|
|
|
Student Biographies: Class of 2010
...jump to M.A. / Ph.D. students

Master of Science |
 |
Boon Sheng Jeremy Ang is from Singapore. In 2006, he was awarded the Singapore Police Force Overseas Scholarship and appointed an Inspector of Police. He graduated from the University of Warwick in June 2009 with a BSc in Economics, Politics and International Studies. Over the past three summers, he was attached to various divisions within the Singapore Police Force to familiarise himself with the mechanics of the organisation. He particularly enjoyed his time in the Criminal Investigation and Police Intelligence Departments. A desire to make a greater contribution to the Force convinced him to refocus his research interest from International Political Economy to Criminology. |
 |
Seth Brown is from Gorham, Maine. He received his bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Saint Michael’s College in 2009, graduating with honors. As an undergraduate he worked in the Saint Michael’s College Krikstone Laboratory for the Behavioral Sciences for three years. He received funding for his research from the Vermont Genetics Network after writing a grant for a competitive stipend. The main focus of his research was in the field of psychopharmacology involving nicotine, d-amphetamine, and mecamylamine (nicotinic antagonist). He helped to design experiments and conduct research on the effects of nicotine on behavioral inhibition in rats. Additionally, he performed physiological assays and tissue analysis using immunohistochemistry, specifically, c-Fos staining/cell expression. In the summer of 2008, he and his research mentor published their results in The Journal of Behavioural Pharmacology. Outside of the lab he has held positions as President of both the Psychology Club and Psi Chi (The International Honors Society in Psychology). Following his graduate work at Penn, he hopes to work for the federal government in the field of crime prevention. |
 |
Cara Ann Bumgardner is a native Philadelphian. She recently graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, class of 2009, with a B.A. in Linguistics and a minor in Classical Studies. A member of Sigma Kappa sorority at Penn, she was also on the cheerleading squad and was highly active in Alternate Spring Break, where she led groups to Lynchburg, VA and Island Beach, NJ, as well as Santa Fe, NM and Charleston, SC. She is extremely passionate about Deaf culture and is highly proficient in American Sign Language. Cara has worked at Kent & McBride law firm in Center City for two years and hopes to attend law school after completing her M.S. degree in Criminology. Ultimately, she'd like to pursue a career with the Federal Bureau of Investigation or the Central Intelligence Agency. |
 |
Catherine Cai obtained her undergraduate degree at the University of California Irvine in Criminology, Law and Society and is currently pursuing her graduate education at Penn. Prior to applying for graduate school, she spent nearly two years in South Korea as an English instructor for aspiring junior high school students and a part-time intern for the South Korean National Assembly under Senator Haejin Cho of the Grand National Party. Following graduation at Penn, she has interests in working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Behavioral Science Unit and/or Transnational Crime Unit in combating international sex trafficking and human trafficking, particularly within mainland China and North Korea. She is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and Korean, has a working knowledge of French, and is currently studying Arabic. |
 |
Larissa Caraballo is from Wayne, New Jersey. She graduated from the College of New Jersey with a B.S. in Criminology and a minor in Biology. During the summer of her junior year, she interned with the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department in the Bureau of Criminal Identification working with the county jail database systems and AFIS. Her interests include research in the areas of comparative criminology, ecology and crime, and policing. |
 |
Michael Cassidy grew up in Monroe, New York. He graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh in 2002, and a J.D. from Albany Law School in 2005, where he served as lead article editor for the Albany Law Journal of Science and Technology. After graduating from law school, he worked as a Fellow in Government Law and Policy at the Government Law Center of Albany Law School. In 2007, he was appointed as assistant counsel for the Governor’s Office of Regulatory Reform. Michael also serves as assigned counsel for the New York State Appellate Division, Third Department, where he handles criminal appeals for indigent defendants. He is an executive board member of the New York State Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section and serves as editor-in-chief for the section’s journal. Michael has published articles in the University of Michigan’s Telecommunications and Technology Law Review and the Akron Law Review. |
 |
Eun-Mi Chang graduated summa cum laude from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Feb 2008 with a BA in Criminology. As an undergraduate student she participated in the Salzburg Global Seminar studying the effects of globalization on crime. Her research interests include human trafficking, organized crime, and international criminal justice. After receiving her M.S degree, she plans on pursuing a career in federal law enforcement. In addition to research on criminal justice, she is an avid runner, and has a passion for learning foreign languages. She can speak Korean and Spanish conversationally. |
