Doctoral Students

Katlyn Casagrande completed a B.S. degree in Biological Anthropology, with minors in Criminal Justice and Sociology from Utah State University in 2017. She completed a M.S. degree in Criminal Justice at Texas State University in 2020. During her master's studies at Texas State, Katlyn worked as a research assistant for Dr. Scheuermann in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction on a project involving school resource officers and school safety in conjunction with the Texas School Safety Center. Her research interests include health, aging, and mental health in the criminal justice system.

April Chai earned a B.A. in Psychology and a Post-Baccalaureate and M.A. in Criminology at Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada. April’s areas of research interests focus on sex offenses, rational choice theory, routine activity theories, and geography and crime. More specifically, April is interested in exploring and identifying body disposal patterns in sexual homicide cases. She is currently a doctoral student in the School of Criminal Justice at Texas State University, studying under the direction of Dr. Kim Rossmo. Some of her recent work has been presented at the annual meetings of the Western Society of Criminology and the American Society of Criminology, and she has published in International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology.

  10 Hines Academic Center
  (512) 245-2174
  fb1037@txstate.edu

Floyd Berry earned a  B.A. and M.A. in Religious Studies from Baylor University and a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Texas.  He is an Associate Professor at Texas A&M-Central Texas, serving as department chair for the Social Sciences.  His research interests include civil disobedience, race-based jury nullification, liminality, and deviant behavior. His teaching interests include cultural anthropology and religious studies (e.g., religious terrorism). He is a retired criminal justice practitioner after 30 years of service in law enforcement, community corrections, and institutional corrections.

Cirriculum Vitae

10 Hines Academic Center
(512) 245-2174
rb1442@txstate.edu

Rachel Brooks earned a B.A. in Plan II/History from the University of Texas, a J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center, and an M.S. in Criminal Justice from Texas State University. Her research interests include jury and offender decision-making, indigent defender representation systems, specialty courts, and juvenile justice.

7 Hines Academic Center
(512) 245-2174
mlc169@txstate.edu

Monica Caballero earned a B.S. in Criminal Justice from the University of Central Florida and an M.S. in Criminal Justice from Texas State University. Her research interests include geographic crime analysis and mapping, statistics, corrections, and theory. Her recent work has been presented at the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences conference.

7 Hines Academic Center
(512) 245-2174
jd1281@txstate.edu

Joel Denney earned a B.S. in Applied Sociology from Texas State University and an M.A. in Sociology from The George Washington University. His academic interests include constitutional law and civil liberties, police training and use-of-force techniques, racial and economic inequality, conflict theory, and juvenile justice.

  Hill House
  (512) 245-2174
  bjd89@txstate.edu

Barbara Joyce Dinkins earned a Bachelor's degree in both Psychology and Criminology and a Master's degree in Criminology from the University of South Florida. Her research interests include personality and individual level differences, especially psychopathy. As a doctoral teaching assistant, she teaches Statistics for Criminal Justice.

Madison Doyle received a B.S. In Criminal Justice and Criminology and Psychological Science from Ball State University in 2018. She earned a M.A. in Criminal Justice from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2020. Her research interests include mixed methods, statistics, policy processes, and institutional corrections. Ms. Doyle has worked on a federally funded research grant with the Little Rock Police Department, and she recently published a paper published in Criminal Justice Policy Review. She is collaborating and the co-principal investigator on two on-going projects. One project is examining rapport between parole officers and female parolees with Dr. Molly Smith (UALR). The second project covers how to teach about police stress and resilience practices with Dr. Bryan Byers and Dr. Trisha Rhodes (both at UALR).

Aaron Duron earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice with a focus on law enforcement from Texas State University in 2016, and a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Texas State University in 2018. He is currently a doctoral student in the School of Criminal Justice at Texas State University. He is also working as a research assistant for the ALERRT (Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training) center. His research interests are policing, law enforcement, criminal law, and criminal psychology. Some of the projects he has worked on has been presented at the American Society of Criminology conferences.

Kevin Elliott earned a B.S. in Criminal Justice from the University of Texas at El Paso and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from California State University, Northridge. He is a retired detective sergeant from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Dept where he worked in gangs, homicide, and anti-terrorism. Since retirement, Kevin has been the director of corporate security and crisis management expert for Toyota Motor Corporation. He is currently working on his dissertation regarding connectivity as a critical mitigant of Post Traumatic Stress in retired law enforcement.

