Gemma Cadenaro

(Info coming soon.)

Jane Goldsmith

Thesis: My thesis project examines the efficacy of sexual assault prevention programming in Greek life, specifically regarding bystander intervention. I plan to use the Association of American University’s Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct to examine which factors of sexual assault prevention programming are most effective in encouraging bystander intervention for students in Greek life.

Independent Research: I am currently assisting Dr. Rachel Ellis with her research on Women’s Experiences on Probation. I will be assisting her by answering various questions regarding women’s experiences on probation, as well as conducting literature searches and summaries.

Plans after Graduation: I plan to further my education after graduation by earning a masters in Criminal Justice and a PsyD in Clinical Psychology.

Emilia Heintz

(Info coming soon.)

Tara Kelly

Thesis: My thesis project will be a comprehensive profile of incarcerated mentally ill individuals. I plan to use the Survey of Prison Inmates to study their experiences with mental health treatment, incarceration, prison programs, prison conditions, and more.

Independent Research: For my independent research, I worked with Dr. Robert Stewart to study felon disenfranchisement and its widespread consequences. Together we studied individuals who voted illegally while on probation and the sanctions they experienced.

Plans after Graduation: After graduating from UMD, I plan to attend law school in the D.C. area. I aim to work in the criminal justice system, advocating for individuals who are experiencing unjust treatment.

Nicole Meza

Thesis: My thesis project examines whether the legalization of recreational cannabis will have an effect on drug seizure activity. I plan to use data from the National Forensic Laboratory Information System (NFLIS) to test whether the legalization of recreational cannabis changes the rates of drug seizures of commonly abused drugs such as heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and oxycodone.

Independent Research: For the research internship requirement, I will be working with Dr. Greg Midgette in the Spring 2024 semester. I will be helping him with one of his ongoing projects that is studying the recreational cannabis market in California. The project aims to define and measure success within cannabis markets.

Plans after Graduation: After graduation, I am hoping to attend law school. The variety of skills that I will obtain through this program are going to greatly benefit me in both my postgraduate education and in life.

Bronwyn Grace Morris

(Info coming soon.)

Sonyah Ngwafang

Thesis: My thesis project examines how the accessibility and presence of mental health interventions and resources in Juvenile facilities affects their likelihood to recidivism. I will be using the Aftercare Services for Juvenile Parolees with Mental Disorders in Ohio Juvenile Justice facilities to test how mental health issues and the likelihood of interventions affects recidivism.

Independent Research: I would like to intern with a government organization with ties to Juvenile Justice programs or that is related to mental health interventions.

Plans after Graduation: After graduation, I plan to attend graduate school to pursue a PhD in Forensic Psychology, or Behavioral Analysis. Since my research captures themes related to delinquency and mental health, I plan to use my past research to help me conduct future research and provide a basis for future research on topics related to my current research.

Jacqueline Penna

Thesis: My thesis project examines the how the prevalence of religion in women’s prisons impacts motherhood, family reunification, and reentry. I plan to use the data set: Understanding Incarceration and Re-Entry Experiences of Female Inmates and Their Children: The Women’s Prison Inmate Networks Study (WO-PINS) to test whether increased prevalence of religiosity within incarcerated mothers will benefit family and child reunification and reentry.

Independent Research: I am hoping to either work in a criminology related lab or work under a researcher in the near future.

Plans after Graduation: My plans after graduation are to attend law school and work as a lawyer/prosecutor for a few years. Then afterwards I have aspirations to work in a government agency such as the FBI.

Anna Petersen

Thesis: My thesis project examines the predictors of ghost gun/Privately Made Firearm usage in urban neighborhoods. I plan to use police data and census data to research the environmental and demographic predictors of ghost gun usage.

Independent Research: I am working with Dr. Brian Johnson on his various research projects. 

Plans after Graduation: After graduation, I hope to get a job in the federal government. 

Ever Sheplee

Thesis: My thesis project examines the school-to-prison pipeline and specifically examines if students who exhibit a lower performance in academic contexts are at a greater risk of being suspended from their school setting. I plan to use data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) to test if a student's grades influences their likelihood of being suspended, one of the first pathways of the school-to-prison pipeline.

Independent Research: For my research internship, I have joined the Global Mental Health and Addiction Program (GMAP) as an undergraduate research assistant. GMAP focuses on increasing access to evidence-based addiction treatment in resource-limited clinical settings with research projects conducted primarily in sub-Saharan Africa and in the DC/Maryland area, specifically Baltimore and rural counties. Although GMAP focuses on access to addiction treatment itself, a focal point of the program is to help identify stigmas people experience related to drug use, recovery, and the criminal justice system.

Plans after Graduation: After graduating from UMD, I plan on continuing my education by attending graduate school and earning a PhD. I want to remain in the field of academia indefinitely, always learning new things and searching for solutions to social issues we face in America. After earning my PhD, I hope to become a professor and conduct my own research on the school-to-prison pipeline.

Karilyn Shin

Thesis: My thesis proposal looks to examine how adolescent interactions with the police affect future criminal behavior as mediated by their perceptions of the police. I plan to use the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study and to stratify the sample by race. 

Independent Research: I served as a research assistant to Dr. Demar Lewis IV. I assisted in his work regarding media-tracked police killings, the defund the police movement, and his manuscript Weathering the Storm: Vicarious Racism, Linked Fate, and Self-Reported Health Among Black Americans After the First Year of COVID-19. In doing so, I gained experience with organizing, coding, and analyzing spatial, transcript, and survey data.

Plans after Graduation: I plan to take at least one gap year to work and study for the LSAT. Then, I hope to attend law school and pursue a career in criminal law.

Cydney Simmons

Thesis: My research seeks to explore the lasting effect that colorism has for dark-skinned black girls throughout the school-to-prison pipeline.

Independent Research: I will be assisting Dr. Wendy Stickle with her research on human trafficking courts. Together, we will determine the general characteristics of human trafficking courts and examine how they work with juvenile victims.

Plans after Graduation: After graduating, I plan to pursue a master's degree in social work so I can gain the skills necessary to properly help those in need. I hope to apply the skills I learn in social work to jobs in victim advocacy or juvenile justice.