Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right. Henry Ford
WHO I AM
Researcher, Advocate
I have always been fascinated by the criminal justice system, in fact my mother was even a little concerned when she caught me watching 48 Hours when I was twelve years old! Path set, I am a voracious criminology researcher. My recent topics have focused on community policing, police and mental health, police training and mental health, police training and autism spectrum disorders, and intersection of law & psychology.
Bio
Who I Am
Born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania I am the oldest of three children. I am fortunate to have two supportive parents of my scholarly pursuits. For most of my life I lived next door to my grandparents who owned almost 100 acres of preserved farmland, along with a full horse barn.
Growing up, both of my younger brothers were diagnosed with Autism Spectrum disorder and non-verbal, requiring high support care needs. My family has always been proactive and continuously researched and attempted new interventions. These experiences have greatly influenced my interest in studying relations between the criminal justice system and mental health. My brothers have changed how I view the world, and shaped my professional and scholarly pursuits.
My Brothers
“I’ve learned that every human being, with or without disabilities, needs to strive to do their best, and by striving for happiness you will arrive at happiness. For us, you see, having autism is normal—so we can’t know for sure what your ‘normal’ is even like. But so long as we can learn to love ourselves, I’m not sure how much it matters whether we’re normal or autistic.”
—Naoki Higashida, The Reason I Jump