incarcerated Aboriginal women and developing culturally safe mental health frameworks through participatory action research. Her work also addresses pandemic impacts on Indigenous mental health and suicide prevention strategies. Awards include the Dean's List Honourable Mention (2020) and grants from the Experimental Psychology Society and APR Internship. She has engaged in policy advocacy through media collaborations and community reporting initiatives. Labs/Teams: Active in interdisciplinary teams focusing on Indigenous health research, including collaborations with Elders and cultural healers. Her work emphasizes reflexive thematic analysis and mixed-methods approaches to ensure Indigenous voices shape research outcomes.

Nila BalaView profile

Professor

• Children's Rights
• Criminal Justice System
• Emerging Technologies
• +3 more

Nila Bala is an Acting Professor of Law at UC Davis School of Law (King Hall), where she has been since 2023. Her research focuses on children’s rights, criminal justice reform, and the intersection of law and emerging technologies. She teaches Criminal Law, Evidence, and Children and the Law. Bala holds a B.A. in Human Biology from Stanford University (2008) and a J.D. from Yale Law School (2012). Her scholarship has appeared in top-tier law reviews such as the Michigan Law Review , Washington University Law Review , and New York University Review for Law & Social Change . Recent works address facial recognition in schools, children’s DNA ownership, and postsecondary education in prisons. Her essays have been published in major media outlets like the New York Times and Los Angeles Times . Bala’s awards include the UC Davis Public Scholarship Faculty Fellow (2024), Stanford Digital Civil Society Fellow (2022–2023), and Rockwood Movement Leaders Fellow (2020–2021). Her career includes roles as Director of Legislative Initiatives at NYU’s Policing Project, Assistant Director of Criminal Justice Policy at R Street Institute, and a public defender in Baltimore, where she led bail reform efforts. Her work spans advocacy for juvenile justice, equitable legal policies, and technology’s societal impacts. She has advised on sealing juvenile records, prison education access, and facial recognition risks in classrooms.

Nicole KaufmanView profile

Associate Professor

• Political Sociology
• Criminology
• Penology
• +7 more

Nicole Kaufman is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Graduate Program Director of the M.A. in Law, Justice & Culture at Ohio University’s College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Sociology and Anthropology. She is actively engaged in research and teaching in political sociology, criminology, law & society, and qualitative methods. BA, Barnard College, Columbia University MA, University of Wisconsin-Madison PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison Dr. Kaufman's research focuses on institutional arrangements affecting social inclusion, particularly in the criminal justice system. Her work explores prisoner reentry, women’s incarceration, faith-based rehabilitation programs, and the role of NGOs in the penal state . She employs qualitative methodologies to examine how governance, race, and gender intersect in correctional policies and practices. Her scholarship critically analyzes privatization, state reliance on religious organizations, and epistemic conflicts in frontline criminal justice work. The trends in her recent publications reveal a sustained engagement with the expansion of the penal state through non-governmental actors, racial and gender disparities in community corrections, and the politics of knowledge in criminal justice reform . Her work spans interdisciplinary venues in criminology, sociology, and legal studies, reflecting a deep commitment to understanding structural inequities and pathways to justice. Scientific awards and recognitions include: Teaching Assistant Award for excellent service at UW-Madison Dr. Kaufman mentors students involved in prison reform research and has guided capstone and graduate-level work on incarceration and reentry. While specific grant details are not listed, her research on state-NGO partnerships and correctional systems suggests sustained scholarly investigation likely supported by academic funding. She teaches courses such as Criminology, Punishment & Society, and a graduate seminar on Prisoner Reentry. She is affiliated with research platforms including Academia.edu, Google Scholar, and ORCID, and her work is cited in public discourse, including media outlets like the Ohio Capital Journal. Her role as Graduate Program Director indicates leadership in academic training within the Law, Justice & Culture program.