 |
Annassa Corley is submatriculating into the M.S. in Criminology
Program from the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of
Pennsylvania. She is earning a B.A. in
Political Science with a concentration in International Relations and
has interned at the U.S. Department of State. |
 |
Gina DeLaurentiis is a Philadelphia native and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. She earned her B.A. in May 2004 with a double major in Sociology and Communication. As a sports enthusiast, she worked at Penn’s student-run television station, UTV-13, and did an internship with the Philadelphia Phillies. After graduation, she took a full-time position with the Phillies organization. Gina now works at Penn and is eager to embark on this new and exciting career path. Her interests lie in pursuing a career in federal law enforcement with a concentration in behavioral patterns and cyber crimes. |
 |
Pietro Deserio is pursuing a joint degree (J.D./M.S.) in Law and Criminology. He is from Staten Island, New York and received his bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Yale University, graduating cum laude, in 2007. While in college, he interned for two summers at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, working on high profile cases within the Organized Crime and Racketeering Section. After his first year of law school at the University of Pennsylvania, he interned in the Special Prosecutions Bureau of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, helping to prosecute White Collar Crime. Pietro is pursuing this joint degree in order to get a better understanding of the law’s place in society and the importance of social control and the criminal justice system, in the hope of pursuing a legal career involving criminal law. |
 |
Danielle Dorn is a native of Washington state. While she was a student at Enumclaw High School, she concurrently attended Green River Community College. She graduated June, 2006, with both a high school diploma and an Associate of Art's degree. Entering Washington State University with junior status, Danielle completed her Bachelor's of Science degree in psychology May, 2008. Upon graduation, she moved to North Carolina where she worked as a victims' advocate for a private non-profit agency until attending the University of Pennsylvania in August, 2009. |
 |
Julia Eidelman graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Criminal Justice and Psychology, and is presently a volunteer with the Philadelphia Police Advisory Commission as part of her interest in police accountability and ethics. Over the course of nearly three decades Julia resided in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, where her lifelong interest in Comparative Criminology was fueled by first hand-observations of the similarities shared by people from vastly different cultures. Julia is interested in exploring the driving forces behind criminal behavior for the purpose of better understanding how to effectively predict and deter such behavior. She believes that the greatest progress in that area can be achieved through mutual sharing of information and education among the various agencies serving the community locally and globally. |
 |
Sarah Frazier is pursuing a joint degree (J.D./M.S.) in Law and Criminology. She is originally from outside of Philadelphia and received her undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College where she graduated cum laude. Prior to matriculating at Penn, Sarah worked for a management consulting firm in San Francisco where she focused on the technology sector. At the law school she is involved with Law Review, Mock Trial and the Penn Law Leadership Initiative. This past summer she worked for the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General in the Civil Litigation division. Sarah looks forward to pursuing her dual degree as a way to build a richer understanding of the law and develop analytical skills she can put to use in the future. |
 |
Susan Gerhardt graduated from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in Government (U.S. Concentration) and a Certificate in International Relations. During the summer of 2007, Susan interned with the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania Warrant Unit in Philadelphia and subsequently, when not attending Wesleyan, she has been employed there as a part-time bail interviewer for the pretrial service division. At Wesleyan, Susan volunteered as a tutor at the Connecticut Juvenile Training School for male juvenile offenders aged eleven through sixteen. After receiving her M.S. in Criminology, Susan plans to attend law school and pursue a career in federal law enforcement. |
 |
Doug Gillette, a Grafton, Ohio native, is a 2007 graduate of The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Criminology, as well as studying the Legal Foundations of Society. As an undergrad, Doug was involved in Alpha Kappa Delta National Sociology Honor Society. In addition to interning with the Ohio House of Representatives, he also assisted in violent crime research for the Criminal Justice Research Center under the direction of Randolph Roth, co-founder of the Historical Violence Database, a collaborative research project on the history of violent crime and violent death. He is pursuing his M.S. to better understand and influence criminal justice policy, hoping to one day shape policy through the legislature. Following this program, Doug plans to seek employment with the Department of Justice or one of the intelligence agencies. |
