Amanda Agan is an Associate Professor at Cornell University, affiliated with the Department of Economics and the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy. She holds positions as a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), Research Fellow at IZA, and Member of the HCEO Working Group. Her research focuses on the economics of crime, labor market discrimination, and public policy, particularly examining how criminal involvement impacts labor market opportunities and vice versa. She also investigates policies to mitigate discrimination. Agan earned her Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Chicago (2013) and a B.A. in Economics from George Mason University. Her recent work explores criminal record remediation, salary history bans, and the effects of misdemeanor prosecution. Her research combines quasi-experimental and field experimental methods to address pressing policy questions. Key findings include the impact of criminal record reduction on employment and the unraveling effects of salary history bans. Her articles often highlight labor market disparities, criminal justice reform, and algorithmic bias. Agan’s awards include affiliations with J-PAL North America and the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunity.
Dr. Tony Gaskew is a Professor of Criminal Justice and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford (UPB), where he has served since 2006. He holds a Ph.D. in Conflict Analysis from Nova Southeastern University and is a faculty affiliate at the Center on Race and Social Problems (CRSP) in the School of Social Work. His research focuses on counterinsurgency (COIN), Black Male Studies, and Killology, with a strong emphasis on police abolition, African American resistance, and prison education reform. Ph.D. Conflict Analysis, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Nova Southeastern University M.S. Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice Institute, Nova Southeastern University B.L.S. Behavioral Science, Barry University Dr. Gaskew’s academic work explores intersections of systemic oppression, white supremacy, and transformative justice. His ethnographic research spans Africa, Israel, and the Palestinian Territories, with a notable focus on post-9/11 policing of Muslim American communities. He created the FBI-COINTELPRO-Pittsburgh Collection, a digital archive documenting FBI counterintelligence operations targeting the 1960s Black Power Movement, and has authored over 50 publications, including his 2020 book Stop Trying to Fix Policing . His 2025 awards include The Chancellor’s Distinguished Public Service Award and The Dr. Larry E. Davis Excellence in Community Engaged Scholarship Award, reflecting his commitment to social justice and community partnerships. He founded the nationally recognized UPB Prison Education Program, pioneering post-secondary initiatives at federal and state correctional facilities. Chancellor’s Distinguished Public Service Award (2025) Dr. Larry E. Davis Excellence in Community Engaged Scholarship Award (2025) Dr. Gaskew’s 15 most recent publications highlight his expertise in critical race theory, counterinsurgency, and prison reform. His work spans from 2023 analyses of Black Liberation Army strategies to foundational 2007 studies on post-9/11 policing. Common themes include systemic racism, social justice, and the psychological impacts of policing and incarceration. As a Fulbright Hays Scholar and military combat veteran, Dr. Gaskew brings interdisciplinary rigor to his roles. He teaches courses on Killology, examining the lived experience of deadly force in policing and military contexts, and advocates for transformative educational practices in correctional settings.
Derrick M Gordon is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine and Associate Professor on Term in Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Yale School of Public Health . He serves as Director of the Program on Male Development in the Division of Prevention and Community Research at the Department of Psychiatry and is a Core Scientist at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA). Education: PhD in Psychology from the University of South Dakota (2000), MA in Psychology (1995). Dr. Gordon's research focuses on men's health , particularly those on the fringes of society, including prisoner reentry , low-income non-custodial fathers , and adolescent fathers . His work examines how factors like stressors , trauma , and discrimination impact health outcomes and community integration for these populations. His recent publications highlight trends in social equity , mental health , and preventive interventions for marginalized men. Topics include epigenetic aging disparities , trauma in adult education , and community-led health initiatives like the Together New Haven Project . Dr. Gordon mentors pre- and post-doctoral fellows on issues of fatherhood , healthcare access , and criminal justice reform . His funding portfolio includes NIH , HHS , and community-based grants . He collaborates with teams at the Consultation Center , CIRA , and Connecticut Mental Health Center , emphasizing data-driven policy and community engagement to address health disparities.
June P Tangney is a Professor in the Psychology Department at George Mason University, specializing in moral emotions , self-control , and criminology . Her work bridges clinical psychology and corrections, focusing on interventions for incarcerated populations. Education : PhD in Clinical Psychology from UCLA Her research explores the interplay between shame/guilt dynamics , substance misuse , and recidivism , with recent studies on mindfulness-based interventions and computer-assisted jail programs . She has pioneered tools like the Mindfulness Inventory: Nine Dimensions and the Criminogenic Cognitions Scale . Key article trends show her work spans 2014-2025 , with subtopics including borderline personality disorder in correctional settings, family contact during incarceration , and self-stigma in offenders. Funding sources include NIDA, NICHD, NSF, and the John Templeton Foundation. Awards : International Society for Self and Identity Distinguished Lifetime Career Award Fellow of Association for Psychological Science Fellow of APA Division 8 (Personality & Social Psychology) George Mason University Teaching Excellence Award As Editor of Self & Identity and former Associate Editor of American Psychologist , she has mentored numerous students (e.g., Sajida Yasmeen, Shannon Schrader) and co-authored major texts like Shame and Guilt and Shame in the Therapy Hour . Her lab integrates social-clinical-community perspectives to develop restorative justice interventions .