07 Hines Academic Center
(512) 245-2174
ajf92@txstate.edu

Allison J. Fernandez earned an A.A.S. in Paralegal Studies and an A.A. in Criminal Justice from San Antonio College. She also has a B.A. in Criminal Justice, magna cum laude, and a M.S. in Criminal Justice and Criminology from The University of Texas at San Antonio. Her research interests include measurement issues, developmental/life-course criminology, and juvenile delinquency.

Christian Fritz earned a bachelor's degree from Weber State University in 2012 integrating history, political science and Asian studies. He then went on to obtain a master of science in sociology from Utah State University before moving on to become a doctoral student of criminal justice at Texas State University. His research interests include theory, predictive analysis, and canines in criminal justice. In his spare time, Christian is a both a search and rescue and conservation dog handler with Alamo Area Search and Rescue and K9s 4 Conservation.

Leslie Garza earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Texas – San Antonio in 2013, and a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University in 2016. Currently a doctoral student in the School of Criminal Justice at Texas State University, her research interests include procedural justice within the court system and cybersecurity risk perception.

06 Hines Academic Center
(512) 245-2174
a_g559@txstate.edu

Arindam Ghosh earned a B.E. in Electronics Engineering from Shivaji University, India; an M.S. in Science, Technology and Public Policy, and a Masters in Business Administration from Rochester Institute of Technology. Arindam’s areas of research interests focus on geography and crime, and social disorganization and routine activity theories.  More specifically, Arindam is interested in exploring how changes in crime patterns relate to changes in the built environment.  Arindam is studying under the direction of Dr. Mark Stafford and working on his dissertation which involves analyzing the effect of criminogenic facilities on the nature and extent of the spatial distribution of different types of crime. He also works as a senior analyst for Bexar County Judicial Services in San Antonio, TX.

Vitor Gonçalves earned a B.A. in Public Administration from the João Pinheiro School of Government (Brazil) in 2015 and a M.A. in Sociology from Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG-Brazil) in 2019. He has previously taught the course of Criminal Justice System and Public Security Policies (2020) for undergraduate students at the João Pinheiro School of Government and worked as a Public Policy and Government Administration He has been a Specialist in the government of the State of Minas Gerais (2016-2020). He is currently a researcher in the Center for Studies on Criminality and Public Safety at UFMG and a Ph.D. student in the School of Criminal Justice at Texas State University. His interests include juvenile justice, criminal justice organizations, and international comparative studies.

07 Hines Academic Center
(512) 245-2174
jh1709@txstate.edu

Jeremiah Hicks earned a B.A. in Criminal Justice with a Minor in Political Science from Valdosta State University and a M.A. in Legal Studies with a Mediation Certificate from Texas State University. He is a criminal justice lecturer at South Texas College. He has experience working in law enforcement as a police officer and as an intern for both federal and state agencies. His research interests include policing, drug crime, border issues, offender rehabilitation, and criminal justice organizations. He has published articles in Police Practice and Research: An International Journal and Police Quarterly.

08 Hines Academic Center
(512) 245-2174
gk22@txstate.edu

John Lopez earned a B.A. in Political Science from Southwestern University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Texas School of Law. He has been licensed to practice in Texas since November of 2000, and for most of his career has been a prosecutor in both misdemeanor and felony courts in Travis County. He has been employed with the Travis County District Attorney’s Office since 2004 and is currently the head of the Conviction Integrity Unit. His research interests include juror decision making, the use of forensic evidence in trial, digital evidence, and different facets of prosecution.

07 Hines Academic Center
(512) 245-2174
jlm290@txstate.edu

Jessica Marinez earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2009 and a Master’s Degree from Texas State University in 2013, both in Criminal Justice. She has previously worked as a teaching assistant in the Health Professions Department at Texas State and as a research assistant at the Texas School Safety Center. Jessica is currently working on her dissertation with Dr. J. Pete Blair and intends to graduate by the end of 2018. Her areas of research include post-traumatic growth among survivors of school shootings as well as wrongful convictions, and poverty and crime. Some of her research has been presented at Criminal Justice Conferences in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Florida.

Molly McDowell earned a bachelor's degree in English from Cornell University in 2003, and a master's degree in Public Administration from Binghamton University in 2018. She is a member of Pi Alpha Alpha, the honor society for public administration. Currently a doctoral student in the School of Criminal Justice at Texas State University, her research interests are law enforcement response to intimate partner violence, prosecutorial decision-making about and adjudication of domestic violence and sexual assault crimes in rural areas, and mixed methods. She is a recipient of a Texas State Doctoral Merit Fellowship.