 |
Paul Han is from Fullerton, California and obtained his undergraduate degree at the University of California Irvine in Criminology, Law and Society and Psychology and Social Behavior. During his undergraduate career, he studied psychology and the law at Cambridge University and interned with the Department of Justice in Washington D.C. With the internship in D.C. in the Office of Justice Programs, he was involved with initiatives concerning Victims of Crime, Juvenile Justice, Corrections, Courts, and Congress. He is pursuing his M.S. in Criminology to further his understanding of criminal justice and plans to attend law school to eventually work in federal government. Paul is also a musician and has been a part of a band, Facedown, that has participated in faith community outreaches for the past 5 years. |
 |
Sabrina Haugebrook is a Georgia native who currently resides in Southern New Jersey. She earned her B.A. in Political Science and a Masters in Public Administration with a concentration in Public Management from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Sabrina is currently employed at the New Jersey Department of Corrections, Office of Policy and Planning - Research and Evaluation Unit as a Research Scientist. In this capacity, she conducts empirical research on corrections issues. She is particularly interested in researching the growing population of female and youthful offenders in the criminal justice system. |
 |
Hyun Jun is a native of South Korea. Her interest in criminal psychology and international security, specifically counter terrorism, led her to the United States in 2002, and she earned a B.A. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland in 2006. While at Maryland, she served as representative of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice on the Dean’s Student Advisory Council and president of the World Peace Buddhist Club on campus.She also became involved in the United Nations Association – National Capitol Area activities on campus. She was the commencement speaker when she graduated from the University of Maryland. She intends to pursue a career working in an organization like the counter-terrorism unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation or the United Nations. |
 |
Matt Johnston is orginally from Bridgewater, New Jersey and now lives in Piscataway. He graduated from The College of New Jersey with a BS in Criminology and minors in marketing and management. In addition to being an employee at Wegmans since 2003 in Bridgewater and Princeton, he has also worked for the Mercer County Prosecutors Office in Trenton and in the New Jersey State Police Headquarters's world class technological facility dubbed "The Rock" in West Trenton. Being a juvenile diabetic, he continuosly work to raise money for the JDRF and serves as a mentor to newly diagnosed children at Morristown Memorial Hospital. His ultimate carreer aspirations are to work for the DEA or the FBI because he is passionate about stopping the proliferation of CDS's as several of my friends from high school have died of overdoses or ended up in jail. He is excited to be at the University of Penssylvania and to work with some of the worlds best teachers and scholars. |
 |
Allison Kanter graduated cum laude from University of Florida with a major in Criminology and a minor in Family Youth and Community Sciences. While at UF she was the Vice President Social Standards of Delta Gamma, worked for the University of Florida Police Department as a supervisor of a student run service, and was a member of Order of Omega Honor Society, Criminology Law and Honor Society, Student Conduct Committee, and Greek Conduct Committee. During undergrad she also volunteered as phone counselor for a crisis center and suicide hotline, interned with the Forensic Investigations Unit of Tampa Police Department, as well as interned and served as a court assistant with a juvenile restorative justice program through the State Attorney’s Office in Gainesville, Florida. Most recently she has been a co-author on an article which examines police behavior at a particular rave event within the context of a “moral panic” regarding drug use and traditional law enforcements tactics associated with mass arrests. This article is expected to be published in Criminology journals in the near future. Following her graduate work at Penn, Allison hopes to join the federal law enforcement community with a focus on violent crimes. |
 |
Kathleen Kirchner is from Warminster, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania in 2007, where she earned a B.S. in neuroscience. Her focus in doing so was to take a closer look at behavioral neuroscience; that is, how biological structures can cause certain behaviors. While not in the classroom, Kathleen was a member of the judicial committee as well as a volunteer mentor for Project Impact. In this program, she was given the opportunity to work one on one with underprivileged high school students who were exhibiting behavioral problems both at home and in the classroom. In the vast field of criminology, Kathleen’s interests specifically pertain to the causes of crime, criminal behavior, and juvenile delinquency. She is particularly interested in gaining knowledge of structural abnormalities and dysfunctions of the brain that may elicit certain criminal behaviors and motivations. Kathleen is currently employed at the University of Pennsylvania Treatment Research Center where she conducts clinical research for the treatment of drug addiction. Because of this, she will be participating in the M.S. program on a part-time basis. |
