2025 Honors Cohort Profiles | CCJS l Criminology and Criminal Justice Department l University of Maryland

The 2025 Honors Cohort is advised by Dr. Wade Jacobsen and PhD student Guyu Sun.

See below for information on each student's thesis, fulfillment of the independent research requirement, and plans after graduation.

	Gemma Cadenaro Thesis: My thesis project examines modern military service, combat exposure, and post-service arrest among All-Volunteer Force veterans. I am using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 to explore how adult exposure to violence, measured through combat exposure, contributes to changes in adult criminal propensity. Independent Research: For my independent research, I collaborated with Dr. Meredith Kleykamp on her work examining the impact of race and gender on a sample of Monitoring the Future respondents’ likelihood to join the military. I gained valuable coding and data analysis experience, as well as became more familiar with statistical software. Plans After Graduation: After graduation, I plan to work in the national security space, either for a government contractor or the federal government. I anticipate working for a few years and would then like to pursue a PhD researching political violence.
	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 a mixed methods design to evaluate my hypotheses. For my qualitative data, I am conducting interviews with students at the University of Maryland to learn about their experiences with sexual assault prevention programming in Greek life. For my quantitative data, I am using the Association of American University’s Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct dataset. Independent Research: Last semester, I assisted Dr. Rachel Ellis with her research on Women’s Experiences on Probation. I answered various questions regarding women’s experiences on probation, as well as conducted a thorough literature search regarding the effects of probation. Plans after Graduation: After graduation, I will be pursuing a PsyD in Clinical Psychology and a masters in Criminal Justice at Widener University.
	Emilia Heintz Thesis: My thesis project looks at block group arrest rates in Washington, DC, and whether the presence of a homeless shelter in a block group is associated with a higher or lower arrest rate. Based on the strength of the relationship, I will evaluate whether D.C.’s police are in symbiosis with the city’s Housing First approach to homelessness or whether their methods are more closely aligned with a criminalization approach. My thesis uses GIS to compile 2023 MPD Arrest Data, 2020 U.S. Census Data, ad D.C. shelter locations. Independent Research: I worked with Dr. Niemeier in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department on a manuscript I presented at the Transportation Research Board in January 2024 titled, “Bringing riders back to public transit by addressing (perceptions of) crime.” Within the Criminal Justice Department, I worked with Dr. Stewart in Fall 2024 to research collateral consequences post-incarceration, especially related to college acceptance. Plans After Graduation: I am currently looking for a job in the legal field as a paralegal or legal assistant to gain experience before applying to law school.
	Tara Kelly Thesis: My thesis project is a study of mental illness and mental health treatment among justice- involved youth. I used the Pathways to Desistance dataset to examine if adolescent mental illness is associated with adult justice system involvement and how mental health treatment impacts this relationship. 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 will be attending a law school in the D.C. area this fall. I plan to work in the criminal justice system, advocating for individuals who are experiencing unjust treatment.
	Nicole Meza Thesis: My thesis project studies whether the legalization of recreational cannabis is associated with changes in drug seizure rates. I plan to conduct a longitudinal analysis using data from the National Forensic Laboratory Information System (NFLIS) to examine whether the legalization of recreational cannabis changes the seizure rates of cannabis, heroin, methamphetamine, and oxycodone. Independent Research: For the research internship requirement, I worked with Dr. Greg Midgette on a project that studied the recreational cannabis market in California. The project aimed to define and measure success within cannabis markets by examining the public health, safety, criminal justice, and economic impacts of recreational cannabis legalization. Plans after Graduation: After graduation, I plan to work for a year before applying to law school.
	Bronwyn Grace Morris Thesis: My thesis project examines the correlation between socioeconomic disadvantage (poverty status, educational attainment, public assistance, unemployment rate) and homicide rates in Washington, D.C. over 13 years. I am using data from the Metropolitan Police Department and the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Independent Research: I was able to intern with a federal government agency during the Spring 2024 semester, where I conducted both open-source research and research involving governmental databases. I helped with investigative tasks and assisted attorneys with assignments related to the overall organization and a specific case to which my team was assigned. Plans after Graduation: After graduation, I will be pursuing a Master’s degree in either Homeland Security, Intelligence Analysis, or Emergency Management in the DMV.