Nina HarawaView profile

Professor

• HIV epidemiology
• Prevention
• Testing
• +6 more

Nina Harawa is a Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at both the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Fielding School of Public Health and UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine , with a secondary professorship at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science , where she serves as Associate Director of Research for the Drew CARES Center. Her work focuses on holistic interventions for HIV/STI prevention, substance use disorders, and health equity through policy analysis, particularly for sexual/gender minorities and justice-involved populations. Research Interests span HIV epidemiology, prevention, retention in care, sexually transmitted diseases, social determinants of health, incarceration impacts, and health policy reform. As Director of the NIMH-funded Policy Impact Core at UCLA CHIPTS, she leads agent-based modeling of HIV policy effects. She co-leads NIH multi-site studies on post-incarceration HIV care and PrEP access, while founding REACH UCLA Health to address racial disparities in healthcare access. Education includes a PhD and MPH in Epidemiology from UCLA. She has pioneered community partnerships for HIV research among Black/Latina women, transgender communities, and incarcerated populations, with over 20 years of grant-funded work. Her 2017 JAMA Intern Med trial on peer navigation for viral suppression in post-jail populations remains a landmark study.

Mariyana ZapryanovaView profile

Associate Professor

• Economics of Crime
• Law and Economics
• Public Economics
• +5 more

Mariyana Zapryanova is an Associate Professor of Economics at Smith College. She holds a Ph.D. and M.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a B.A. in economics and mathematics from Lake Forest College. Education: Ph.D., M.A., University of Wisconsin-Madison B.A., Lake Forest College Her research focuses on empirical microeconomics, particularly in law and economics, economics of crime, and public economics. Key areas include prisoner reentry, racial disparities in the criminal justice system, and the impact of environmental and policy factors on crime and recidivism. Recent work examines Medicaid's role in recidivism, temperature effects on judicial rulings, and peer influences on post-release outcomes. Her publications span topics like mandatory minimum laws, judicial decision-making, and cross-regional criminal justice disparities. Trends in her work highlight empirical analysis of policy interventions and structural inequalities. Affiliations: Affiliate, Stone Center for Research on Wealth Inequality and Mobility Member, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group Network Member, Inequality: Measurement, Interpretation, and Policy At Smith College, she teaches introductory microeconomics, econometrics, public economics, and a seminar on the economics of crime. Office hours are by appointment in Spring 2025, with contact via mzapryanova@smith.edu.

Mel WebbView profile

Teaching Professor

• Social Ethics
• Theological Ethics
• Queer and Trans Studies
• +9 more

Dr. Mel Webb (they/them) is a Teaching Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Classics at the University of Texas at San Antonio's College of Liberal and Fine Arts, serving as Program Director for The Philosophy & Literature Circle and Texas Education Justice Alliance-South (TEJA-S). With fifteen years of teaching experience across universities, seminaries, churches, and prisons, they are a queer theological social ethicist dedicated to transformative education and circle-based justice initiatives. Academic credentials: Ph.D. in Theology, Princeton Theological Seminary (2016) Th.M. in Theology/Philosophy, Princeton Theological Seminary (2009) M.Div., Reformed Theological Seminary-Orlando (2007) B.A. in Philosophy and Religion, Covenant College (2004) Research integrates theological ethics with queer/trans studies, early Christian history, and transformative prison education. Their work examines restorative justice frameworks through collaborative interdisciplinary lenses including cognitive psychology and social work, emphasizing how humanities foster civic engagement and collective healing in marginalized communities. Major recognitions: SA Lights Award (2024) Richard S. Howe Teaching Award (2024) Public Humanities Fellowship (2021-2022) UTSA Community Engagement Award (2020) As founder of The Philosophy & Literature Circle, they pioneered university-prison partnerships at Dominguez State Jail (2019) and Torres Unit (2020), now scaling impact through TEJA-S. Their program design centers ethical community-building where truth-telling and mutual accountability enable transformative learning across societal divides. Current initiatives bridge higher education institutions across South-Central Texas to deliver humanities-based curricula inside prisons and during reentry, cultivating liberatory futures through collaborative arts and philosophical practice.

