Dominique Austin

Thesis: Understanding the Victim Identity: The Process of Identity Work in Homicide Victimization

Public Dissemination: Podcast

Post-Grad Plans: I will be attending a doctoral program at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City University of New York. 

“During my time in the honors program, I was pushed to be the best version of myself, both as a researcher and as a person. I was inspired to dive deep into understanding the limitations of our current justice system and I was driven to produce work that fills those gaps.”

Rebecca Benezra

Thesis: Accountability and Publicly Elected Prosecutors to Explain County Level Variation in Death Penalty Usage

Public Dissemination: Coming soon

Post-Grad Plans: Attending law school.

“Being a student in the honors program has been such a meaningful and transformative experience. I learned to push myself both personally and academically beyond what I knew possible.”

Nessia Ferneau

Thesis: Barriers to Help-Seeking Among Orthodox Jewish Victims of Intimate Partner Violence

Public Dissemination: Poster

Post-Grad Plans: I will be taking a year off to gain direct work experience after which I plan to attend graduate school for a Master's in Social Work.

“Joining the CCJS Honors program has been one of the most rewarding things I've done during my college career. I am so grateful to Dr. Bersani and my cohort for supporting and guiding my growth as a student, researcher, and thinker.”

Arianna Mondelli

Thesis: The Rise in Women White Collar Offenders: Gender Disparities and Implications for White Collar Sentencing

Public Dissemination: Infographic

Post-Grad Plans: I am moving to New York City in August and attending law school in pursuit of my JD.

“Overall, the honors program was an amazing and advantageous experience for me. I have developed essential research skills and learned so much from Dr. Bersani, my classmates, and my TA's that I will carry with me throughout my career in law.”

Alexa Naskiewicz

Thesis: A Local-Level Analysis of Justice Reinvestment in Maryland

Public Dissemination: Coming soon

Post-Grad Plans: Working as a Legal Practice Assistant at Stradley Ronon in the Litigation Department in Philadelphia. I will be working in a Corporate Law Firm before going to Law School the next year.

“The honors program was a very intense, rigorous research program in the criminology field. I had no idea what I was walking into when I joined the program, but I am glad I did it because I am walking away with amazing research and writing skills that I didn't have before. I have learned so much about criminology research from this program, especially following my peers' work.”

Frank Ricciardone

Thesis: Creating an Age-Crime Curve for Embezzlers

Public Dissemination: Poster

Post-Grad Plans: I will be attending Boston College Law School in hopes of becoming a white collar criminal defense attorney.

“I loved the honors program as it gave me an opportunity to research something that we do not cover in our CCJS courses and it allowed me to dive deeper into my own interests as well as get hands-on experience with criminological research.”

Hannah Schaadt

Thesis: Death Attitudes among Non-Gang, At-Risk, and Gang-Involved Youth

Public Dissemination: Infographic

Post-Grad Plans: I'm planning on attending Northeastern University in the fall to earn my master's degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice.

“The honors program has taught me so much, and it's given me the opportunity to grow as a student over the past couple years. I feel prepared to begin my graduate level-studies next year in large part because of the skills that I've gained from the honors program.”

Luke Senftle

Thesis: How Can We Possibly Keep Our Schools Safe? An Evaluation of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)

Public Dissemination: Poster

Post-Grad Plans: I am taking a gap year working in a law firm as a legal assistant before I attend law school.

“The honors program helped me sharpen my attention to detail and critical thinking skills, which are so crucial for my aspirations to be an attorney. Dr. Bersani, Gabi, and the entire cohort are true professionals who I learned so much from.”

Talia Shemony

Thesis: Addressing The Impact of Unchecked Prosecutorial Discretion On Coercive Plea Bargaining

Public Dissemination: Infographic

Post-Grad Plans: I will be continuing as a full-time paralegal at a D.C. based law firm, Black & Buffone, and applying to law school this fall.

“The CCJS Honors Program instilled a newfound passion in me for research. I'm confident that I will take the skills I learned in this program with me to law school and beyond.”

Caroline Stroh

Thesis: Utilizing Public Opinion to Better Implement and Evaluate Reentry Courts

Public Dissemination: Infographic

Post-Grad Plans: I plan on pursuing a career in criminal justice research and advocacy. In the future, I hope to return to school to obtain a Master's degree in Criminology.  

“The CCJS honors program was one of the highlights of my undergraduate career, and has allowed me to more deeply explore my love for research and criminology. This program has instilled so much confidence in me as a student, and I am grateful for Professor Bersani who helped me and my fellow cohort members through the thesis process.”