Molly McDowell

Dr. Molly McDowell is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Western Carolina University (WCU), part of the College of Arts and Sciences. She specializes in the intersection of neighborhood context, gentrification, and gender violence, with a focus on criminological theory and crime measurement. Her research has been published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence and Criminal Justice Review, including groundbreaking work on catalytic converter theft co-authored with Dr. Daniel Reinhard.

Education:

• PhD, Texas State University San Marcos
• MPA, SUNY at Binghamton
• BA, Cornell University

Teaching & Research: Dr. McDowell emphasizes interdisciplinary learning, integrating real-world case studies and pop culture examples to foster critical thinking about criminal justice concepts. Her research explores how gentrification impacts gender violence, applying social disorganization theory to understand crime patterns. She teaches courses on crime theory, policing, and institutional corrections at the undergraduate level, and graduate-level topics in statistics and gender violence.

Affiliations & Office: Office 410C Belk Building; email: mcdowellm@wcu.edu. Pronouns: she/her/hers.