 |
Michael Lai grew up in Findlay, OH, and graduated from Brown University in 2004 with a degree in Biology. Post-graduation, Michael worked as a research assistant with the Joan Ruderman Cell Biology Lab at Harvard Medical School doing research on the membrane progestin receptor (mPR), as well as pilot projects on estrogenic endocrine disruption. After a move to Columbus, OH, he changed his focus towards the forensic sciences, taking coursework at The Ohio State University in Forensic Anthropology, and the Forensic Field School, under Dr. Sam Stout. Most recently, Michael has become very involved with the issue of domestic violence, volunteering with the Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence’s initiatives in the Columbus City Schools, and attending the Coalition’s 2008 National Conference. Having worked as a researcher and as an advocate, Michael believes in a holistic approach to prevention and intervention that is informed by both quantitative and qualitative information. After obtaining his M.S. in Criminology, Michael plans to pursue a career in federal law enforcement. |
 |
Luye Li is from China, Hunan Province. She received her Bachelor Degree in Law School of Xiamen University which is one of the top legal education institutes in China, graduating cum laude in 2009. While in college, she was elected as both the Chief of Students’ Rights and Interests Division of Student Union and the President of Student Law Club of Xiamen University, taking care of students complaints on campus and law student extracurricular activity life. She interned for two summers in Chinese Intermediate People's Court for Chenzhou District of Hunan Province and Chinese People's Procuratorate for Xiamen Siming District of Fujian Province, working on high profile criminal cases with outstanding criminal-case judge and professionals. In Fall of 2008, she was selected as an exchange student to College of Criminal Justice in Northeastern University of the United States. During this period, she found her intense interests in Criminology and Criminal Justice in America. She is particularly interested in issues related to cross-national crime and justice, and empirical evaluation of criminal justice policies. She hopes to do more further research and study in criminology/cirminal justice field after completing the M.S. in Criminology program here at Penn. |
 |
Amanda McGlinchy is from Baltimore, MD and currently lives in Philadelphia, PA. She graduated from Saint Joseph’s University in 2007 with a degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in Psychology. While in college, she developed a research thesis on violence and mental health, examining which factors and demographics may impact or predict violent crime. Since graduation, Amanda has been working in drug and alcohol treatment research at the Treatment Research Center for the University of Pennsylvania. She has found working with an underserved population to be one of the most rewarding experiences. Stemming from her work, Amanda has begun volunteering for “Back on My Feet” which is a non-profit organization for the homeless promoting self-sufficiency through running. Due to her professional and extra-curricular activities, Amanda would like to further explore the intersection of drug use and criminal behavior through the M.S. program. She thinks the knowledge gained from her experience at Penn could be best served working with drug treatment programs within the prison systems or drug courts. Nonetheless, Amanda still has a true desire to investigate mental health and its role in different areas of criminology, which she hopes she can further examine in this program as well. Amanda will continue working in drug treatment research full-time, thus participating in the program on a part-time basis. |
 |
Resila Onyango is a Kenyan national and a Police Officer by career. She graduated from the Kenya Police College-Kiganjo in 2004 as the Overal
Stickwoman (Best All Around Recruit). She has since risen in rank to a Chief Inspector of Police. In addition, she holds a Bachelor of Education Arts degree from Moi University in Kenya. She is a Ford Foundation International Fellow. Prior to joining the Police, she worked as a volunteer for the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, a non-governmental organization in Kenya that hand-rears orphaned baby
elephants and rhinos before their reintegration into the wild. She would love to specialize in Criminology as the key to improving the performance of the Kenya Police officers. She is pursuaded that she will achieve the relevant knowledge and skills from UPenn and intends to utilize the same knowledge and skills in training and research for the betterment of the performance of her fellow police officers back home. |
 |
