Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right. Henry Ford
Education
Master of Arts in Criminology, Law and Society
In August 2017 I graduated with my masters degree from George Mason University. The completion of this degree marked my next stepping stone to continue on in the department in the fall in the doctoral program. My master's thesis was titled "Preparing for Rain Man: Training, Police and Autism."
Abstract: The CDC estimates that the prevalence of children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder is 1 out of 68 in the United States. As the number of autism diagnoses rises along with the distinct lack of mental health resources, law enforcement have become the first line of contact for either individuals with autism or those close to them. Law enforcement have been thrust into the dual role of police officer and mental health provider. The range of severity of autism presents a unique challenge when training officers as it is difficult to provide thorough tools and skills while encompassing all of the situations they may encounter; in particular, the ability to communicate with and de-escalate individuals with autism who are high and low functioning. This thesis presents an analysis of training material provided to police on autism with a specific focus on communication and de-escalation. The analysis suggests that law enforcement needs more training on autism and how to communicate with individuals with autism to ensure both officer and citizen safety.
Education
Bachelor of Arts in Applied Psychology
In 2014 I graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Applied Psychology, with a focus on forensic psychology. During the completion of my degree, I was required to complete 4 internships for a total of 525 hours. I was placed at a nonprofit mental health community resource center, a women's shelter and I was a research assistant for a faculty member. Additionally as a Schreyer scholar, I was required to complete a thesis. I created and administered a survey, titling my thesis "Jury Decision Making: Perceptions and Biases of the Insanity Defense Plea and Defining 'Insanity'."
Abstract: In the last few decades there has been a surge of research concerning jury decision making and jury bias. While there has been some research into jurors' opinions of the insanity defense plea, there has been little to no research into how well jurors’ preconceived notions of the insanity defense plea overlap with the legal statutes and criteria of legal insanity. In order to assess how well mock jurors’, or laypeoples', perceptions of legal insanity align with existing legal statutes, 59 undergraduate students read a scenario and answered a survey measuring their perceptions of legal insanity. The results indicated that there was a strong overlap of participants’ unsolicited perceptions of legal insanity and the Irresistible Impulse Standard (IIS), the Guilty but Mentally Ill (GBMI) statute, the Durham Rule and a concept the author labels “the mental health professional” factor.