Dr. Erin Castro is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy and serves as Associate Dean for Community Engagement and Access in the Office of Undergraduate Studies at the University of Utah. She co-founded the University of Utah Prison Education Project (2016) and launched the Research Collaborative on Higher Education in Prison (2017). Her work focuses on equity in higher education for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated populations, policy analysis, and critical pedagogy. Education: PhD in Education Policy, Organization & Leadership from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; M.S.Ed. in Higher Education from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; BS in Business Administration. Research Interests: Dr. Castro’s scholarship examines equity in prison education, the impact of criminal history questions in admissions, transfer student experiences, and anti-racist praxis. Her work addresses how institutional policies perpetuate marginalization and proposes reforms for inclusive practices. Article Trends: Recent publications emphasize data equity, disciplinary power in prisons, and funding challenges post-Pell restoration. Her work bridges policy analysis with on-the-ground experiences, often centering voices of incarcerated students and marginalized communities. Scientific Awards: Lieutenant Governor’s Public Service Award (2024) College of Education Research Award (2024) Early Career Teaching Award (2017) Grants: She has secured external funding, including a Center for Prison Education Planning Grant (2023-2025) and travel grants to support conferences. Her grants often focus on expanding access and equity for formerly incarcerated and foster care populations. Labs & Teams: Dr. Castro leads the Research Collaborative on Higher Education in Prison and co-founded the Journal of Higher Education in Prison. She collaborates with national organizations like the Lumina Foundation and Alliance for Higher Education in Prison.
Erin Comartin is a Professor at Wayne State University School of Social Work, where she has served on faculty since 2016 after transitioning from Oakland University. Her scholarship critically examines social welfare policies and interventions for vulnerable populations within the criminal legal system, with particular emphasis on behavioral health needs and systemic reform initiatives. Her educational foundation includes: Ph.D. in Social Work from Wayne State University MSW from Wayne State University Post-Graduate Diploma of Arts in Community & Family Studies from University of Otago, New Zealand BA in Sociology from Oakland University Comartin's research program integrates clinical expertise from her prior work with homeless youth and domestic violence survivors to address critical gaps in justice-involved behavioral health services. She specializes in sex offender management policies, jail diversion interventions, and Behavioral Threat Assessment teams designed to prevent mass violence. Her methodological expertise spans qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods program evaluation with strong community engagement components. Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2023-2025) reveals intensified focus on suicide prevention in correctional settings, overdose response systems, and law enforcement behavioral health training efficacy. Her work increasingly employs journey mapping and multi-site trial designs to evaluate systemic interventions across rural-urban divides, reflecting evolving priorities in criminal legal health services research. As principal investigator for Center for Behavioral Health and Justice initiatives, Comartin leads community-engaged projects including veteran reentry evaluations and Sequential Intercept Model implementation assessments. Her teaching portfolio encompasses advanced policy analysis, macro practice theory, and program evaluation within Wayne State's social work curriculum.
Dr. Jessica Grosholz is an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminology at the University of South Florida's Sarasota-Manatee campus. She holds leadership roles as Campus Chair, Director of the Masters in Criminal Justice program, and Research Administration Faculty Fellow. Research Interests: Dr. Grosholz specializes in prisoner reentry, recidivism, health-crime intersections, human trafficking, and qualitative field research. Her work often examines marginalized populations, including LGBTQ+ individuals, older prisoners, and Latinx communities, while addressing systemic issues in corrections and public policy. Recent Publications (2023-2025): Her research explores diverse topics such as white supremacist music, prison reforms in Panama, health disparities among incarcerated populations, employment barriers for formerly incarcerated individuals, and gendered dynamics of strain theory. These works reflect interdisciplinary approaches bridging criminology, public health, and cultural studies. Awards: USF Sarasota-Manatee Student Government Association Outstanding Professor Award (2018) Faculty Senate Excellence in Community Engagement Award (2018) University-wide Outstanding Community-Engaged Teaching Award (2020)
Professor Jana Grekul is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Alberta specializing in criminology, gender studies, and Indigenous justice. She directs the Bachelor of Arts in Criminology Program and has received multiple teaching awards including the Rutherford Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (2018). Her research examines: Gendered pathways into/out of criminal justice systems Indigenous incarceration experiences Gang desistance processes Intersection of victimization and criminalization Pedagogical innovations in criminology Recent publications focus on prisoner reentry, Indigenous gang involvement, and adapting criminology education during the pandemic. Her work demonstrates strong commitment to community-engaged research and experiential learning. Scientific Awards: McCalla Professorship (2018) Rutherford Award for Teaching Excellence (2018) Faculty of Arts Undergraduate Teaching Award (2017) Professor Grekul collaborates with community organizations including REACH Edmonton and develops project-based learning initiatives that bridge classroom instruction with real-world justice challenges.