Tanner Opalinski graduated magna cum laude from Case Western Reserve University in May 2009. She earned a BA in Vocal Performance and Sociology with a concentration in crime, deviance, and delinquency. She is a member of Delta Gamma and the Alpha Kappa Delta Sociology Honors Society. She is particularly interested in sex crimes, profiling, and victimology and hopes to pursue a career in one of those branches. |
 |
Shelsea Anne Pederson attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she obtained her undergraduate degree in Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science in 2008, with a minor in the fields of Psychology and History. By the start of senior year Shelsea decided to shift her career path and cross-registered at Harvard University, completing coursework on psychological, physical, and sexual abuse. Following graduation she took a year off to solidify her academic and career interests in the field, travel, and become an EMT. From Happy Valley, Oregon, Shelsea comes to Penn to complete her M.S. degree with interest in pursuing a doctorate in Behavioral or Clinical Psychology, concentrating on the psychology behind physical violence and psychological abuse. She plans to pursue a career with the Federal Bureau Investigation focusing on violent crime. |
 |
Jessica Stirba was born just outside of Philadelphia, and she’s come back home to continue her personal growth. Having studied Classics and Gender & Women’s Studies at Bowdoin College, she often jokes about having taken a crash course in the rise of western civilization. Currently she is working on a joint degree that will leave her with a J.D. and a M.S. in Criminology in May of 2010. Before coming to UPenn, Jessica took a year off to work for Comcast, specializing in a type of network security which has left her with the type of suspicious mindset perfect for a future investigator. In her free time Jessica consumes (among other things) a large quantity of pulp media, strongly believing it to be a strong indicator of our hopes and dreams for this country. |
 |
Shunxi Wang is a native of China. She received her M.A. in English literature in China in 2005. She taught English, then joined Agilent, a premier measurement company, and worked as an assistant manager for Japanese customer department. She joined this degree program because she is interested in criminal justice system, and hopes to have a good understanding of American criminal justice system. She plans to attend law school after completing the M.S. in criminology program, and to pursue a legal career in China in the future. |
 |
Christine Wilz is from Washington Township, New Jersey. She graduated from the College of New Jersey in May 2009 with a B.S. degree in Criminology and Justice Studies and a minor in Psychology. She completed an internship with the New Jersey State Police at their Regional Operations Intelligence Center. While there, she wrote an analytical report on crime in Camden, New Jersey. After completing her graduate work at Penn, Christine hopes to join the federal law enforcement community and help to analyze and prevent crime. |
 |
Robert Wu is from Queens, New York and is a native of Long Island. Currently, he is pursuing dual degrees: J.D./M.S. (St. John's Univ. School of Law / Univ. of Pennsylvania). Before law school and graduate school, Robert worked as an intern and a staff member at Ernst & Young's litigation advisory unit and also their business assurance group. He then went on to work for Deutsche Bank's corporate investment bank as an associate in high-yield fixed income securities. He is presently an adjunct instructor of business and finance at Monroe College in The Bronx. Robert hopes to leverage the knowledge he gains from criminology and law school to join one of New York City's District Attorneys' offices after graduation. His cousin Danny, a New York City police officer, serves as a constant source of inspiration to him. Through the effective use of criminal procedures and the judicial machinery, Robert hopes to begin doing his part to bring criminals to justice. |
|
back to top |
 |
Matthew Fox is submatriculating into the M.A. in Criminology Program from the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania. He is pursuing a B.A. in Sociology with a concentration in Deviance and the Sociology of the Law. He is interested in researching the continued use of capital punishment in certain American jurisdictions in light of its declining use worldwide. |
 |
Simone Tang is a native of Hong Kong who is submatriculating into the Criminology program while pursuing a B.A. in Psychology. She is interested in the neuroscience of crime, morality and how people decide on punishment for different offenses. Her interest in these areas stem from her experience with the media's portrayal of violent crime.Last summer, she did research at Habeas Corpus Resource Center in California, a governmental organization that provides habeas counsel for death row inmates. |
 |
Takanori Tsuji is from Tokyo, Japan. He graduated from the University of Tokyo with a B.A in economy in 2005. After he passed the Japanese government public service senior A class examination, he got a position in the National Police Agency of Japan and now he is a police inspector. In the National Police Agency, he was engaged in making the policy of crime prevention. For example, he made the security guard law and thought about how to utilize the security guard. Last year, he belonged to M.S in criminology and got a Master’s degree. This year, he participates in the M.A program and wants to deepen his understanding of evidence-based criminology.