Tess PendergrastView profile

Researcher

• Inequality studies
• Sociology of public health and environmental justice
• Engaged education

Tess Pendergrast is a Research Associate with the Cornell Prison Education Program (CPEP) and retains a faculty affiliation with the Department of Global Development at Cornell University. She holds an MS and PhD in Development Sociology from Cornell University and a BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Education: PhD and MS in Development Sociology (Cornell University), BA (UNC Chapel Hill) Her research focuses on socio-economic class and racial inequalities, environmental justice movements in the U.S. Southeast, and barriers/opportunities for postsecondary education for incarcerated populations. She employs mixed methods and prioritizes community-based participatory research (CBPR). A current project co-leads a multi-year study on the impacts of college education in prison and reentry outcomes. Teaching includes courses on waste politics, international development, and social movements. She has been a regular instructor with CPEP since 2019 and designed classes through Cornell’s John S. Knight Institute. Labs/Teams: Cornell Prison Education Program, Department of Global Development

Mneesha GellmanView profile

Associate Professor

• Comparative democratization
• Cultural resilience
• Memory and violence politics
• +9 more

Mneesha Gellman is an Associate Professor of Political Science in the Marlboro Institute for Liberal Arts & Interdisciplinary Studies at Emerson College in Boston, MA. She is the founder and Director of the Emerson Prison Initiative (EPI), which brings college education to incarcerated students at Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Concord. Her work bridges academic research with practical application through prison education programs and collaborations with Indigenous communities in Northern California and southern Mexico. Dr. Gellman earned her PhD in Political Science from Northwestern University, an MA in International Studies/Peace and Conflict Resolution from the University of Queensland, Australia, and a BA in Political Studies from Bard College. She has lived, worked, and studied on six continents. Her research focuses on comparative democratization, cultural resilience, memory and violence politics, and education policy in the Global South and the United States. She examines how marginalized communities use memories of violence to advocate for cultural rights, particularly mother tongue education, and investigates representation of minority groups in educational materials. Her recent work explores decolonization and human rights across various spaces including high schools, colleges, prisons, and educational media. Dr. Gellman's publications reveal consistent engagement with themes of cultural preservation, educational justice, and political mobilization. Her work spans comparative case studies across Mexico, Turkey, El Salvador, and the United States, with particular attention to Indigenous communities and their struggles for cultural recognition and survival through educational systems. Her scientific awards and recognitions include: US Fulbright Scholar in Mexico Rotary World Peace Fellow Senior Fellow at the Leibniz Institute for Educational Media in Germany (2022) Past President of the Human Rights Section of the American Political Science Association (2022-2023) Section President of the Human Rights Section of the American Political Science Association (2023-2024) As Director of the Emerson Prison Initiative, Dr. Gellman works with the Massachusetts Department of Correction, Emerson College, and other partners to implement a Bachelor of Arts in Media, Literature, and Culture for incarcerated students. She has secured grants including a six-month fellowship at the Leibniz Institute for Educational Media (January-June 2020) and a two-year grant for the Culture Kids: Cultural Competency and Language Politics project (2019-2021). She also serves as a pro bono expert witness for asylum hearings regarding country conditions in El Salvador and Mexico. Dr. Gellman leads the Culture Kids Project in collaboration with the Yurok Tribe's Education Department to document the impact of Indigenous-language access in public education. This work extends to southern Mexico where she conducts cultural resilience projects, examining how education supports wellbeing and political participation among marginalized youth.