	Sonyah Ngwafang Thesis: My thesis examines the presence of mental health issues, particularly depression, among justice-involved populations and their likelihood of receiving mental health treatment. To explore this, I used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), a large-scale survey that focuses on behavioral health, social and economic conditions, and various other factors. Specifically, I analyzed adolescents who reported being arrested during the first wave of the study. I then compared their mental health treatment outcomes, depression index scores, and other control variables to gain a deeper understanding of the correlations between these factors. Independent Research: I began my research journey in the FIRE program at the University, where I studied Bacterial Pathogenesis. After that, I joined the CCJS Honors Program and started researching my thesis topic. I then worked as an independent research assistant with Dr. Robert Brame on age and crime. I also interned with the National Science Foundation, where I conducted research on the links between adolescent gang involvement and economic outcomes under the supervision of Dr. Beth Bjerregaard at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Additionally, I joined the Restoring H.O.P.E. lab at the University, where we focus on stigmas associated with justice involvement and advocacy for justice-involved populations. Currently, I am working on a project examining the impact of incarceration and solitary confinement on mental health. Plans after Graduation: After graduation, I plan on taking a gap year to work in the field before pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology.
	Jacqueline Penna Thesis: My thesis examines how religious environments during childhood influence delinquency. I plan to use the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) dataset to analyze the relationship between early religious exposure and delinquent behavior. Independent Research: Last semester, I worked under Dr. Rachel Ellis, assisting with research on the experiences of women on probation in the United States. My role included addressing research questions, conducting literature reviews, and summarizing relevant findings. Plans after Graduation: After graduation, I plan to move to the D.C. area and take a gap year working for a federal government agency. During this time, I aim to gain professional experience before pursuing a master’s degree in a criminal justice-related field, potentially in forensic psychology or criminal investigations.
	Anna Petersen Thesis: My thesis project examines the relationship between ghost gun/Privately Made Firearm usage and socioeconomic disadvantage in a large, metropolitan area. I am using police incident data and census data to study whether neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage is correlated with higher PMF use. Independent Research: I am working with Dr. Brian Johnson on his research projects studying court processes and outcomes in firearm cases. Plans after Graduation: After graduation, I hope to get a job and eventually work for the federal government.
	Ever Sheplee Thesis: My thesis explores the school-to-prison pipeline and specifically examines if students who exhibit a lower academic performance are at a greater risk of being suspended from their school setting. I use data from the Future of Families and Child Well Being Study to estimate the correlation between GPA and likelihood of suspension and test if race moderates this relationship. Independent Research: For my research internship, I 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: I will be moving to Brooklyn to teach for two years through Teach For America! I hope to gain more knowledge about our education systems and how they impact youth. Afterward, I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in criminology and eventually become a professor.
	Karilyn Shin Thesis: My thesis proposal seeks to explore the relationship between adolescent encounters with the police, particularly the invasiveness of police stops, and subsequent criminal behavior in adulthood. Additionally, I examine how perceptions of the police -referred to as legal cynicism - serve as a mediator in this association. Independent Research: I worked as a research assistant for Dr. Demar Lewis IV, contributing to his projects on 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. Through this experience, I developed skills in organizing, coding, and analyzing spatial, transcript, and survey data using Stata and R Studio. Plans after Graduation: I am taking a gap year to gain work experience, ideally as a paralegal, while also preparing for the LSAT. My goal is to attend law school in Maryland or DC to specialize in criminal law.
	Cydney Simmons Thesis: This study seeks to investigate the role of colorism in the treatment and experience of dark-skinned black girls in school and the criminal justice system. In doing so, we hope to understand to what extent is darker skin associated with higher arrest rates and how would this association shift when considering suspensions for black girls alone. Independent Research: During her time in the honors program, Cydney had the pleasure of assisting Dr. Wendy Stickle, Director of the Undergraduate CCJS Program at the Universities at Shady Grove, in researching the general characteristics of human trafficking courts in the United States and evaluating if these courts align with standards set by the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC). Plans after Graduation: Upon graduating, Cydney will be continuing her education at the University of Maryland, Baltimore to pursue her Master's in Social Work with a clinical concentration.

Honors Program Homepage