|
 |
Sarah Weiss is a Senior Research Coordinator and Psychotherapist for the Center for Studies of Addiction at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine's Psychiatry Department. She has been at Penn for 3 years and involved on multiple NIDA and NIAAA grants that have focused on providing effective treatment approaches to individuals with addictions and the effect it has on recidivism. Sarah graduated from Muhlenberg College with a B.A. in psychology and then started her graduate work at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. At PCOM she earned an M.S. in Clinical and Counseling Health Psychology. While completing the M.S., she worked on OPTIONS in the Philadelphia Prison System as a therapist providing individual, group, and anger management sessions. Sarah's main interests are to continue a career in academia that focuses on holistic treatment approaches for individuals involved in the criminal justice system. |
 |
Keri Wong was born in New Zealand and raised in Hong Kong. She is submatriculating into the M.A. in Criminology Program from the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania, where she is earning a B.A. in Psychology (Hons). She is currently working as a Research assistant at the Jerry Lee Center of Criminology at Penn. She is interested in the overlap between Psychology and Criminology, specifically on the relationship between schizotypy and antisocial criminal behavior. Besides from research, she enjoys tennis. |
|
back to top |
 |
Theimann (Tim) Ackerson is a Research Project Manager in the School of Nursing at Penn. He graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Rochester and obtained a M.S.S.W. from Columbia University. He has had a variety of experiences as a Clinical Social Worker in treatment, administration and research. He was the Programs Coordinator for the New Hampshire Department of Corrections for 7 years prior to moving to Philadelphia 5 years ago. His research interests are in substance use, motivation for change, and how violence affects communities. His ultimate goal in pursuing a criminology degree is to become a better researcher. He is happily married, has 3 adult children and 2 grandchildren but misses northern New England. |
 |
Carla Cue was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, where here parents emigrated from Mexico. She graduated from Princeton University in 2004 with a degree in Sociology. While at Princeton, she studied abroad in Australia and wrote a thesis on police-community relations in the U.S. which attempted to explain the difference in attitudes of minorities and whites toward law enforcement by way of examining survey data to find if a particular group has more contact with the police than other groups. After graduation, Carla lived and worked in London for one year and then went on to receive her Master's degree in Criminology from the University of Oxford. Her Master's thesis, 'In Dire Straits? The Road to Justice and Reconciliation in Rwanda', received a distinction honor. She hopes to continue research on restorative justice in Africa. In addition to research, Carla enjoys training for marathons and triathlons. |
 |
Charlotte Gill was born and raised just outside London, England. She received her M.A. in Law and M.Phil in Criminology from Cambridge University, and worked on the Jerry Lee Center's restorative justice experiments in the U.K. She is currently working for the Campbell Crime and Justice Group as its Managing Editor, and is involved in conducting a randomized trial with the Philadelphia Adult Probation and Parole Department. |
 |
Ben Grunwald is originally from Philadelphia, but spent the last year in DC working on criminal justice policy issues at the Urban Institute. His research has focused primarily on public housing safety initiatives, school violence, and the role of forensic evidence in criminal investigations. Ben graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2008 with a degree in Sociology and Philosophy, and is very excited to be coming back to pursue a Ph.D. in criminology. |
 |
Syed Ejaz Hussain is a Senior Superintendent of Police in Pakistan with experience of working in almost all branches of the police department including investigations, prevention, intelligence, traffic, training, and administration after being recruited as an Assistant Superintendent of Police. During service, he earned many academic and professional distinctions. He graduated for his MBA from the University of Lancaster, UK as a Chevening scholar. He earned prime minister's award for outstanding performance on the motorway. He is currently following a portfolio career; working as Senior Superintendent of Police performing usual police functions of crime control and traffic management on 225 kms of motorway and also sharing his experiences with the trainee police officers of different ranks as a part time teacher and trainer in the National Police Academy and the Civil Services Academy of Pakistan. He is coming as a Fulbright Scholar to do research on the Police Culture in the light of social science philosophy of critical realism. |