Jill WeinbergView profile

Associate Professor

• Crime
• Law
• Deviance
• +7 more

Jill Weinberg is an Associate Professor of Sociology and the Department Chair at Tufts University. She holds a joint appointment as Associate Professor at Tisch College. Her academic work bridges sociology, law, and social justice issues, with a particular focus on how social processes shape legal frameworks and vice versa. Education PhD in Sociology, Northwestern University (2015) MA in Sociology, Northwestern University (2010) MA in Social Psychology, University of Chicago (2009) JD, Seattle University School of Law (2008) BA in English and BS in Journalism, Boston University (2003) Research Interests Jill Weinberg is a scholar who examines decriminalization through social processes, focusing on how groups use rules, norms, and language of consent and choice. Her research spans several interconnected areas including crime, law, deviance, sports, the body, and research methods. She is particularly interested in how seemingly violent activities become socially acceptable through formalized rules and structures. Her work explores how communities navigate legal boundaries while maintaining legitimacy in the public eye. This includes examining mixed-martial arts and sexual sadomasochism communities, which develop elaborate law-like rules to organize themselves. Her current research extends to assisted death and how terminally ill people, their loved ones, and medical professionals navigate laws regarding aid-in-dying. Another significant research stream is the "Contested Constructions of Discrimination Project," which uses experimental research design and interviews to compare how ordinary people and trial judges define employment discrimination. This work bridges sociology, law, and social psychology to understand how legal concepts are interpreted in real-world contexts. Publication Trends Weinberg's scholarly output demonstrates a consistent focus on the intersection of law, social processes, and embodied experiences. Her publications reveal an evolving trajectory from studying consent in unconventional contexts like sports and sexuality toward examining legal decision-making processes in discrimination cases and end-of-life care. The methodological diversity in her work—from qualitative ethnographic approaches to experimental designs—highlights her commitment to rigorous interdisciplinary research that bridges theoretical insights with empirical evidence. Her publications appear in top sociology and law journals including Sociological Science, Sociological Methods & Research, and Law & Social Inquiry. She also engages with broader audiences through popular media outlets like the Huffington Post and the Society Pages, demonstrating her commitment to public sociology. Scientific Awards Neubauer Faculty Fellowship, Tufts University (2016-2017) Marion & Jasper Whiting Foundation award for "Conceptualizing Justice" (2017-2018) Advising and Grants As Department Chair and Associate Professor, Weinberg actively mentors students through honors theses and independent research projects. Her teaching portfolio includes courses on Law and Society, Body Culture & Society, Sports Sociology, and Quantitative Research Methods, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach. Beyond direct student supervision, she serves on various committees including the Undergraduate Student Article Prize Committee for the Sociology of Law Section of the American Sociological Association. Her research has been supported by significant funding, including the Marion & Jasper Whiting Foundation grant for her "Conceptualizing Justice" project. She is also an affiliated scholar at the American Bar Foundation, where her "Contested Constructions of Discrimination Project" has advanced understanding of how legal concepts are interpreted across different social contexts. Professional Activities Weinberg maintains an active role in the legal sociology community through presentations at major conferences including the Annual Meetings of the Law and Society Association and the American Anthropological Association. She has served as an expert consultant in multiple court cases, including State v. Baldwin, State v. Hoffman, and U.S. v. Christensen, demonstrating how her academic expertise translates to real-world legal contexts. Her editorial work for Law and Social Inquiry further establishes her as a key contributor to scholarly discourse at the intersection of law and society.

• Psychoactive Substance Use
• Public Health Policy
• Addiction Interventions
• +3 more

Benedikt Fischer is an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. He holds additional academic appointments as Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, and the Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil. His research focuses on socio-behavioral epidemiology of substance use, policy analysis, and evidence-based interventions targeting marginalized populations such as youth, Indigenous communities, and incarcerated individuals. With over 300 publications, his work emphasizes knowledge translation and implementation science. Key areas of expertise include cannabis policy evaluation, opioid overdose prevention, and harm reduction strategies. He has advised Health Canada on cannabis legalization (2016–17) and led the CIHR-funded Ontario CRISM Node Team. Recent studies examine cannabis legalization impacts on youth, opioid market dynamics, and correctional health outcomes. Fischer advocates for public health-centered drug policies, emphasizing rigorous data integration and equity considerations. Education: PhD in Public Health (NPI designation) Affiliations: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Institute of Mental Health Policy Research (IMPHR), University of Toronto's Institute of Medical Sciences Grants: CIHR Applied Public Health Research Chair (2008–2015), CIHR-funded CRISM Node Teams: Lead researcher in the Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines (LRCUG) international initiative His lab collaborations span North America and Brazil, addressing issues like stimulant use trends, syphilis co-infections among drug users, and prison health interventions. Current work explores fentanyl's role in overdose crises and innovative digital health tools for substance use disorders.