Dr. Robert D. Moser is a Professor at the University of Texas at Austin and holds the W.A. "Tex" Moncrief, Jr. Chair in Computational Engineering and Sciences I. He is affiliated with the Thermal and Fluid Systems program, the Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences (ICES), and serves as Director of the DOE-funded Center for Predictive Engineering and Computational Sciences (PECOS). Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University (1984) His research focuses on computational methods for turbulence modeling, cardiovascular fluid mechanics, and uncertainty quantification in complex physical simulations. He develops large-eddy simulation techniques for aerospace applications and biological flow analysis, while pioneering methods to characterize uncertainties in reentry vehicle simulations and turbulence modeling. Dr. Moser leads interdisciplinary research at PECOS and ICES, combining computational engineering with biomedical applications. His work spans theoretical turbulence physics, numerical methods for Navier-Stokes equations, and practical implementations for aerodynamic and medical device design.
Dr. Leanne F. Alarid is a Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at The University of Texas at El Paso, College of Liberal Arts. She earned her Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University and focuses on gender and crime, corrections policy, and mental health intersections with the justice system. Research Focus: Gender-specific analysis of criminal behavior, correctional treatment strategies, and mental health policy Current Project: Lead Evaluator for Bureau of Justice Assistance grant on jail-based reentry programs Editorial Roles: Member, Corrections: Policy, Practice and Research , Women and Criminal Justice , and Criminal Justice Policy Review Her recent publications emphasize community corrections , prison reentry , and gender dynamics in criminal justice , with a focus on implementation science and policy evaluation. She has contributed to journals like Justice Quarterly and The Prison Journal , alongside authoring major textbooks such as Community-Based Corrections and Corrections . Scientific Awards: 2011 Founder’s Award, Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Dr. Alarid teaches courses including Correctional Systems, Community Corrections, Criminology, and Study Abroad programs in London. She actively evaluates correctional interventions and contributes to public policy discussions on decarceration and mental health diversion.
Yasser Arafat Payne is a Professor of Sociology & Criminal Justice at the University of Delaware's College of Arts & Sciences, with a joint appointment as an associate professor in the Department of Africana Studies. His academic work focuses on street ethnographic research examining policing and reentry, economic well-being and educational inequality, and gun violence with street-identified Black Americans through the innovative Street Participatory Action Research (Street PAR) framework. Payne earned his Ph.D. and M.Phil. from the City University of New York Graduate Center, an M.A. from Seton Hall University, and a B.A. from Wagner College. His educational background has informed his distinctive approach to studying marginalized communities through the lens of those who live within them. Payne's research program challenges dominant arguments in the literature by asserting that all of the streets of Black and Brown America are resilient. His work focuses on racial identity, street identity, school violence, physical violence, Gangster Rap music and culture, and the methodology of street participatory action research. He has developed Street PAR as a framework that includes three essential features: research orientation, intervention for Street PAR members, and a vehicle for action and activism in local communities. His recent publications reveal a consistent focus on violence exposure, police-community relations, reentry challenges, and resilience among street-identified Black populations. Payne's work spans multiple disciplines including criminology, sociology, public health, and urban studies, with particular attention to the intersection of structural inequality and individual experience. Payne actively engages with media on issues of policing and structural violence, as evidenced by his July 2024 commentary on stop-and-frisk policies for NBC News and his August 2023 presentation to the Wilmington Reparations Task Force. He co-authored the book 'Murder Town, USA: Homicide, Structural Violence and Activism in Wilmington' (Rutgers University Press, 2023), which has become a key resource for understanding gun violence in urban communities. As an educator, Payne teaches specialized courses on street ethnography, Gangster Rap Music and Culture, Racial Stratification, and core courses on Race, Class & Gender and Race, Gender & Poverty. His teaching philosophy centers on bringing the lived experiences of street-identified populations into academic discourse through innovative pedagogical approaches. Payne leads a research lab focused on Street PAR methodology, training community members to document experiences of street-identified Black populations through surveys, interviews, and dual interviews. His approach emphasizes community ownership of research and the transformative potential of participatory methodologies in addressing structural violence.
