Erika is a doctoral student in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice. She completed a M.S. in Psychology from Villanova University and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Criminology and Psychology from the Pennsylvania State University. Her research interests center around program and policy implementation and evaluation, especially in reference to youth and crime prevention. She also is interested in the role race plays in the criminal justice system. Her past research has utilized both quantitative and qualitative methods.
Erika is currently an embedded analyst within the Baltimore Police Department. Previously, she worked with Dr. Bianca Bersani and Dr. Lauren Porter on an implementation and evaluation project aimed at reducing violence in a Baltimore neighborhood. Her educational and work experience within the field of psychology informs her current criminology research and she aims to continue interdisciplinary research.
Areas of Interest
- Pretrial Community Supervision
- Program and Policy Evaluation
- Race and the Criminal Justice System
- Alternatives to Incarceration
Degrees
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Degree TypeMADegree DetailsCriminology and Criminal Justice
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Degree TypeMSDegree DetailsPsychology, Villanova University
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Degree TypeBADegree DetailsPsychology, Pennsylvania State University
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Degree TypeBADegree DetailsCriminology, Pennsylvania State University
Awards
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2026-02-01Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award
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2026-07-01College of Behavioral & Social Sciences Dean’s Research Initiative Grant
Conferences
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Legacies of socialization: Investigating the relationship between criminal offending and racial socialization
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Racial socialization and criminal offending: Investigating parenting plans through the lens of the theory of African American offending
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Understaffed and overwhelmed: Analyzing officer workload and well-being in a medium-sized police precinc
