Raquel earned her BA in Criminology and minor in Family, Youth, and Community Sciences from the University of Florida in 2014. She received highest honors for her thesis investigating the influence of the cross-race effect on eyewitness misidentifications involving Hispanic participants. After graduating, she served with City Year, an education-focused nonprofit, in her hometown. Since joining the department in August 2015, Raquel has worked as a Teaching Assistant for Introduction to Criminal Justice (CCJS100) with Dr. Justine Madoo. Currently, she is serving as a Research Assistant for Dr. Brian D. Johnson. Raquel’s primary research interests include courtroom decision-making and extralegal disparities in the criminal justice system.