 |
Wendy McClanahan is the Director of Research for Public/Private Ventures, a national non-profit organization located in Philadelphia, whose mission is to improve the effectiveness of social policies, programs and community initiatives, especially as they affect youth and young adults. She is the principal investigator of P/PV's evaluation of Philadelphia's Youth Violence Reduction Partnership, a multi-agency effort to reduce youth homicides in Philadelphia; Ready4Work demonstration, a national faith-based initiative designed to reduce recidivism among ex-prisoners; and manages a random assignment evaluation of America Works' ex-offender employment program. She holds a M.S. in Human Development and Family Studies from the Pennsylvania State University. |
 |
Luis Medina is currently pursuing a Joint-PhD in Sociology and Criminology at the University of Pennsylvania. Growing up in a tough urban environment in South Florida developed his interests in social stratification and inequality; crime, law, and deviance; conflict and violence; and law enforcement. He is currently interested in studying several topics: (1) the effects of adolescents' social networks and cultural capital on involvement with the criminal justice system, (2) state and community responses to illicit and illegal activities by law enforcement officers--including violations of constitutional or civil rights, and (3) the impact of criminal procedure on the everyday lives of plaintiffs and the defendants. Luis received his AB in Sociology from Brown University in 2007, where he was a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow (2005-07). His undergraduate research examined the effects of social stratification on life-course outcomes in education and with the criminal justice system using data collected from the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health (Add Health); Luis was particularly interested in how social stratification unequally differentiates outcomes of adolescents who engage in risky and delinquent behaviors. |
 |
Melissa L. Meltzer holds graduate degrees in public health and criminal justice from the University of Texas and Sam Houston State University respectively. Ms. Meltzer is presently working on a longitudinal study investigating the resilience of maltreated and incarcerated youth and serves as a member of the board of directors of the Harris County (Texas) STAR Drug Courts. |
 |
Thomas J. Nestel, III currently serves as the Chief of Police for Upper Moreland Township (PA). Prior to his appointment as Chief, he dedicated 22 years to the Philadelphia Police Department where he attained the rank of Staff Inspector and gained experience in a variety of policing functions. Nestel has conducted extensive research on the use of public domain surveillance systems (CCTV) and assisted in the authoring of the operating policy to guide Philadelphia’s program. He has also conducted several studies to determine the effectiveness of red light camera systems on intersection safety. Nestel has earned Masters Degrees from Saint Joseph’s University, the United States Naval Postgraduate School, and the University of Pennsylvania. |
 |
Benjamin Nordstrom received his doctorate in medicine from Dartmouth in 2001. In 2005, he graduated from the residency training program in psychiatry at Columbia University. He remained at Columbia and finished sub-specialty training in addiction psychiatry in 2007. While at Columbia he was a provider with the COPE program, which provides mental health care for the New York City Police Department. He is interested in the overlap between psychiatry and criminology, with particular interests in drug-related crime and adapting known drug treatments for criminal justice settings. |
 |
Mamoru Suzuki holds a position as senior researcher at National Research Institute of Police Science in Japan. With over ten years experience at the nation's exclusive research organization for specialized forensic sciences and criminology, he has participated in various research projects concerning juvenile delinquency, offender profiling, and crime prevention. His major at the undergraduate level was behavioral sciences, with a concentration on field work studying social change of a rural community. His MA course was really time-consuming process because he enrolled as a part-time student, but he was conferred a master's degree with his thesis on fear of crime. He hopes to take a role as a bridge between Penn criminologists and Japanese criminologists in the near future. |
 |
Emily West is a graduate of Skidmore College and received her Master of Arts degree here at the University of Pennsylvania. She is pursuing a joint Ph.D. in Sociology and Criminology. Using data from the Philadelphia Educational Longitudinal Study (PELS) her dissertation focuses on various predictors of first and subsequent arrests between adolescence and early adulthood. |
 |
Daniel J. Woods is a graduate of the Universities of Virginia and Maryland. His Ph.D. dissertation examines the patterns and trajectories of offending in the Canberra Reintegrative Shaming Experiments (RISE). |
| |
|
|
|
|