Marco Castillo is a Professor of Economics at Texas A&M University, specializing in Behavioral/Experimental Economics, Public Economics, and Economics of Education. He holds a PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and previously served as a Professorial Fellow in the Education and Child Development research group at the University of Melbourne’s Melbourne Institute. His work employs experimental methods to design optimal policies in areas like child development, education, and criminal justice. He is affiliated with the IZA Institute of Labor Economics as a Research Fellow and the CESIfo Research Network as a Fellow. Education: PhD in Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Wisconsin-Madison Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, Catholic University of Lima, Peru Research Interests: Experimental methods in policy design Child development interventions Education economics Charitable giving mechanisms Risk preferences and decision-making His research bridges theory and practice, often involving field experiments to assess policy impacts on real-world behaviors. Awards & Fellowships: Fellow of the CESIfo Research Network Research Fellow at IZA Institute of Labor Economics Grants & Advising: While no specific grants are listed, his work frequently involves policy-relevant experimental research. He advises students through his teaching and research collaborations at Texas A&M. Labs/Teams: Active in the Economics Science Association’s initiatives and collaborates with institutions like the Melbourne Institute on child development projects.
Kathryn Nowotny is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Miami, College of Arts and Sciences. Her work focuses on the intersection of public health and mass incarceration, particularly addressing health inequities among criminal legal-involved populations. Current faculty at University of Miami Director of Miami Health and Justice Lab Research centers on carceral systems and health outcomes Her research examines HIV prevention, reproductive justice, maternal health disparities, and trauma-informed interventions in carceral settings. She collaborates with interdisciplinary teams to implement community-engaged strategies. Recent publications highlight her work on peer-led programs in jails, structural barriers to healthcare during reentry, and the impact of mass incarceration on birth outcomes. Her lab's interventions in Mexico City use projection mapping for harm reduction education. Notable methodologies include community-based participatory research, ecological modeling, and flexible diary-interview approaches. She advocates for policy reforms to address systemic inequities linked to incarceration.
Elsa Y. Chen is Professor and Chair of the Political Science Department at Santa Clara University, where she teaches and conducts research on criminal justice policy, sentencing reform, and prisoner reintegration. Research Interests Professor Chen’s scholarship centers on the intersection of law, politics, and public policy, with particular attention to criminal sentencing, racial/ethnic disparities, and the implementation of reform legislation such as California’s Three-Strikes Law and Proposition 36. Her recent work explores innovative measures of reentry success beyond simple recidivism, the role of courtroom workgroups in shaping sentencing outcomes, and the lived experiences of individuals seeking record clearance. Publication Trends Across more than three dozen publications from 1998 to 2025, Professor Chen has consistently examined how structural and procedural factors in the criminal legal system affect outcomes for defendants and returning citizens. Her 2020 edited volume Beyond Recidivism epitomizes this trajectory, offering new conceptual frameworks and methodological tools for evaluating reentry programs. Recent articles (2024–2025) extend this agenda with mixed-methods studies on online recruitment of justice-impacted interviewees and coalition-building behind automatic expungement laws. Advising & Grants No specific funded grants or named student advisees appear in the provided text; further details may be accessible via SCU’s internal systems. Laboratory & Research Teams No dedicated research lab is mentioned; however, as Department Chair, Professor Chen likely oversees collaborative projects within the Political Science Department and across the university’s interdisciplinary centers focusing on justice and policy studies.
Timothy C. Brown is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at San Diego State University's College of Arts and Letters. He holds a PhD in Sociology from Louisiana State University. His research examines how social, individual, and environmental inequalities influence criminality, victimization, and criminal justice experiences, with a focus on marginalized communities. Key research areas include rural Southern gangs, female law enforcement experiences, and racial disparities in justice systems. Dr. Brown's research explores: Crime impacts on minority groups Contextual inequality's role in violence Community-gang dynamics in rural settings His publications frequently analyze violence patterns, correctional system challenges, and policing environments. He has received awards including the UALR Bright Spot Award and Outstanding Graduate Student Award. Advising includes supervision of 15+ graduate students on topics ranging from bumblebee habitats to prison financial literacy. Grant funding exceeds $120,000 from agencies including FINRA and the Bureau of Justice Assistance. Dr. Brown leads research collaborations on rural gang dynamics and correctional education, serving on editorial boards for Deviant Behavior and American Journal of Criminal Justice .