208 Hines Academic Center
(512) 245-2174
melbardis@txstate.edu

Dustin Melbardis earned a B.A. in Sociology and Political Science from the University of Tennessee in 2009 and an M.A. in Criminal Justice and Criminology from East Tennessee State University in 2012. He is currently working on his dissertation addressing the effects of commuters on municipal crime rates across the country. This topic emerged from his general interest in measurement in the social sciences. Other current projects include mapping police stops by specialty units in Austin and using NCAA rules violations, suspensions and other penalties to predict future criminal activity.

Curriculum Vitae

Hill House
(512) 245-2174
tlo29@txstate.edu

Tameishia Olden earned an A.A.S. in Environmental, Safety, and Security Technology and a B.A. in Social Science at Thomas Edison State College. She also earned a graduate certificate in Terrorism and Counterinsurgency Studies and Master of Security Studies with a concentration in Regional Studies at Angelo State University. She has several years of experience in the criminal justice field working in security, corrections, law enforcement communications, and as an instructor. Currently, she is a substance abuse counselor at a Texas Department of Criminal Justice contract facility. Her research interests include international terrorism, racial profiling, child abuse, treatment of chemical dependency and mental health disorders in the criminal justice system, and criminal justice education.

07 Hines Academic Center
(512) 245-2174
djr109@txstate.edu

Daniel Reinhard earned a B.A. in Justice from the University of Alaska Anchorage and a M.A. in Criminology from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada. Daniel's research interests include place-based criminology, crime prevention, and homeless persons. More specifically, Daniel is interested in problem-solving efforts facilitated by crime mapping and environmental crime theories. Recently, Daniel has been working in Alaska during the summer months on national and indigenous policing issues, as well as crime at place research.

Meagan Robbins earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in Criminology from the University of Texas at Dallas. Her research interests include recidivism, community effects, spatial distribution of formerly incarcerated persons, and program evaluations. Meagan will teach an Introduction to Criminal Justice course in spring, 2021.

No on-campus office
tag70@txstate.edu

Tiffany Gentry Rogers earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Washburn University, and a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Texas State University. She is currently a doctoral student in the School of Criminal Justice at Texas State University. Her research interests include violence studies, specifically violent crimes against animals. Some of her recent work has been presented at the American Society of Criminology conferences.

Hill House
(512) 245-2174
cdc173@txstate.edu

is currently an instructor and a doctoral student in the School of Criminal Justice at Texas State University. She earned a B.S. in Criminology, and an M.S. in Sociology with an emphasis in Criminology, from Texas A & M University- Kingsville. She also earned a J.D. from Loyola College of Law in New Orleans, Louisiana, and an L.L.M. in Energy and Environmental Law from Tulane Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her research interests include green criminology, female criminal behavior, and white-collar crimes. She recently published an Encyclopedia of Crime Entry for Environmental Crimes and Female Sex Offenders. Currently, she is working on developing sex offense profiles for female sex offenders and exploring boomtown crime in communities throughout Texas.

Cirriculum Vitae

Emily Spivey earned a B.S. in Criminal Justice and an undergraduate certificate in Criminalistics from the University of North Texas in May of 2015. Engaging with the subject on a graduate level, she received a M.S. in Criminal Justice from the University of North Texas in May of 2019. Emily is a recipient of the Doctoral Merit Fellowship and she currently works as a doctoral research assistant at the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center through Texas State University. Her research interests include criminological theory, theory testing, and policing.

208 Hines Academic Center
(512) 245-2174
bs1434@txstate.edu

Barbara Smith earned a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from St Mary's University in 2008 , and a master's degree in criminal justice from Texas State University in 2011. She is currently a doctoral student in the school of criminal justice at Texas State University. Her research interests are environmental criminology, decision-making, and immigration and crime. Some of her recent work has been presented at the American Society of Criminology.

John H. Weigel earned his Bachelor’s degree in Humanities from the University of Texas at Austin in 1996. He then earned his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law in 1999. After 15 years as a practicing criminal defense attorney, he transitioned to academia in 2014, earning Master’s degrees in History in 2015 and Criminology in 2017. His areas of research interest are historical criminology, corrections, and policing. He presented at the Southwestern Association of Criminal Justice conference in the fall of 2017 and will be presenting at the American Society of Criminology conference in the fall of 2018.

Kimberly Wong earned a B.S. in Justice Studies with a minor in Psychology from San Jose State University, and a M.S. in Criminal Justice from California State University - Long Beach. She is currently working as a crime scene investigator and instructor for a local police department. She also has experience as a teaching assistant at SJSU. Her research interests include the influence of forensic science on criminal investigations, law regarding crime scene processing, and developmental and life-course criminology.