Lisa FrohmannView profile

Associate Professor

• Gender-based violence
• State responses to violence
• Qualitative research methods
• +6 more

Lisa Frohmann, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminology, Law, and Justice at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), with affiliate appointments in Sociology and Gender and Women’s Studies. Her research focuses on gender-based violence, state responses to violence, and participatory visual methodologies. She uses participant photography to document marginalized communities' experiences, including Native American women in Chicago, formerly incarcerated men, and immigrant survivors of violence. Education: PhD in Sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Research Interests: Intersection of gender, race, and violence Community-driven research methodologies Domestic violence policy evaluation Prison reentry support systems Professional Service: Former Department Head and Director of Undergraduate/Graduate Studies Member of LAS Executive Committee, Faculty Senate, and Office of Access and Equity mediation team Current Projects: Exploring Native American women’s experiences of violence through photo-narratives and evaluating Cook County’s Domestic Violence Target Abuser Call program.

Mary J. LopezView profile

Professor

• Labor Economics
• Applied Microeconomics
• Demography
• +7 more

Mary J. Lopez is a Professor in the Department of Economics at Occidental College. She holds a B.A. from UC Riverside and M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame. Her research focuses on labor economics, immigration policy, demography, and inclusive pedagogy. Lopez teaches courses including Principles of Economics, Labor Economics, and the Economics of Race and Gender. Education: B.A., UC Riverside M.A., Ph.D., University of Notre Dame Lopez’s research examines how immigration policies affect immigrant integration, family dynamics, and community outcomes. She has published extensively on topics such as: Impact of immigration enforcement on education and political participation Immigrant detention and retirement behavior Demographic trends in Hispanic poverty Economics of migrant family reunification Anti-racist pedagogical approaches in economics Her recent work explores the expansion of college-in-prison programs and their effects on incarcerated individuals’ reentry preparedness. Lopez is affiliated with the American Society for Hispanic Economists (ASHE) and the Committee on the Status of Minority Groups in the Economics Profession (CSMGEP). She also serves as a research affiliate for the enCOREage project at Stanford’s Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences (CASBS). Scientific Affiliations: Chair, ASHE Awards Committee Board Member, CSMGEP Research Affiliate, enCOREage (CASBS, Stanford) Lopez’s publications from 2016–2024 reflect consistent engagement with immigration policy, labor markets, and pedagogical innovation. Key themes include: Migration crisis management and child welfare Racial disparities in education and economic outcomes Entrepreneurship among marginalized communities Intersection of immigration enforcement and social policy

John HalushkaView profile

Associate Professor

• Sociology of Punishment
• Prisoner Reentry
• Mass Incarceration
• +6 more

John Halushka is an Associate Professor in the Department of Justice Studies at San Jose State University's College of Social Sciences. His research focuses on the intersection of mass incarceration, racial inequality, and poverty in the United States, utilizing ethnographic methods to examine the lived experiences of system-impacted communities. Specializes in Sociology of Punishment, Prisoner Reentry, and Social Welfare Policy Current project investigates food inequality among incarcerated and formerly incarcerated populations Uses qualitative interviews and participant-observation for empirical analysis His recent research on food insecurity highlights systemic failures in prison nutrition and community reentry support, linking policy gaps to broader racial disparities. Halushka's work aligns with contemporary sociological critiques of carceral systems and social institutions.