Carol Xuanying Chen
"I am seeking both academic and nonacademic positions within an organization or entity that is interested in research regarding race/ethnicity, neighborhood structures, and crime."
Expected Graduation
Fall 2023 or Spring 2024
Carol's Dissertation
“Delving into the Role of Immigrant Social Capital in the Immigration-crime Nexus”
Committee: Dr. María B. Vélez [Chair], Dr. Bianca E. Bersani, Dr. Greg Midgette, Dr. Wade C. Jacobsen, and Dr. Philip N. Cohen
Carol's Research
"My research is predominantly focused on the intersection of race/ethnicity, structural inequality, and neighborhood crime.
Throughout my time in UMD, my research has examined the sources of neighborhood inequality in crime. In my work, I use extensive methodological training in quantitative methods such as multilevel modeling, panel data analysis, and spatial analysis to further understand crime patterns. My dissertation showcases my interest and research skills.
In my dissertation, I utilize National Neighborhood Crime Study Panel data (NNCS2-P) to identify the direct and indirect effects of immigration on neighborhood crime. To supplement the NNCS2-P and strengthen the analyses, I conducted a pilot NNCS3. My preliminary findings show that immigration boosts neighborhood immigrant social capital that reduce neighborhood violence and property crime. Outside of my own work, I worked with Dr. María Vélez and Dr. Christopher Lyons to examine the intersection of public policy, racial segregation, and crime by exploring the influence of the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) maps on neighborhood crime. Our findings demonstrate that communities that received a lower grade in the HOLC maps experience more crime today, exacerbating modern-day structural inequality in the process.
Besides my main scholarly interests, I have had opportunities to work on research projects on race/ethnicity and criminal justice processes that hone my research skills.
One working paper co-authored with Dr. Sally Simpson funded by the National Institute of Justice investigates how physician fraudsters fare in the federal justice system and what explains their sentencing outcomes. Meanwhile, I am working on a project (under supervision of Dr. Brian Johnson) that aims to understand racial justice in prosecutorial decisions across three Maryland counties (Baltimore, Montgomery, and Frederick). Intersecting with my interest in structural inequality in the neighborhood, we plan to investigate how neighborhood contexts affect prosecutorial decisions and sentencing outcomes."
Erin Tinney
"I am looking for academic (tenure or professional track), industry, or policy evaluation positions. My primary research interests include labeling theory, the consequences of involvement with the legal system in adolescence, and the intersection of the legal and education systems."
Expected Graduation
Spring 2024
Erin's Dissertation
"Examining the 'Reverse' School-to-Prison Pipeline: How Justice System Involvement Impacts Educational Outcomes"
Committee: Assoc. Prof. Wade Jacobsen [Chair]; Assoc. Prof. Bianca Bersani; Prof. Robert Brame; Assist. Prof. Robert Stewart; Assoc. Prof. Tracy Sweet (Dean's Representative)
"My dissertation investigates the impact of justice system involvement on educational outcomes, including timely graduation, exclusionary discipline, and postsecondary enrollment. I compare youth across multiple levels of justice system contact from arrest through incarceration. I also explore school absence as a potential mechanism and the moderating impacts of race and sex on this relationship. I utilize the Maryland Longitudinal Data System for this study, which includes information on education and justice system involvement for youth enrolled in Maryland public schools."
Erin's Research
"I published my Master's thesis, "The 'Stickiness' of Stigma: Guilt by Association Following a Friend's Arrest" in Criminology in May 2023. I also have authored two chapters (one as a co-author and the other as a solo author) in the recently published Teen Friendship Networks, Development, and Risky Behavior. I currently have ongoing projects with Wade Jacobsen and colleagues regarding topics such as exclusionary discipline and the social consequences of justice system involvement. I am also working on a project with Katrina Walsemann in the School of Public Policy on a paper exploring the connection between school desegregation and cardiovascular disease."
